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Le diagramme suivant iliustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 t t • 4 5 6 ENGLAND and CANADA.->« Journey between OLD and NEW WESTMINSTER, by Sandfi ' iv> Pl'ilip'*^ ;ji>n .I,uildo;iit t.ivii by Sandford Fleming, G.E., C.M.G., eta r- . ■. T.^u^n^u Western Journey. Eastern Journey _ _ — — - Iffl ^^m \MaBftl % K IS :JT -H L '""^^V^flirl - . J^ «.<««-.-A J'jr,^;. w_^ I ^^^**^ ^'^rs:^^^^^^>^^#^iv ■^4'.\-\ ••"'•24 .™«*"- Y?^-^ ' f ?~T iatitf T I C Ajiores lor Wt'Stcm WMtry E - A.Uf J.,-. '^ ■^ >^ S A H A 1 A /OR I) ■* TE S E 'J{. T ...*i (rS-ion ape Verd 1" P<»«wA*'k 9 I. B«]bi>}mt S K 'Ji X, / Ti)>eBti " *' K* Bihua' U. Tnnbnbtn Fomnv Air (tr.Vjben Hor*!^ , vf. S^i "^■^^ • £kVt.lf-> 1 . Burknoin k^ ^^rt%J* '^'^'^'" ao •v:> 30 15 15 30 +5 tU) liisr^ rderiJu^ CJ>a. K) DLA ^ I A 15 ^1 i ...1 / ENGLAND AND CANADA. A SUMMER TOUR BETWEEN OLD AND NEW WESTMINSTER WITH HISTORICAL NOTES. ' BY SANDFORD FLEMING, C.E., C.M.G., Etc. MONTREAL : DAWSON BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. 1884. j 4i I) Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year 1884, by Sandford Flkmino, in the OfScc of the Minister of Agriculture. GAZETTE PRINTING COMPANY, MONTREAL. 1 • I 4 1) i G.C.M.G., P.C., AC, AC, ONE OP Canada's truest and warmest friends, WITir SINCERE R13SPECT THIS RECORD OF A JOURNEY FROM THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, TIIROrOII CANADIAN TERRITORY, IS r>KDIC^TKD. 1 t I I CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. INTRODUCTORY. CHAPTER II. HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. Halifax— Cunard Line— Intercolonial Railway— Truro — Travel- ling by Pullman— New Brunswick— Miramichi— Great Fires in New Brunswick— Salmon Fishing — Micmac Indians— Rimouski— S. S. Parisian— The first Ocean Steamer the Royal William — Incidents of Ocean Voyage — Arrival Page 11 CHAPTER in. ENGLAND. "Willie Gordon— Custom House Annoyances— Cable Telegram- Post Office Annoyances — London — Spurgeon's Tabernacle —An Ancestral Home— English and United States Hotels- English Reserve— A Railway Accident— The Land's End— A Deaf Guest Page 33 VI CONTENTS. CllArTEK IV. ENQLA ND ( Continued ). Marquis of Salisbury — Gassical Studies — Henley Regatta — Red Lion — London Dinner to Lord Duflerin — Him Si)eech — Green- wich — Fisheries Exhibition — Bray — The Vicar — The Thames — Minehead — The Polynesian Page 58 CHAPTER V. ENGLAND TO CANADA. The Ocean Voyage — Its Comfort — Moville — Mail Coach Road of Old Days — Impressive Service on Deck — Comfort on the Vessel — Rimouski — Halifax Page 84 CHAPTER VI. NOVA SCOTIA. Early Colonization — De Monts — Champlain — Sir William Alex- ander — Capture of Quebec — The Treaties— The Acadian Ev *'^- geline — Louisbourg— First Capture — Peace of Aix la Chapeile — Boundary Disputes — ^The Final Struggle — Deportation of the Acadians — Nova Scotia constituted a Province. Page 102 ' i CHAPTER VII. HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. Home in Halifax — Start for the Pacific — ^The Intercolonial Rail- way — Major Robinson — Old Companions— The Ashburton Blunder — Quebec — ^The Provincial Legislature— Champlain — The Iroquois Page 119 CONTENTS. ^j^ CHAPTER VIII. QUEBEC, MONTREAL, OTTAWA. Montreal-Ship Cliannel-Hon. John YounK-St. Lawrence Canals— Indiflorenco of (itiobec— Qiielxu' Interests Sacrificed —Need of a Bridge at (iu(O)ec— Montreal Trade in Early Times— IJeauty of the City— Canadian Pacific; Railway- Ottawa— The Social Influence of Government House— King- ^*^" Page 131 CHAPTER IX. TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. Toronto— Collingwood— Georgian Bay— The Sault St. Mary- Navigation of the Great Lakes-Manitoulin Islands— Lake Huron— Arrival at the Sault pag^ 147 CHAPTER X. LAKE SUI'ERIOR TO WINNIPEG. Lake Superior— Early Discoverers— Joliet and La Salle— Hen- nepin— Du Luth— Port Arthur— The Far West— The North- West Company— Rat Portage— Gold Mining— Winnipeg. Page 101 CHAPTER XI. WINNIPEG, HUDSON'S BA Y COMPANY, LORD SELKIRK, Early Explorers of the North- West— Du Luth— De la Verendrye —Mackenzie— Hudson's Bay Company— Treaty of Utrecht- North- West Company— Lord Selkirk— War in the North- West —Union of the Rival Companies— The North- West Annexed to Canada p^g^ ^^g VIII CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. WINNIPEG TO CALGARY. Winnipeg — Great Storm — Portajje-la-Prairio — Brandon — Moose Jaw — Old Wives' Lakes — The Indians — Maple Creeek — Medi- cine Hat — Rocky Mountains. Page 201 CHAPTER XIII. CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT Start for the Mountains — The Cochrane Kanche — Gradual Ascent — Mount Cascade — Anthracite Coal — Sunday in the Rockies —Mountain Scenery — The Divide Page 221 CHAPTER Xiy. DOWN KICKING'HORSE VALLEY. The Descent — Summit Lake — The Kicking-Horse River — Sin- gular Mountain Storms — An Engineering Party — A Beaver Meadow— A Dizzy Walk Page 237 CHAPTER XV, TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. The Eagle Pass — Kicking-horse River — Valley of the Columbia —The Selkirk Range — The Columbia River— Summit of the Selkirks — Major Rogers' Discovery Page 252 CHAPTER X.YI. DOWN THE ILLE'CELLE'WAET. The Descent of the Selkirk Range — Glaciers — The Last of our Horses — Devil's'Clubs — The Ille-celle-waet — A Rough Journey — A Mountain Storm- Slow Progress— A Roaring Torrent — Skunk Cabbage — Marsh — A Long Ten Miles' Journey. Page 271 CONTENTS. IX CHAI .^ ^' iVII. DOWN THE ILLE-CE. E-WAET.—Continwd. A Difficult March— Cariboo Path — Orjjjanization of Advance — Passing Through the Canyon — Timber Jam — A Gun-shot heard — The Cohimbia again — Indians — Disappointment — The Question of Supphes becomes Urgent — No Rehef Party Found — Suspense Page 284 CHADTER XVIIT. THROUGH THE EAGLE PASS. The Kamloops Men at Last — No Supphes — On Short Allowance — An Indian Guide — Bog-wading — The Summit of the Pass — Blutf Lake — Victoria Bluff— Three Valley Lake — Eagle River —Shooting Salmon— The Cached Provisions— Pack-horses again — Road Making — The South Thompson — Indian Ranches. Page 295 CHAPTER XIX. KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. Lake Kamloops — Savona's Ferry— Irrigation — Chinese Navvies — Chinese Servants — Lytton — The Eraser River Canyon — Old Engineering Friends — Sunday at Yale — Paddling Down the Eraser — An English Fog at New Westminster Page 311 CHAPTER XX. ON PACIFIC WATERS. New Westminster — Enormous Forest Trees — English Broom — Port Moody — Down Burrard Inlet — Sea Fog — Navigation by Echo — Straits of Georgia — The St. Juan Archipelago — Sea- manship — Victoria Page 329 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXI. BRITISH COLUMBIA. Sir Francis Drake — Mears — Vancouver — Astor — Hudson's Bay Ck)mpany — Gold Discoveries — Climate — Timber — Fisheries — Minerals — Mountain Scenery Page 340 CHAPTER XXII. HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. Puget Sound — The Columbia — Portland — Oregon and San Juan Disputes — Arid Country — Mountain Summits — The Yellow- stone — The Missouri — The Red River — Chicago — Standard Time Meeting — The British Association — Home Page 355 CHAPTER XXIII. THE INDIANS. Indian Population— The Government Policy — Indian Instincts — The Hudson's Bay Company — Fidelity and Truthfulness of Indians — Aptitude for Certain Pursuits — The Future of the Red Man Page 380 CHAPTER XXIY. THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. Rapid Construction — Travelling Old and New — Beginning of Pacific Railway— Difficulties -Party AVarfare— The Line North of Lake Superior— The United States Government — ^lountain Passes— Soil and Climate— National Parks— Pacific Terminus. Page 394 av 140 CONTENTS. xj CHAPTER XXY. CONCLUSION. England and Canada— Old and New Colonial Systems-Political Exigencies—The High Commissioner— Lord Lome's VieM's— The Future- The French Element in Canada-Colonial Feder- ation—The Larger Union p^g© 409 m V- •d )5 ENGLAND AND CANADA. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY, If we carry ourselves in imagination to that part of North America nearest to Europe, \;e find that we have reached the most easterly coast of the Island of Newfoundland, an outlying portion of the continent. Standing on Cape Bonavista and looking from this promontory over the waste of waters, we discover that between the Equator and G-reenland the Atlantic Ocean is generally of much greater width in every other paraUel than opposite our present position : that its breadth rapidly increases as we proceed southward, if but a few degrees of latitude, and that, in the parallels of New York or Philadelphia, the ocean is more than double the width. Towards the continent of Europe the first land the eye rests upon is that of the British Islands. Four centuries back the first recorded discoverer of Newfoundland sailed from those shores, and from the time of the Tudor mon- 2 ENGLAND AND CANADA. archs this stretch of ocean has been nnccasingly traversed by European ships. It has thus been the cradle of ocean navigation. Adventurous men, v^^ho phmted the early settlement of America, crossed to the new world on this narrow belt. The vessels which carried them were indeed frail cr-'^ft com- pared with the creations of modern ship-building. But, step by step, they were enlarged and developed to the magnificent clipper, which again has been supplanted by the still more magnificent ocean steamer. In old days, even in a sailing vessel of large ton- nage, a sea voyage was frequently accompanied with much misery. It was not uncommon for emigrants to be detained at sea as many weeks as now days are needed for the voyage. Ships might be retarded or driven back by adverse gales, or they might remain in mid-ocean, becalmed in water ^..i unruffled as a mirror of glass. Steam has revo- lutionized these condition: Instec^d of ships being turned far from their course by contrary w4nds, or with flapping canvas waiting for a fair breeze, we behold on the waters of the Atlantic fleets of swift steamers, carrying thousands of passengers to and fro with the regularity of the daily post between two neighbouring cities. However formidable the voyage once was, its greater drawbacks are now removed. A steam ferry has been practically estab- lished between the two continents, and transi)or- tation is efiected with scarcely less regularity than s been compared to the Baltic, but, unlike the Baltic, having but one narrow channel of entry, it iw approachable from the ocean by two wdde navigable opcMiiiigs. These passages — the Straits of Belle Isle and St. Paul — lie to the north and south of Newfoundland. Around this inner ialtic-like sea we behold the Maritime Provinces of Nova Scotia, New^ Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, to which may be added the eastern portion of Quebec. These Provinces occupy an extensive coast line, indented w4th bays and capacious harbours, presenting all the facili- ties for shipping, commei:ce and fisheries. They are bound together, and to the other Provinc^es of the Dominion, by one trade, one tariff and by one common nationality ; on the other hand, they have each distinct local institutions for their own do- mestic government. Continuing our glance westward, a thousand miles from Bonavista, beyond the ancient fortress of Quebec, we behold Montreal, the commercial metropolis of the Dominion. Here are seen ocean steamers of the largest class discharging cargoes loaded twelve days back in Liverpool, G-lasgow and other parts of Europe. Advancing our view another thousand miles, over cultivated fields and flourishing cities and lakes of unrivalled magni- tude, our vision carries us through deep forests beyond the Province of Ontario to the confines of Manitoba, in the middle of the continent. Still t. 6 ENGLAND AND CANADA. another thousand miles to the west, across prairies abounding with a i'abulous fertility of soil, we reaeh the foot-hills of a snow-capped mountain range, concealing the country which lies beyond it. To penetrate this barrier we must advance by the known passes, and for hundreds of miles follow deep detiles, traversing further mountain ranges, until we reach the wide grassy plateau interspersed with picturesque lakes in the heart of British Columbia. We may still pierce another serrated wall of mountains by a deep and rugged valley, and, by following a tortuous and foaming river to its mouth, we meet the flow of tide of another ocean far greater in extent than that which lies behind us. Carrying our vision beyond the shore of the western mainland, across a strait similar to that separat* g England from Europe, we see the Island of Vancouver, washed by currents warmed in the seas of Asia. Vancouver Island is not quite so large as England, but it enjoys the same climatic conditions, and possesses in profusion many of the same mineral treasures. British Columbia is the youngest colony of the Empire, and until recently was practically the most distant from the Imperial centre. Its chief city bears the name of Her Majesty. The sun does not rise on Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, until eight hours after it gilds the towers of Westminster. One-third of the com- 1 INTRODUCTORY. plete ('ircle of tho globe separates the Imperial capital from the capital of the Pacific Proviuce. but uo land intervenes which is not British, and the whole distance is under the shadow of the one national (lag-. In imagination we First glanixxl across the ocean at its narrowest limit. Turning our glance land- ward, we have looked across a continent at its greatest width. All we have scanned, from sea to sea, is Canada. The vast proportions of the Do- minion, its varied features, its lakes and rivers, mountains and plains, its sources of wealth and magnificent scenery, are but little known to Eng- lishmen. A country to be known must be seen. It is not enough to examine a terrestrial globe or ponder over maps and geographies in order to form an estimate of the charactci of half a continent. They suggest but a faint idea of territorial extent. You must traverse its different sections, and bestow time in examining its fields and forests, its natural landscape, its cities and ite; civilization. There are few, indeed, who possess anything like an adequate conception of the immense extent and resources of the Dominion. It is scarcely pos- sible even for Canadians themselves to conceive the wealth of territory and the varied magnificence of scenery and the productive capacity of the land, the destinies of which it is their privilege to con- trol. During the past summer (1883), circumstances 8 EN LAN I) AND CANADA. inducted tho writer to visit England, to recross the Atlantic, and make a journey through the whole extent of Canada to the Pacific coas^. The railway took him to the base of the Kocky Moun- tains. From thence he entered the passes, and by pack-horse and on foot he followed the route pro- posed to be taken by the Canadian Pacific Railway through British Columbia. As is customary in such circumstances, the writer sent home, at convenient opportunities, a diary of his daily progress. He is aware that the notes of travel which have interest for a circle of intimate friends, have often but slender claim to public attention. These notes, however, give a sketch of the first continuous journey ever made, indeed the only one yet attempted, through the whole longi- tudinal extent of the Dominion by the route taken. From the interest which has been attached to his notes of travel, the writer has been prevailed upon to prepare them for publication, and, with the view of supplying such information as the future travel- ler may desire, a few historical notes have been included in the narrative. Canada is certainly not within the actual geo- graphical limits of the Mother Land, yet it is no mere rhetorical phrase to say that this half of the North American continent has become an integral part of the Empire. Seventeen years ago, when the British North American Act of 1867, creating the Dominion, passed the Imperial Parliament, INTRODUCTORY. 9 British and Canadian statesmen laid the founda- tion of a fj^roat future for the confederated pro- vinces. From that date Canada has steadily, step by step, done her part to realize all that was then foreshadowed O) her future. She undtu'took to establish a highway for commerce through her forests, prairies juid mountains, to connect the most distant Provinces. In a short time the national highway will b(; opened from the Atlantic to the Pacili(% and Canada will bvHome a recog- nized central commercial link between England and Asia. The writer ventures to think that the record of the journey he made, will show how closely Eng- land and Canada are brought together by the mod- ern agencies of steam and electricity. Equally it will be obvious, how easily the British subject in Canada may reviviTy old asso(^iations ; and how the denizen of the Unit(»d Kingdom can, without dis- comfort, visit the whole extent of the Dominion, to enjoy the variea scenery in the many forms in which it is presented. The writer sincerely hopes that what he ventures now to submit may be in- strumental in leading others to enjoy what proved to hi^'. a delightful summer tour by sea and land. It IS not witho" diffidence that he yields to the wish expressed for the publication of his notes. He is desirous, however, of establishing that such a journey as he has accomplished presents many other points of attraction independent of the beauty ■!■■!■ 10 ENGLAND AND CANADA. of the scenery and novelty of the associations. There is much to repay enquiry in the examina- tion of our system of government and of the institu- tions of the several Provinces ; in ethnological devel- opments ; and in geological and kindred scientific researches-. It will be found, too, that there is a past history which gives attraction to many a scene, and in all that constitutes and promotes the advance of nation s'^there is presented much of varied interest worthy of investigation. The writer does not hide from himself the fact that, in describing scenes and events, he may say much that is well known to many. He makes no pretension to original research. His endeavour is simply to present the notes of his journey side by side with some leading historical facts, in a way which may admit of generalization and be useful to the ordinary reader. Hence it is not impossible that the professional litterateur may, with a certain cynicism, consider that the following pages cont'^in much that is not worth the record. The two voyages across the ocean and the jour- ney over the continent embraced a total distance travelled of about 14,000 miles, the eastern and western portions of which began and ended at Halifax. ?3 ■v:. •iiJHi./AXrf.-' ",L ....:/-..> ^>.-i 'J. _-A!^^^^iM 1 1 RIMOUSKI. 21 Lth ps Id- ler ■•3 bliU'k eyes. She is th(» mother of a hirge I'aniily, some of whom are grown up, yet she retains all her youthful vivacity and naivete. Rimouski is a large straggling French Ctuiadian town, the last of any importance in the Province of Quebe(? to the east, if we except th(» thriving village of Matane. It is chiefly remarkable lor its ecclesiastical and educational institutions. There is another peculiarity ; the largeness of the family in many households. It is no uncommon matter to find a family of from lifteen to twenty child- ren. Not long ago I heard of a case of a family of eighteen, and there was a question of an orphan to be taken, for whose nurture nothing was to be paid, its parents having died under circumstances of privation and poverty. " Let it come and take its chance with our <^hildren," said this excellent French Canadian mother, and it was so resolved. Travellers to Europe, like ourselves, have their letters and telegrams directed to llimouski in case of more or less last words being necessary. I was very glad to find good news in those I received. I went to the station to meet the train for the south. There I found more fishermen bound for the Restigouche, New Yorkers, who now come yearly to our waters, a class who do not fish for the pot, but are sportsmen. Among them were Mr. Dean Sage and Mr. Worden, with a i^arty of friends. At 10 o'clock p.m., the mail train having arrived , 22 HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. we took tho tondt'r for tho stoamor, which hiy off in the stream. Sir Ah'X. G-alt was on the train, on his way back from Halifax, wh(uv \\ii had taken part in a public banquet given to his successor as High Commissioner for Canada in London ; Sir Charles Tupper. I was in hopes that he, too, was starting for England, but to my disappointment he eoutinued his journey to Montreal. "We reach the wharf on the branch railway, whi re the tender is ly.ng. The arrangements are not quite perfect. The wharf itself is of unusual length, but it only reaches shallow water at low tide. In consequence the capacity of the tender is limited, and, although st/ongly built, it rolls disagreeably in rough weather, to the discomfort of passengers who are indifferent sailors. We embarked on the "Parisian," and at once found our way to the cabins allotted to us. A friend had previously consoled us by saying that they were the worst in the ship. They were directly under the scuppers used for pouring the ashes overboard, the disagreeable noise of which operation we were expecting to hear every hour in the night. "We did not, however, experience much inconvenience on this score, as for the greater part of the voyage, our cabin was on the windward side, which is never used at sea for the discharge of refuse. The passenger list placed in our hands con- tained several familiar names. There were Cana- dian Cabinet Ministers and Montreal merchants, DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE. 28 with their wives and tamilios, and th«M'<» wore friends whom wo expocted to meet, some of thi'iii we found in the saloon before retiriim- for the ni"'ht. Trips by ocean steamers have much the same features, and, whih3 the changes and vicissitudes of fog, rain and fine weather are all important in the little iloating community, they have little con- cern for the outer world. To sufferers from sea- sickness, an ocean trip is a terror. Medical men say, in a general way, that the iniliction should be welcomed, for it brings health, but I havt^ seen those prostrated by it who have been so depressed that I can not but think that if this theory be true the improvement to health will be dearly pur- chased by the penalty. Such, however, are the exceptions. With most people one or two days* depression is generally the extent of the infliction Personally I cannot complain. Nature has made me an excellent sailor. With no remarkable appe- tite, I have never missed a meal on board ship, nc i- ever found the call to dinner unwelcome. Our first morning commenced with fog, but it cleared away as we coasted along the somewhat bold shore of G-aspe in smooth water. There is always divine service on these vessels on Sunday. The Church of England form is as a rule adhered to, which is read by the captain or doctor if no clergyman be present. If a clergyman be found among the passengers he is generally invited to conduct divine service, and any Protestant form is 24 HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. 11 I admitted. On the present occasion the Rev. 0. Hall, Presbyterian minister of Brooklyn, N. Y., officiated. The service was simple and appropri- ate, and the sermon admirable. The day turned out fine, and the water so smooth that in the afternoon every passenger was on deck. Our course being to the south of the Island of New- foundland, we passed the Magdalen Islands and the Bird Rocks, and we think of the vast number of ships which have ploughed these waters on their way to and from Quebec and Montreal. It is now fifty years since "The Royal William" steamed homewards on the same course we are now following. Much interest begins to centre in "The Royal "William." It is claimed that she was one of the pioneers of steamers, if not the very first steam* r which crossed the Atlantic under steam the whole distance. She was built in Can- ada. She left Quebec on the 18th August, 1833, coaled ai Pictou, in Nova Scotia, and arrived at Gravesend on the 11th September. She did not return to Canada, as she was sold by her owners to the Spanish Grovernment. Her model is pre- served by the Historical Society of Quebec. Some of these particulars I had from the lips of one of the officers of "The Royal William," who died a quarter of a century ago. There is but one counter claim to the distinction, A ship named the " Savannah " crossed the Atlan- tic from the port of that name in the Southern THE FIRST OCEAN STEAMER. 25 United States to Liverpool in 1819. She had machinery for propulsion of a somewhat rude description, which seemed to be attached as an auxiliary power to be used when the wind failed. There is nothing to show that it was continuously employed. I have recently heard from a friend in Savannah on the subject, and I quote from his letter : " She was 18 days on the voyage. She resembled very much in mould an old United States war frigate. The hull was surmounted with a stack and three masts — fore, main and mizzen — and was provided with side wheels of a ^Drimitive pattern, left wholly exposed to view, and so ar- ranged that they could at any time be unshipped and the vessel navigated by sails only." On Monday before 2 a.m. we pass out of the Grulf by the Strait of St. Paul into the open Atlantic, and still the water continues perfectly smooth. There is a slight fog, which passes away, and we behold nothing but the world of waters around us. The moon appears, and we have an evening on deck long to be remembered. Everything stands out clear and distinct, but the shadows are dark and heavy. The moon casts its line of rippling light across the waves, and the ship glides onward, almost weird-like in its motion. One of the pleasures, as well as penalties, of travelling is to be asked to make one at whist. It is a pleasure to take i)art in a single rubber if played without stakes, but to one indifferent to r 26 HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. cards, who does not want to win his friend's money or lose his own, to join such a party is often no little of a sacrifice. Your reply when asked to play may take the con \rentional form, "With pleasure," and in a way you feel pleasure, for you like to oblige people you care for, and you may be in an extra genial mood ; but how often I have wished some other victim could have been found at such times. On this occasion I left the deck when I would have willingly remained, and took my seat at the card table. The fog returned, and the ship went at half speed for the night. When next day came there was no fog, but there was some little rocking, w^hich, to me, during the previous night, was but a pleasant incentive to sleep, for I did not once hear the fog whistle in its periodic roar — no pleas- sant sound — nor was I sensible of the dreaded rattling of the ashes emptied overboard, a nightly and unavoidable duty, and by no means a musical lullaby. I find that several ladies are absent from break- fast this morning. A breeze springs up ; a sail is hoisted ; and occasionally we have fog, and now and then a cold blrst, with alternations of damp and moist air. Such is the general experience in crossing the Kanks. As one passenger remarked, " It is hungry weather." The breakfast in most cases had been sj^aring, an enforced necessity in some instances, but the general feeling is one of THE VOYAGE. 27 5> being" raveuoiis for lunch. The day passes pleas- antly, possibly idly, and in the evening the whist table has its votaries. We leave the fog behind us, but the next day is cloudy. There is a light wind, and the sea is a little disturbed. Most of the passengers keep the deck. We fancy we see a whale. There is too much cloud for the moon to penetrate, so the passengers generally leave the deck to enjoy themselves quietly in the saloon. We have a bright midsummer day this 21st June after a glorious morning, and we advance eastward with all sail set. The spirits of all on board seem to rise, the sky is so blue, and the sea so bright. There is but slight motion, with which, most of the passengers are becoming familiar. We are now half way across. We begin to cal- culate when we shall arrive, and what trains we shall take at Liverpool. I have many times crossed the Atlantic, but I never could understand the restlessness with which so many look for the ter- mination of the voyage. If there were some urgent necessity for immediate action on the part of those who are travelling this impatience could be ac- counted for. The majority, however, are tourists for pleasure or for health, and, as for business or professional men, I never could see how a few hours one way or the other could influence their operations. To some the voyage is simply im- prisonment ; the condition of being at sea is a penalty they pay at the sacrifice of health and 28 HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. i\ comfort. Those are the exceptions. There are a large number who feel as I do, and for my part, while it would be affectation to profess to be fond of storm and tempest, a sea voyaige in ordinary fine weather is one of the most pleasurable expe- rien(^es of my life. I have good digestion and good spirits, and I am satisfied with the pleasant change from a life on shore. I can generally read, and I can always remain on deck, and I always have a certain feelino' of rei?vet when I think that the voyage is soon coming to an end. We are all well cared for, we form pleasant associations, and anyone who can study human nature finds no little opportunity for doing so on shipboard. Our library, it is true, is somewhat limited, but it has a few good books. I was somewhat struck on reading during this voyage almost the last M^ords of the celebrated Mary Somerville, who, after a most distinguished career in science, died eleven years ago at Naples. These words appear more striking to me when read on board ship. " The blue i>eter has long been Hying at my fore- mast, and, now that I am in my 92nd year, I may soon expect the signal for sailing." We discuss our progress on all occasions There is a general thankfulness as we advance. Towards evening the motion of the ship has increased, but we can all walk the deck. On the following day we put on more canvas, for the breeze has increased and is more favorable, and our progress is much THE VOYAGE. 21> greater. Thero is now considorablo motion, but we have all got familiar with it, and, as sailors say, we have our sea-logs. The wind is at north- west ; the day clear and bright, with a warm- looking sky, speckled with lleecy clouds. The decks are dry. We ai)pear to bt^ achieving wond- ers in speed, and we are entering into all sorts of calculations as to what extent we shall make up the seven hours' detention by fog on the Banks of Newfoundland. Our run yesterday was 342 miles in 28J hours. Reckoning by observed time, we lose half an hour daily by the advance made east- erly. During the afternoon we have a fair breeze, with all sail set, followed by the same pleasant and agreeable evening. The passengers talk of leaving with much readiness. Well is it said that much of the pleasure of life is retrospective. " We are approaching land" is now the cry, and we commence early the next morning calculating when we shall reach Moville. Saturday afternoon is delightful. Bright gleams of sunshine appear in the intervals of occasional showers. In the evening there is a concert with readings from eight to ten. The collection is for the " Sailors* Orphanage" at Liverpool. On account of the con- cert our lights are allowed to burn until midnight, and many of us remain on deck nearly to that hour. The moon is three-quarters full ; we have all sail set, and we can see the reflected light of the sun in the northern sky at midnight. To me F 30 HALIFAJ: tTO LIVERPOOL. i < there is a strange /fascination in a scene of this character, with all its accompaniments. There is a movement in the sea and a freshness in the air which give a tingle to the blood, and we seem to walk up and down^the deck with an elasticity we cannot explain to o irselves. Next morning was Sunday. I was on deck half an hour before breakfast. The land on the west coast of Ireland was in sight. The morning was most fair, and it seemed to give additional zest to the excitement produced by the approaching ter- mination of the voya^'-e. We learn that we shall be at Moville at 2 o'clock. We have again divine worship. A Methodist minister read the Church of England service and delivered an admirable sermon. We reach Moville, and find we have been seven days and ten hours making the run from Rimouski. I took the opportunity here to send a cablegram home ; it consisted of one word, but that word contained a page of family meaning. We passed the Griant's Causeway, at which the passengers intently looked. We could also see Islay and the Mull of Kintyre. In the evening we have a second service. Our eloquent friend from Brooklyn satisfied us so well the previous Sunday that we begged of him to give us another sermon. He complied with our wishes, and with equal success. It is our last night on board ; to-morrow we are to separate. Many^of us on this voyage have met OCEAN FRIENDSHIPS. 31 for the first time, aud in all human pro1)ability few of us will again come side by side. There is always a feeling* of sadness in thinking you do something for the last time. I can fancy even a convict leaving his cell where he has passed some yearft pausing upon the threshold while a rush of the old recollections, the long, sad hours cheered by gleams of hope, crowd upon him, when he will feel some strange sentiment of re^'ret that it is the last time he looks upon the place. The feeling may last but a second, but it is an impulse of our nature which is uncontrollable; On board ship, with a certainty of gaining port to-morrow, the last ho'.rs are passed in packing up and preparing to leave, and a feeling of regret creeps in that now so many pleasant associations are to end, and in spite of yourself some of the good qualities of those who are set down as dis- agreeable iDeople come to the surface in your memory. Some few friendships are foimed at sea which are perpetuated, but generally the pleasant- est of our relations terminate with the voyage. It is too often the case, as in the voyage of life, that those we haA^e learned to esteem are seen no more. We had to lose no time in order to pass the troublesome bar at the mouth of Liverpool har- bour. With vessels of the draught of the Ameri- can steamers it can only be crossed at high water. The officers generally calculate what can be done from the hour they leave Moville, and regulate 32 HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL. thoir speed aecordiiig'ly, so as to approach it at the right moment. No one knows bettor than the occupants of the cabin corresponding- with our own on the opposite side of the vessel that a great many tons of ashes have ])een thrown overboard during the voyage : we all know that a large volume of smoke has passed out of the funnel, a proof of the great weight of fuel which has been expended in keeping the screw revolving. The draught of the ship is consequently considerably less than when we left the St. Lawrence. There is now no fog ; the weather is line ; there is everything to encourage thi* attempt to run in, and it proves successful. On this occasion, had we been twenty minutes later, we should have had to remain outside until another tide. The lights of Galloway and the Isle of Man were passed before the most of us retired last night. We all awoke early ; at a quarter to live w^e had crossed the bar ; the " Parisian " was in the Mersey ; the tender came alongside the ship, and very soon afterwards I stood again on English ground. CHAPTER III. ENGLAND. Willie Gordon-Custom Hou«o Aiinoyancos-Cablo Tologram- rosi Oftico Annoyancos-London-Spurgeon's Tabernacle -An Ancestral Home-English and United States IL.tels —English i^eserve-A Railway Accident-Tho Land's End— A Deaf Guest. As I stood on the lauding- stage at Liverpool awaitin- patiently and with resignation for the Customs officers to allow the removal of our lug- gage, a host of recollections ran through my mind. My thoughts went back twenty years to another occasion when I landed from an ocean steamer at an hour equally early. My memory has been aided by one of those works which appear so frequently from the New York press, so fertile m this species of encyclopsediac literature, endeav- ouring to embrace in a few pages the truths learned only by a life's experience. The small volume tells you what not to do, and it senten- tiously sets forth its philosophy in a series of paragraphs. There are ninety-five pages of this philanthropic effort, with about four hundred 4i 9B 84 ENGLAND. negative injunctions. The title of the hook is ''Don't." The injnnvtion that strnck my eye most forcibly may be taken as no bad type of the teach- ing of the book. It runs, "Don't" is the first word of every sentence. "Don't go with your boots unpolished, but don't have the polishing done in the public highways " These words met my eye as I was engaged in these pages, and they })rought back the feelings which passed through my mind on the morning I left the " Parisian." My thoughts reverted to my visit to the Mother Country after eighteen years' absence ; the first made by me since I left home in 1845. I was a pas- senger on the "United Kingdom," due at Grlasgow. She had passed up the Clyde during the night, and arrived opposite the Broomielaw in the early morning. The night previous the passengers were in the best of humour, and the stewards had been kept up late attending to us. We were all in high spirits, and without exception delighted at return- ing to Scotland. I was particularly impatient to get ashore, to touch the sacred ground of my native land. I arose that morning one of the first of the passengers, before the stewards were visible. The ship was in the stream off the Broomielaw. A boat came to the side. I jumped into her and went ashore. I strolled along the quay. My foot was not literally on "my native heath," but I enjoyed intensely the pleasure we all feel in re- visiting our native shores, and in being near the WILLIE GORDON. 85 met scenes from which we have beeu long absent. Everything seemed so fresh and charming. I had no definite purpose in my wandering, but I was at home ; it was Scotland. In my semi-reverie I was interrupted by a young voice in the purest Clydesdale Doric saying " hae yer butes brushed V" I looked down mechanically at my feet, and found that the cabin bootblack of our vessel had neglected this duty, probably owing to the irregular hours of the last night on board. Moreover, it was the first word addressed to myself, and I should have felt bound to accept the offer if it had been unne- cessary in the fullest sense. I commenced conver- sation with the boy. He was very young. I summoned to my aid my best Scotch for the occa- sion. His name was Willie Grordon, and he told me his widowed mother was a washerwoman, that he had a number of brothers and sisters younger than himself, that his earnings amounted to about half a crown a week, and that between him and his mother they managed to earn ten shillings in that time. "And how do you live, Willie V" " Reel weel," replied the boy, with the cheeriest of voices. " And now, Willie," I said, when I had paid him his fee, " it is many years since I have been here. I want to see the places of greatest interest in G-lasgow." "Ou, sir," he promptly said, "ye shuld gang ta see Corbett's eatin hoose." " Do you know the way there ?" I asked. " Fine, sir. I ken the way vary weel. I'll gang wi ye I' I 86 ENGLAND. tao the door," and his face looked even happier than ])elbre. I accepted his guidance, and, if my recollection is correct, the place was in Jamaica street. The boy walked by my side carrying- his brushes and box, and chatted gaily of himself and his life. Apparently no prince could be happier. "We rearhed the renowncnl establishment he had named It was a species of home which a bene- volent citizen had instituted, on the same principle on which the coftee taverns are now established : to furnish an early hot cup of tea or coffee to men going to work, to offer some other refreshment than whiskey and beer, to give a meal at cost price w4th all the comfort possible with cleanliness good cheer and airy rooms, warm in winter. After some hesitation, and persuasion on my part, Willie shyly entered with me. The menu was on the wall. Porridge and milk one penny, large cup of coffee one penny, bread and butter, thick, one penny, eggs and toast one penny, &;c., &c. ; every- thing one penny. I cannot say that I give a i:)re- Q,Y6' aint of what appeared, but it was essen- as I describe it. We were a little early even X that establishment, so Willie and I sac down. The buxom matron gave us some account of the place and its doings. The Duke of Argyle had dined with her a few days before. She told us the establishment was well patronized and prosperous- The time soon came for our order, for we were the first to be served. I set forth what I required for A HAPPY BOOT-ULACK. 37 After ^^illie the cup oue rery- pre- sseii- even the had 1 the ;ous- the L for myself, and that was no lii»ht })reakfast, as I had a sea apix»tito, sharpened })y the early morninL*' walk. I directed the attendant to bring the same order in double proportions for the boy, so that we had a splendid (Ujciiner. My little companion was in ecstasies. Never was hospitality bestowed on a more grateful recipient. lie would not leave me, and he seemed bound to make a morning of it, and from time to time graciously volunteered, "I'll tak ye ony gait. Sir" His customers were forgotten, but I trust he did not suffer from his devotion to me, for I did my best to remedy his neglect of profes- sional duty. He followed me from place to place, carrying the implements of his day's work, and he seemed anxious to do something for the trilling kindness I had showni him and the few pence I had paid for his breakfast. But I was more than compensated by the i^leasure I myself received. I listened to all he said with fresh interest, for he w^as open, earnest, honest and simple-minded. He was deeply attached to his mother, and was evi- dently proud to be able to add to her slender earnings, w^hich were just enough to keep her and her family from want. He certainly seemed deter- mined to do all in his power to make her comfort- able. He never lost sight of me till I left by the eleven o'clock train, and my last remembrance, on my departure from Glasgow on that occasion as the train moved out, was seeing Willie waving his brushes and boot-box enthusiastically in the It 38 ENGLAND. air. I often wonder wliat Willie's fate is. He appeared to me to be of the material to succeed in life. In Canada he certainly would have worked his way up. I never heard of him again, but T certainly shall not be greatly astonished to hear of Sir William Grordon, distinguished Lord Provost of Grlasgow. One of the nuisances of travelling throughout the world is the ordeal of passing the Custom House. Frequently the traveller from Canada thinks the infliction at Liverpool is pushed a little further than is requisite. What can we smuggle from Canada ? I know quite well that there is gener- ally a very loose conscience as to the contents of a lady's trunk, considered under the aspect of its fiscal obligations, but surely some form of declara- tion might be drawn up by means of which hon- ourable men and women would be spared this grievous and irritating delay. Apart from the delay, it is no agTeeable matter to open out your carefully packed portmanteau. To ladies it is particularly offensive to have their dresses turned over and the contents of their trunks handled by strangers. Canadians, while crossing their own frontier, find the Custom House officers of the United States, as a rule, particularly courteous, and, on giving a straightforward declaration that they have nothing dutiable, they are generally allowed to pass at once. Liveri:)ool may not be alone in strictly exacting all that the law allows, % CUSTOMS ANNOYANCES 89 but is this course at all necessary or wise ? It cannot increase the revenue, for the additional expense of collection must more than absorb the trifling receipts. And one is not kindly impressed with txiis reception, especially when we feel that it is totally unnecessary. "We cross the ocean from Canada with peculiar feelings of pride and senti- ment to visit our Mother Land, and it is somew^hat of a severe wrench to be treated as foreigners by the Customs authorities on our arrival ; I will not say uncivilly ov wrongfully, but as if we were adventurers going to England on some plundering tour. It is certainly no petty annoyance to Cana- dians, when they make their entry into a land they are taught to call "home," to have their sense of common honesty thus challenged at the threshold. Anything which is "brought from Can- ada can only be some trifling present, such as Indian work, to some relative in the Old Country ; and if, possibly, a few pounds be lost to the ex- chequer, it is made up a thousandfold by the good will arising from being courteously treated on the first landing on English soil. Would it not suffice if every ordinary passenger were required to make a declaration in some such form as the following? : " I am a Canadian subject. I declare upon my honour that my baggage contains nothing what- ever for sale. I have with me my personal effects for my own use only." Or it may be added, " I have a few gifts for old friends, of little or no commercial value." 40 ENGLAND. Perhaps some British statesman might not think these suorcrestions beneath his notice. Let him send a competent agent to examine and report upon this subject. He will probably discover that the whole nuisance can be swept away without inflicting the slightest injury on the national exchequer. It would form no discreditable sen- tence in a statesman's epitaph to read that " he did away with the needless and offensive restrictions imposed on British subjects from the outer em]3ire visiting the Imperial centre." Having at las passed the Custom House, I drove to Kock Ferry, one of the most pleasant suburbs of Liverpool, to visit a family I was acquainted with, and with them I passed a most enjoyable day. The greeting I received was most cordial and gratify • ing. In the afternoon I started for London, leav- ing my daughter behind me, and I found myself once more whirling through the green meadows anu cultivated fields of England. I was alone, but I did not feel solitary. How charming every- thing looked! The air was fresh with passing showers, and the rain played for some quarter of an hour on the landscape only to make it look fresher and fairer, and, when the sun came out, more full of poetry. Why, we are at Harrow-on- the-Hill ! Has time gone so quickly ? There is so much to think about, so many fresh scenes to gaze upon, and so many events seem to crowd into the hours that +he traveller, in his bewilderment, loses count of time. POST-OFFICE ANNOYANCES. 41 I am again in London, at Batt's hotel, Dover street, and I walk to the Empire Club to learn if there are any letters for me. I am disappointed to find there is no cablegram. I despatched one from Moville, and one word in reply would have told me if all was well. I recollect well the depression I exj)erienced at the time at not receiv- ing news. It was an inexplicable feeling ; not exactly one of impatience or disai^pointment, but rather of keen anxiety. " Why should there be silence," I murmur, when everything points to the necessity for a reply. Next day my business took me to the city, and I returned as rapidly as I could. In the afternoon, to relieve my suspense, I went to the Greological Society's rooms, and mechanically looked over the books and specimens. I wandered into the rooms of the Eoyal Society, and found before me the well known features of Mary Somerville as they are preserved in her bust. I then strolled into the parks and down to the Club, and still no cable- gram. These facts are of no interest to any but the writer, but possibly they may suggest, not simply to the transmitter of telegrams but to the officials who pass them through their hands, how iQuch often depends upon their care and attention, and that there is something more required than simply receiving and recording a message. There is the duty of seeing to its proper delivery, and it was precisely on this ground that my trouble took its root. if tirtiii'h ' hto -'fi'ini Ihftik 42 ENGLAND. \ 1 I was three days iu London when I received a telegram from Mr. Greorge Stephen, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, stating that he was desirous that I should proceed to British Columbia as soon as possible. It was my acceptance of this proposition which has led to the production of these pages, but at that hour I felt that Mr. Stephen's communication only increased my bewilderment. My telegraphic ad- dress was properly registered at the Gre?ieral Post Office in London, and it had been used over and over again during my annual visits to England. The cablegram I had just received bore the regis- tered address, and yet I had received no message from my family in Halifax. I have often sent cablegrams, and never more than twenty-four hours elapsed before receiving a reply. Consequently I again telegraphed, plainly stating my anxiety, and then wandered out to call on some friends. Later in the evening I at last found an answer, and, in order that it might not again miscarry, the sender put on my address five additional words, held as quite unnecessary, at two shillings each, making ten shillings extra to pay. On my return to Canada I learned that no less than three cablegrams had been sent to me, each one of which remains to this day undelivered. Two of the despatches were sent before, one subsequently to, the message last mentioned. All were properly addressed. I felt it a public duty to write to the Secretary of the LONDON. 43 Post Office Department in London, but no satisfac- tory explanation has yet been given. Life is a mass of trifles, as a rule. The exceptions are our griefs and our sufferings, our triumphs and joys ; the latter, as a French writer says, " counting by minutes, the former by epochs." I passed three particularly unpleasant days during this period, my own personal affair, of course, and one in which the world may seem to have no interest. But the public has reallv a deep interest in having a more perfect system cl Atlantic telegraphy than we now posses;-, and the facts I have described, have their moral. At least it is to be hoped that the auth Dri- ties may rememl)er that anyone separated by the ocean from his correspondents is not content that telegrams should be delayed for days, and still less content not to have them delivered at all. I was a month in England, chiefly in London, remaining until the 26th of July. I must say that when in London I often thought of, although I can not fully endorse, the words of that enthu- siastic Londoner who held that it was the " best place in the world for nine months in the year, and he did not know a better for the other three." In London you can gratify nearly every taste, and although it always takes money to secure the necessaries and luxuries of life, especially in great cities, still, if one can content himself with living modestly, it does not require a wonderfully large income to enjoy the legitimate excitements ^ 44 ENGLAND. ! and amusements of London. In this respect it is a marked contrast to New York, where, generally- speaking, a large income must be at your command for even a moderate degree of respectable comfort. In London, to those who cannot afford a car- riage, there is a cab, and those who have no such aspirations as a "hansom" can take the omnibus- It is not necessary to go to the orchestra stalls to see a performance, nor are you obliged to \y^Y six guineas per week for your lodgings or one pound for your dinner. The reading room of the British Museum is open to every respectable, well-ordered person. You can look at some of the best pictures in the world for nothing,, and, if you are a student of history and literature, there are localities within the ancient boundaries of the city which you can- not regard without emotion. You have two of the noblest cathedrals in the world ; Westminster Abbey, with its six centuries of history, and with its tombs and monuments, setting forth tangibly the evidences of the past national life. Then you have Wren's classical masterpiece St. Paul's, one of the most i)erfect and commanding edifices ever erected anywhere. Its interior has never been completed. Will it ever be so? ;Yet, as Wren's epitaph tells us, if you wish to see his monument *' look around you." Again, in London, by way of recreation, you have public parks, river-side resorts, and by the river itself and underground railway you can SPURGEON'S TABERNACLE. 45 31- easily reach many pleasant haunts about the suburbs. Indeed, by the aid of the steamboat or rail you can take the most charming- utings any person can desire to have. London may be said to be inexhaustible. As one of the directors of the Hudson Bay Com- pany I had often to visit the city, and some very pleasant relationships gi'ew out of my attendance at the various board meetings. I was constantly meeting Canadians, and certainly ^e hold together in a peculiar way when away from the Dominion. It is a strong link we are all bound by, and yet we would find it hard to explain why. Even men who are not particularly civil to one another in Canada will cross each other's path with pleasure when from home, and intimacies never anticipated are formed, and associations entered upon once thought impossible. One of my visits was to Spurgeon's Tabernacle. The name is familiar to everyone, and as I had been many times in London without hearing this celebrated preacher, I was anxious not to return to Canada without making the attempt. I was told to be in good time, and, acting on the suggestion, I obtained a good seat, and formed, I should sup- pose, one of four thousand people. Just in front of me, strange to say, I beheld a familiar form, which I recollected last to have seen at Queen's College convocation, Kingston : the Premier of Ontario ! Mr. Oliver Mowat was the gentleman 46 ENGLAND. III! who was seated two pews in front of me. He was the last person I expected to meet in such a place, as I did not even know he was in England. He was the only one in that vast assemblage I recognized. Spurgeon is, undoubtedly, worthy of his great reputation, and on this particular Sun- day his sermon was forcible, marked by rare good sense, and perfectly adapted to his auditory. I felt fully rewarded for my effort to be present. When the service was over I had a few words with Mr. Mowat, but our interview was but short, for I had an engagement, and it was necessary for me to hurry to the Waterloo Station to take the train lor G-uildford, in order to reach Park, in its neighbourhood. This was a most agreeable visit to me. I do not think there is any country but England where scenes and associations are known such as I there witnessed. At the station a carriage met us, for I found myself in com^^any with a gentleman going to the same hospitable mansion. He was an Irish M. P. On our entering the grounds we passed amidst grand old elms, along a noble avenue, and through walks beautiful with roses, ivy and laurel. My welcome was most courteous and graceful. There were several guests, but it was my privilege to sleep in the haunted room. The walls were hung with tapestry ; the floor was of oak ; the fireplace was a huge structure of sculp- tured stone from floor to ceiling. No ghost dis- !l STATELY HOMES OF ENGLAND. 4^ tiirbed my slumbers, and, in tho words of Mac- beth, " I slept in spite of thunder." I awoke at dawn, and drew back the heavy curtains to admit the lio'ht. It was about sunrise. Shall I ever forget that mag'nilicent view from the old windows, with their quaint transoms and quarterings, and circular heads ! the sight of those line old trees, stately beeches, tall ancient elms, venerable blue beech, and many a noble oak of from two to three centuries' growth ! It was one of those old an- cestral domains, with glades, avenues and forest, which seem to take you out of the present world and back in thought to one altogether different, in many of its conditions, from the life of to-day. The most carefully developed homestead of old Boston, or one of the finest mansions on the Hudson., with the outline of mountain scenery, and its associate stream ; any one of the well built halls south of the Potomac, elaborated with all the wealth of the planter ; or ev<>n one of our own palatial Cana- dian residences ; all appear a thing of yesterday as compared with that stately edifice, with its delightful lawns, walks and avenues, which bear the ancient impress of their date and of their early greatness. No doubt these paths were trod by men in the troublous times of Henry VIII. and his three children, men who then may have de- bated mooted points of history in this very neigh- bourhood. There is a tradition also that the virgin Queen has looked upon this same landscape " in maiden meditation fancy free." ili 48 ENGLAND. The morning was peculiarly fine, and as I opened the window to admit the pure, fresh air I really lireathed again to enjoy it, and inhale the perfume of foliage and of the garden iiowers ; flowers whose ancestors may have traced three centuries of life, at least the early known plants indigenous to English soil ; while those of foreign origin could boast of sires, perhaps, the first of their genus brought from the Continent. The air was vocal with music ; the trees seemed peopled with scores of blackbirds and mavis, and there was many a proverbial "early bird" busy with the yet earlier worm, who had gained so little by his rising. All nature seemed teeming with life and gladness. I can only here acknowledge the courtesy I received from my host and hostess. The hours passed away unclouded by the slightest shadow, and I know no more pleasant memory than that of my visit to this English ancestral home. I was highly pleased, on my return to Batt's Hotel, to receive intimation that my daughter was shortly to join me in London. There is a certain solitude in a London hotel, which is much the opposite of the continental life, and entirely dis- tinct from the table d'hote system of this continent. In England the desire is to secure extreme quiet and privacy, while on this side of the Atlantic every auxilliary is provided for publicity and free- dom of movement. This is especially the case in .1 1 K ENGLISH AND UNITED STATES HOTELS. 49 ml the Unitod States. In Canada it may be said that a middle course is taken. In many large hotels on this continent, in addition to the drawing and breakfast rooms, parlours and halls and writing and news rooms are open, where papers are fur- nished and sold, seats at the theatre obtained, telegi'ams sent, books, especially cheap editions of novels, purchased, with photographs of the pro- fessional beauties, leading politicians and other celebrated people. All of these places are marked by busy, bustling life. The dining room, from its opening in the morning till a late hour at night, is one scene of animation, be the meal what it may. Some of the heau sexe even visit the break- fast room with elaborate toilets, and many a pair of earrings glitter in the sun's early rays. A walk up and down the wide passage or hall at any hour is proper and regular, and it is stated that it is often the only exercise indulged in by many living in the great hotels of the Un-'*^'^ States, the street car furnishing the invariable mv^ans of locomotion. In the large cities the hotels are situated, as a rule, on the main streets. There are always rooms where one may from the windows look upon the crowds passing and repassing. Thus a drama of ever-changing life can be comfortably witnessed from an armchair placed at the right point of ob- servation. There is no such thing as loneliness. Almost everyone is ready, more than ready, to con- verse with you. If you yourself are courteous and 50 ENGLAND. I! Ill 1 civil you will probably find those around you equally so, whether they be guests or belong* to the establishment. With a little tact and judg- ment you can always obtain useful information. My experience likewise is that the information is invariably correct : for there never seems to be any hesitation in a negative reply when those you address are not acquainted with the particular point of inquiry. The gentleman who presides over the cigars, the controller of the papers and the photographs and the official of the bar, an important field of action in a high class hotel, each and all make it a point of duty impressively to patronize your local ignorance when you ask for information. In an English hotel the gen- eral rule is for no one person to speak to another. If you do venture on the i:)roceeding, Heaven only knows what reply you may receive. In the class divisions of the Mother Country there may be social danger in not observing the lines defined by etiquette. There are always men of good address and appearance who are not unknown to the police, and whose photographs may be des- tined at no distant period to figure in the Rogues' Grallery. But such men are to be found in all countries. "Whatever necessity there may be for prudence and circumspection, it has struck me that there is really no ground for that absolute uncompromising offensiveness of manner which often well-meaning men in England feel bound ENOLISII RESERVE. 51 you be ned ood L to des- ues' all for me )lute nich aiud to show to any person who addresses them, as the joke goes, " to whom they have not been intro- duced." If you are quite alone very little experience in the English hotel is enough to throw you back on yourself, and to depress even a gay and blith- some nature. You walk with a listless air through the corridors, you take your meals with a sort oi mechanical impassiveness which you cannot help feeling, and you seem to drop into the (^rowd of reserved, self-contained individuals, who act as if they thought that courtesy to a stranger was a national crime. I do not speak of the clubs, where, if you are a member, you can always meet some acquaintance. But comparatively few Cana- dians visit England who are club men. I know no solitude so dreary, nor any atmosphere so wearying, as that of the London hotel in a first class lateral street when you have nobody to speak to, where you can see scarcely a living soul out of the window, where the only noise is the distant rumble of vehicles in the neigh- bouring thoroughfare, and where, when you are tired with reading or writing, you have no re- course but to put on your hat and sally out into the street, A circumstance crosses my mind as I am writ- ing which gives some insight into English life and character. It happened to a friend, now no more, with whom I had crossed the Atlantic. He 52 ENGLAND. was travelling from Liverpool to London, and took his place in the railway carriage, sitting on the back middle seat, while opposite in the corner seats were two gentlemen, each with a newspaper. The train had been an hour on its journey, but the silence was unbroken. At last my friend spoke. " Gentlemen," he said, " I am L D . I have come from , and he named a city in the Dominion. I have been a merchant for fifty years, and now I am living in ease. I am eighty- three years of age, and, like the large majority of Canadians, I have two eyes and one tongue, and, like a great man^r of my countrymen, I feel a pleasure in using them. My eyes feel the period of time they have done me service. I cannot read from the motion, but I can take part in a conversation. My business in Britain is to see my daughters. One is married to an officer quartered at the Royal barracks in Dublin. I am just returning from a visit to her, and I am on my way to see my second daughter, whose husband is stationed at Wool- wich. Having now introduced myself, I trust, gentlemen, you will not look up^ i me as a pick- pocket or anything of that sort." One of the gentlemen carefully drew out his card-case and gave his card. This example was followed by his opposite neighbour. " What, gentlemen," my friend said, looking at the cards through his spec- tacles, which he deliberately put on, " you do not seem to know one another ; let me introduce you." ENGLISH RESERVE. 53 At the same moment he crossed his arms and presented the card of the one to the other. The curtest and kmst definable bow was given. One query followed another, and my friend had a great deal to say and much to enquire about. He had occuj)ied the highest position in the city he came from, and had mixed a good deal with the men of his world. The three or four hours which fol- lowed were most pleasing to the trio. My friend s fellow travellers were county men, and he was cordially invited to spend a week with each of them. The invitations were accepted, the acquaint- ance renewed, he met with the most cordial Eng- lish welcome, and the visits proved to be ^ articu- larly agreeable to all parties. In my experience, and in that of others who come under the name of Canadians, whose for- tunes now lie in the Dominion, whatever our place of birth, all that the Englishman wants to know regarding us is that we are Canadians ; in other words, that we are not dubious members of an uncertain phase of English society. We then at once receive the most genial courtesy and kind- ness ; real, true, honest, hospitable kindness. I reason from this that we must be outside the circle in which this frigid intercourse is observed as a protection. We are in England for a brief time ; +^en we pass from the scene, and there is no fear entertained on the part of our English neighbours of forming an unpleasant and unpro- I I i I, 54 ENGLAND. iitable, that is scarcely the word, an embarras- sing, relationship. I have heard the explanation given for this peculiarity that its very defects spring from the loyalty of character which marks the high-bred Englishman. The theory is that, if he knows you once, he is always to know you. He wishes to run no risk of being placed in a false position, and hence avoids any intercourse which, although in a way agreeable to him, he will not accept at the cost of his own self-respect. And there are men who in no way incur blame for want of courtesy in a railway carriage, but they will pass their fellow traveller after a week's interval as if they had never seen him. It may be urged that those who live in the state of society which obtains in England are the best able to understand its conditions and the wisdom of its laws. It is quite possible that this mode of treat- ment of a stranger may be commended by experi- ence. There are many examples where the opjDO- site course has led to trouble, but prudence and good sense would surely avoid annoyance, and they are requisite under all circumstances. But is it not also advisable to avoid the extraordinary discourtesy with which sometimes a remark from a stranger is received, as if it were designed to serve some deliberate scheme of wrong, or to lead up to some act of swindling and imposture. Surely we may always be able to detect any attempt of this kind and protect ourselves ; and in all condi- A RAILWAY INCIDENT. 55 tious of life good manners cost little and entail no risk. In one of my excursions from London I was travelling by the G-reat "Western Eailway. A lady and gentleman were in the same compartment. I made the third. Shortly after leaving Padding- ton the lady suffered from a spark in her eye, certainly a most painful annoyance. Her fellow passenger appeared much troubled and as much bewildered. Neither seemed to know what to do, and the lady did not conceal how much she suifered. I ventured to address the gentleman, and said, as was the case, that I had frequently experienced this unfortunate accident, and that if the eye was kept moist the pain would be lessened. He barely answered me. The lady continued in pain. The train stopped for three minutes at Swindon. I took my flask, made a rush to the refreshment room, carefully washed the cup, filled it with water, and brought it to the carriage. I offered it, I believe with ordinary good manners, to the gentleman, and suggested that a handkerchief moistened with cold water should be applied to the eye. My offer was curtly declined ! There was nothing more to be done. I threw the water out of the window, replaced my flask in my travelling bag, and turned to my book. I did not forget the incident during my trip, nor, indeed, have I ever done so. I continued on my journey, and proceeded to ^m tfr?. » S T^ - - r : ~ . T s - > ' i i! 56 ENGLAND. visit some friends in the West of England, after which I found my way to the Land's End, which I felt a great desire to see. I went to Torquay, and the sight of so many invalids in Bath chairs made me melancholy; to Dartmouth, at the en- trance of the Kiver Dart, near the birthplace of the great Sir Walter Raleigh ; to Totness, to Daven- port and to Penzance ; thence to the treeless, bleak- looking district of the Land's End, to look at a landscape which I shall always remember. At a little inn on the most westerly point of England I found I could get a chop and a glass of ale. Having ordered luncheon, I strolled out in the meantime to have a look at the blue water and the wide expanse of ocean. The place is certainly solitary enough, but in its way the boldness of the landscape and the never-ceasing roar of the waves elevated it from dreariness. I returned to the room of the inn and found a gentleman seated at the table. I had a perfect recollection of my experience in the railway carriage a few days pre- viously. But it seemed to me to meet a stran^^-er at this spot, seldom visited, gave a guarantee of a certain similarity of tastes, and that it might pos- sibly be agi'eeable to both to exchange a few words. Indeed, I thought it would be perfect folly for us to remain together in silence for about half an hour as if ignorant of the presence of each other. I therefore made up my mind that, at any rate, the fault should not be mine, and that I 1 er ;h :8 i- e L- a f f > A DEAF GUEST. gty would make bold to break the ice. We were cer- tainly not introduced, but at all risks I would make an effort to begin by saying some ordinary words about the weather. The sky was cloudy and the air cold, but I raised my voice to a cheer- ful tone and said, "It is rather raw to-day, sir." The gentleman addressed took not t]io slightest notice of what I had said ! And how ridiculous and embarrassing it did seem to me at the time to think that two rational beings should be lunching together at a little round table in the last house in England in solemn silence ! I fear that not a few disagreeable thoughts passed through my mind, but I could do nothing. In clue time I was ready to return to Penzance. I entered the vehicle which had brought me hither, and at no great distance away from the inn we passed the individual I had lunched with, walking by himself I took the opportunity, when out of hearing, of asking the driver if he knew who he was. I received the reply that he was a deaf and dumb gentleman who lived in the neighbourhood ! II I CIIAPTEH IV. ENGLAND— (Continued). t t Marquis of Salisbury — Classical studies — Houloy Regatta — Red Lion — London Dinner to Lord Dufferin — His Speech — Green- wich — Fisheries Exhibition — Bray — The Vicar — The Thames — Minehead — The Polynesian. I was exceedingly glad to be joined by my daughter in London, because much depended on her arrival. We had many places to see together, and she was to accompany me on a visit to some friends in the country, who had extended to us a very warm invitation. During this visit we met all the kindness we could have even fancied, at one of those English homes, standing among old trees, with iv^y-covered walls, and gardens full of roses of all colours and in the greatest perfection. We returned to London, as I had matters to attend to at the offices of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, the Colonial Office, and the office of the High Commissioner for Canada. {Shortly after my arrival the Marquis of Salis- bury distributed the prizes at King's College, and \\ I MARQUIS OF SALISBURY. 59 I his remarks ou the occasion struck me forcibl Owing to my connection with Queen's Univer- sity, Kingston, it had become my duty, however imperfectly I might have performed it, to approach the same question : the extent to which chissical studies should form the basis of education. Lord Salisbury poinied out, with all the polish which marks his utterances, that intellectual capacity is as varied as any other of God's creations ; that many minds have little inclination for study : and that to devote the best years of life to the acquisi- tion of an imx)erfect acquaintance with Grreek and Latin was most unwnse and barren of good results. Lord Salisbury proceeded to say : "I cannot but feel, in readinu; this list, how sini;"ul;u'ly privileged the pi'csent generation is in the studies they are invited to pursue. In my tiuie, and before my time, for I was just at the end of the darker period, there were only two possible b'nes of study — classics and mathema- tics. Mathematics was looked upon in many quarters with coufeiderablo jealousy and doubt. Classics was the one food tendered to all appetites and all stomachs. I do not wish to say a word in depreciation of classics. It would be as sensible to speak in depi-eciation of wheat and oats because wheat will not grow in the North of Scotland and oats will not grow at the equator. But people arc coming gi-.dually, if they have not come fully, to the conclusion that the intellectual capacity is as various as an}^ other of nature s creations, and that there are as man^^ diiferent kinds of minds, open to as man}' diiferent kinds of treatment, as there are soils on I 60 ENGLAKD. k,. I the surface of the cartli ; unh language and literature occupy a ver}' distin- guished position. " 1 have the greatest possible i-espect foj' the educational establishments in which I was brought up, but I never look back without a feeling of some bitterness to the many hours during which 1 was compelled to produce the most execrable Latin vei^se in the world. I believe that if a commission of distinguished men were appointed to dis- cover what is the most perfectly useless accomplishment to which the human mind can be turned a lai-ge majority would agree that versification in the dead languages was that accomplishment. On that account, I suppose, we wei'e compelled in the last generation, whether we were fitted or not, to devote a considerable time to it, and, if it is any compensation to you foj* the severe examination you have to undei-go, think of the agonies of unpoetical J > I VA^ of England, this ^sceptred isle, this eiirtli of majesty, this otlier Eden-beaming paradise, this happy breed of men, this precious stone set in a silver sea ; not as she displays herself in the recriminatory warfai-e of parliar mentary strife, or in the polemical declamation of he platform, but in an aspect softened by distance and regarded as the happy home of a noble and united people, whom it is an honour to serve, and for whose sake it would be a privilege to make the greatest sacrifi- ces. I do not say this in any spirit of selfish and vulgar "Jingoism," although I must admit that by the ii- profession ambassadors and c5 of our bosoms — I say this beneath my breath — arc very apt each of them to open a startling chapter of accidents; Init what man of spirit has ever turned his back upori the opportunity, or refused to enter upon the tender obligations of a love-lit tireside for fear of increasing his responsibilities, entailed by a fuUen ampler and more perfect existence ? But, my lords and gentlemen, even did she desire it, 1 believe that the time is too late i'oi- England to seek to disinherit herself of that noble destiny with which I tii'mly believe she has been endowed. The same hidden hand which planted the tree of constitutional liberty within her borders, and thus called upon her to become the mother of parlia- ments, has sent fn'th hei* childi-en to possess and fructify the waste places of the earth. How a desei't in every direction h s been tui-ned into a paradise of plenty those who are present can best tell. 1 believe that, great as have been the changes which have already occurred, our children are destined to see even still more glorious accom- plishments. One of the greatest statisticians of modern times, a man of singularly sober judgment, has calculated that ere the next century has reached its close the English speaking population of the globe will have already ex- ceeded one hundred millions of human beings. Of these, in all probability, forty millions will be found in Canada alone, and an equal proportion along the coast of Africa and in our great Austi'alian possessions. Jf the&e great communities are united in a common bond of interest, if they are co-ordinated anreciated by his guests. It was ten o'clock before we sep- arated, and found our way back to London. The Fisheries Exhibition was then the event of the season. In London or Paris there is always something going on which everybody feels bound to see, and not to have the privilege or oppor- tunity of seeing places you, in an undefined, way, in such a secondary position that you appear to be excluded. The question is not always if the spectacle or exhibition, or other notoriety of the moment, will repay the time and attention given I I to witnessing it. The leading consideration is that I THE FISHERIES EXHIBITION. 73 it is something to be seen, and it is never of any use running counter to the tide of the community in which you live and move. Very often a good deal of trouble is taken, and frequently no small amount of money expended, to pass through some ordeal of this character, which brings no addition to our information and but little satisfaction. The Fisheries Exhi])ition, however, was not of this character. Many must have been surprised at the part played in it by Canada, and at the richness and variety of her exhibits. S^^arcely anything could have been designed to set forth better to the London world th*^ vastness of the resources of the Dominion than this exhibition, and to bring before the English people an idea of rtensive fishing grounds it possesses. Many would then learn for the first time that our fish- eries are not confined to the vSt. Lawrence and the lakes. Canada has an immense extent of sea coast in the Maritime Provinces frequented by shoals of fish, for which these waters have been famous since the first discovery of America. The almost virgin waters of British Columbia swarm with fish of the finest description, and Canada pos- sesses the whole of Hudson Bay and the northern coast of America in which to develop her enterprise and industry. What country in the world can boast of such great and prolific fish fields on three oceans, all open to enterprise. One of the agreeable associations connected with ^1 It ' 1 w 14: ENGLAND. the exhibition was the fete in aid of the English Church at Berlin, and in commemoration of the silver wedding of the Crown Princess of Grermany, Her Majesty's eldest daughter. It seemed to me that there was a constant rush of visitors till midnight. The spectacle was a brilliant one, as much on account of the great crowd of people who were there as from the li' v> V ^\? '<^>. 6^ <> ""C^ :^ ^""^ ■mh c. 96 ENGLAND TO CANADA. •• .i I H' hi 1 and women, and often in memory many of the passengers will reverf. to their powers in this respect. Wholly undisturbed by fears of dys- pepsia, they ate with the best of appetites. The evening passed pleasantly with most of us in the saloon, which j^resented a scene of quiet comfort and amusement. The next morning is also en- joyable. We find we are now half way across, and we talk of making the Straits of Belleisle by Thursday. Our run at noon is 332 knots. There is a little fog, and the air is somewhat cold. The theory is expressed that we are near Greenland ; that a cold blast may come from across its " icy mountains," told of by Bishop Heber in the hymn we have heard so often. All the passengers, without exception, are now accustomed to the motion of the shij:*. Every one appears at home. The forenoon passes quickly, and we can hardly believe that the dinner hour is near. When ^ 'e all mi down at the long and well-j)rovided tables one can hardly conceive that he is not on shore at some famed hotel in Mont- real or Toronto. I am aware that I run the risk of being charged with exaggeration, but I express the result of my convictions. I am sure that my remarks will be borne out by all who have made several trips across the Atlantic. There are stormy and particularly unpleasant voyages, I know. Such I have myself experienced, but they are generally in winter ; in summer they are the exception. •'• AL^.v.ii-^L-..:^^.. OCEAN AMUSEMENTS. 97 now one kly, r is and hat ont- isk •ess hat ave are , I The evening passes in the usual pleasant way, and wt all separate reluctantly when bed-time comes. "VVe have again another line day, and the fore- noon is marked by sunshine. During the night we passed the steamer " Parisian," homeward bound. At noon we learn the run is 3o2 miles, the same as vesterdav, and our chart shows us that we are due at the Straits of Belleisle at midnight. During the afternoon, at intervals, fog- arises and disappears to return again, and when the fog is on the water we prudently go at half speed. AVe pass some icebergs, and they seem to have affected the temperature, for the air is cold. The passengers are in high spirits. The prospect of seeing land gives an impetus to the general hilarity. "We expect to enter the northern passage to the St. Lawrence before morning. The trip so far has been most agreeable. The time has passed pleasantly. The group to which I was more par- ticularly attached was always full of life and animation. One gentleman, who had retired from the army, and was going out to Canada on a sporting tour, proved to be an excellent artist, and made many amusing sketches. To another member of our group we owe particular ac^know- ledgments for the life he inspired around him, and, if he cheered us by his unfailing good temper and charm of manner, we owe also no little to his brilliant and ready wit. 98 ENGLAND TO CANADA. yi The evening' was spent in tiskiug riddles and playing" card tricks. One eli'ort led to another. JSome of them were worth perpetuating. Indeed, a very interesting* volume of a niod«'rate size eould be written descriptive of our trip, whi( h would be read with no si.iall amount oi pleasure, and I have no doiibt would lead to the removal of many prejudices regarding sea voyages. We are now in the straits of Belleisle, having passed the light at live a.m. During' the forenoon the weather is a little foggy, so we go at half speed. In the afternoon the fog' clears away to be replaced by pleasant sunshine. There is to be an amateur concert this evening in aid of the funds of the Sailor's Orphanage at Liverpool. Those who are directors in this matter are particularly earnest. In the meanwhile some of us write letters to post at Ivimouski. I take it into mv head to count how many trips I have made across the Atlantic Ocean since I left Glasgow in April, 1845. I have crossed in every kind of vessel, from a sailing ship up to the " Great Eastern," and this present voyage I find to be my nineteenth, so I think I can speak with some confidence of what life on an ocean steamship truly is. My shortest passage was by the " Alaska," in October, 1882, from Sandy Hook, New York, to Liverpool, in seven days and five hours, but on this occasion we were detained inside the bar in the harbour of New York for two days, owing to fog. My longest voyage was by the ship " Bril- liant,*' it occupied nearly six weeks. RI MO USA' I. 09 (S and iideod, iould would and I ' many laving- I'enoon ' .speed, iplaced mateur of the ho are lOst. In )ost at how Ocean rossed up to I iind s. with mship aska,'* )Tk, to ut on ar in big- to " Bril- 4 The concert was, as usual, a success, at least everybody was i)leased. Thirteen pounds sterling were collected. Those who ventured on supper partook of all the usual delicacies in vogue on these occasions, and the disciple of the i)ipe and ciga indulged himself for some time on dec;k. By half-past eleven the last of us had turned in. It was wet the following day ; we were steam- ing up the 8t. Lawrence as we took breakfast. Those who were to leave at Kimouski, of whom I was one, point out that it is the last time we may take this meal together, for we may arrive at Kimouski by night. In the afternoon we have fog, showers, and line weather alternately. "We overtake the ' Hanoverian." She had passed us during the five hours we had lost in the fog. Night comes on, and at ten o'clock we run into a dense fog. I'rudence dictates that we advance " dead slow," so I throw myself on my bed with- out undressing, to catch some little sleep in the interval before we are met by the Kimouski tender. We are called at three o'clock on Saturday morn- ing ; we take a cup of coffee in the saloon, and I receive a batch of letters from my family and other correspondents. We enter the tender and arrive at the long Kimouski wharf just as dawn is breaking. My daughter and myself go southward to Halifax with three others, amongst them the venerable Bishop Kogers, of Chatham. 100 EMI LAND TO CANADA. I! %: However pleasant the trip across the ocean has been, and althou<^li many of us found its assoiia- tions most agreeable and we separate from thcni only by necessity, nevertheless all of us reach the shore with no little satisfaction. The fact is we are sub- jected to a new set of in(luen<;es. We revive old associations. "We see well-known sc(»nes, and meet familiar faces. There is a change from our life of the last nine days to a new series of events and excitements. One of the first Canadians to give us a welcome was the youug son of Madam Lepage, who had seen us off by the tender on ITth June. The train carries us oA'er the familiar Inter- Colonial liailway, nearly every spot along the line having a special claim on my recollection. The landscape is always striking in the neighbour- hood of the Metapedia and Kestigouche. There has ])een much rain and the vegetation is luxuri- ant. Bishop Kogers and myself revert to fifteen years ago when we crossed the Atlantic together. Then, as now, he was returning from a visit to the Holy Father at Rome. The Bishop insisted on acting as host at breakfast at Campbelton : he held that we had now entered his diocese and that he must consider us his guests. It would have pained the good old Bishop had we declined his courtesy We learn that the fishing on the Kestigouche this season has been excellent. As usual, we have the best of fresh salmon for breakfast. We say good-bye to the Bishop, w^ho leaves us at New- HOME. 101 castlo, and ^v.' procood on our .journov, arriving- late at niglit saiV'ly at our homo in Ilaliiax. AVe aro now in IS'ova Scotia, wIkmv I am delayed a lew days before starting- on the long- land journey over the western continent. I'' < IP i |; t • ! i •iff V CHArTElJ VI. NOVA SroTIA. Early f oloni/.ation— De flouts— riuimi)laiu— Sir William Alex- ander— Capture of" CiiieV)0('—Tlio Treaties — The Acadian Evan- geline — Louisbourg — First Capture — Pearo o** \ix la Cliapello — Boundary Disputes — The Final Struggle — Deportation of the Acadians— Nova Scotia constituted a Province. The first attempt at the colonization of Nova Scotia which was made from France was singularly unfortunate. In 1598, we read, the Marquis de la Roche left Saint Malo with a crew, almost entirely composed of convicts. He landed forty of them at Sable Island until he could select a place fit for settlement, when a westerly storm drove his ship back to France. These settlers, if they can be so called, remained unnoticed for seven years, and when they were found tw^elve only remained. Had it not been for De Lery, who placed some live stock here in 1518, which in the interval had greatly multiplied, they must have starved. Their houses were built of the timbers of wrecked ves- sels, and it would seem no little of the fuel was DE MONTS. lO:] deriv22, but owing to storms,, was driven to Newfoundland. James I died in 1625, and his death led to the complications which Ibllowed on this continent. Charles I. had deter- mined to assist the French Protestants then besieged in Hochelle, and as a portion of his operations, Kirke's celebrated expedition against Canada, took place in 1628. Quebec was taken. The French *A stone insi'riptiou. dated IfiOO, was fmiiid in an old wall in the Fort at Port Koyal, now Annapolis, ]>y tlio lat(^ .Tud*:o Halliburton, author of " Sam Slick." Some fi it con years ajjo it was in the possession of his .son, Mr. l\. G. Halliburton, then in Halifax. That t'ontleman irave it as a loan to the writer to be placed in the Museum of the Canadian Institute. Thus the oldest stone insrription probably in America may be found in Toronto. ji I |i Hi 106 NOVA SCOTIA. settlements still continued with small increments in what is known as Acadia : at Port Koyal, Anna- polis, to the country round Minas Bay, or the Basin of Minas from Chio-necto to Coberj^uid, and south to Windsor and Cornwallis. There were some small settlements at Cape Sable. Cape la Have and at Canso. Fifty years after this date the total population was but little over 800, so settlement could only have taken place slowly and at inter- vals. In 1632 all that is now known as British America, which lies beyond the valley of the St. Law^ren(^e, was given over to the French by treaty. But Oliver Cromwell became Protector of England, and seized the forts of St. John and Port Royal, and, w^hat is more, in the treaty of Westminster of 1655 held Nova Scotia as a possession. In 1658 the great Englishman died, and the discreditable days of the restoration followed. In 1662 the French Ambassador received instru.ctions to demand resti- tution of the country. The English King, the pen- sioner of France, had no resource but compliance, although the people of Massachusetts, hearing of the proposition, sent a remonstrance against the proceeding. Its only effect w^as to lead to delay, for in 166t a discreditable surrender was made by the treaty of Breda. The Governor was ordered to hand over Nova Scotia to French rule. The accession of William III. led to war, and in 1690 an expedition against Port Royal ended in its cap- ^ ■> FREXCH INCURSIONS. lot resti- turo. But bv tho Poace of Ryswick, 1097, Nova Scotia was ao-aiii transferrod to Franco. Port Tvoyal was occupied and placed in a condition of defence, and it was amonii- the "-rievances of the New Enc^- landers that it was the resort of pirates who preyed on Massachusetts commerce. War again broke out in 1702. The early attempts to capture Port Ivoyal were not successful. Had the Governor, Subercase, ])een sustained from France, the conquest might have been perhaps stayed. But the support he asked was not extended, and in 1710 the place was again taken. The English Government had learned some tin'rible lessons on the necessity of holding the territory in this direction. The mas- sacres at York and Oyster l\iver in 1094 and the attempt to destroy Wells must have taught her rulers that the English colonies required some firmly seated support against such attempts. The effort of France was to (^onnect Canada by a series of outposts with the Atlantic. A fort was built on the St. John, opposite Fredericton, Naxouat, and at the Jemseg to the south. The thinly-peopled northern parts of Maine and Massachusetts were thus constantly exposed to attack, and it was manifestly necessary to the protection of New England that a garrison of sufficient strength should be established in a locality where it would be available to meet an excursion from Canada, if French encroachments were to be resisted. It was thus that attention was directed to Port Royal, I , 108 NOVA SCOTIA. hJ "'1 11^! which had been taken in the expedition under Nicholson in 1710, and now received the name of Annapolis, i'rom the reigning Queen. Halifax was then unknown, and the whole settlement of Nova Scotia consisted in what went under the name of Acadia, which did not contain 1,000 souls. It was resolved, however, to hold Nova Scotia per- manently, and a ii'arrison was left at Annapolis. It was not until 1755, forty-live years after this date, that the deportation of the Acadians took place, and VA^hat follows in the history of Nova Scotia must be remembered in connection with the relentless policy of Governor Lawrence, which enforced their banishment. Many have formed their idea of that measure by Mr. Longfellow's well known poem of " Evange- line,'^ but it must be judged in a far wider view than what is suggested by those polished hexameters. Few can denv that the measure was one brino'ino; much suffering with it, and that many innocent persons underwent tribulation, and that there is a hard, unbending purpose running through the proceeding to cause feelings of .lorror and pain- This cannot be denied. But what is all war but an unvarying scene of individual misery and wrong ? A private execution of the most notorious malefactor makes an appeal to one's more merciful feelings. The real question to be considered is ; was this step a merciless, treacherous, unnecessary brutality like the massacre of Grlencoe, inflicting THE ACADIAXS. 100 uncalled for sufFeriug on a defenceless people taken unawares, who had no chance given them to avoid such a fate ; or was it an act of necessary policy entailed by most pressing circumstances, by consideration for the safety of a community, which the sutierers could have avoided, without the slightest sacrifice of principle, feeling or of indi- vidual rio'ht. The fact must be clearlv stated. The Acadians, as a conquered people, obtained every consideration and kindness, and for years they were called upon earnestly to be loyal and to abstain from injury to those who were now their masters. Nooneever received the slightest individual injury. They were treated with justice, with forbearance, with mercy. They were assured the practice of their religion, the maintenance of their property and their personal liberty. All they were asked to do was to give a solemn assurance, to become in fact and by their lives, su])jects of their concpierors. Not to side with their foes, but to defend the land on which they held their property, against its enemies, and above all to abstain from encourage- ment of the savao^e Indian, whose theorv of warfare was stealthy assassination. I return to the date 1710. Port Koyal was conquered, and its conquerors clearly shewed that they intended to retain it as a possession. The inhabitants never ceased from hostility in all its forms. Parties sent out to cut wood were assassinate4. Travelling beyond the m 110 A'Or.l SCOT/ A. !S| I'ort was clangorous ; for the individual it was death The enmity of the people was kept up by the mis- sionaries with the assurance that the Ibrt w^ould be attacked and retaken at the first opportunity? and that British continued possession was an im- possibility. AVar was closed by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, when Nova t:^cotia remained a British possession. The Frenih retained the sov- ereignty of the Island of Cape Breton, "^ which with the Tort of Louisbourg, remained an eternal threat to Nova k^cotia. The Acadians were pressed by the French governor, to remove to Cape Breton. By the 14th Article of the Treaty, they had nue year * The readers of Iluraphrey Clinker may recollect the astonishment of tlie Duke of Newcastle, the foolish Minister of (leori^e II., on hearing that Cape Breton was an island. The story as recorcled is worth reproduction : '' They [the Ministers] are so ignorant they scarce know a crab from a cauliflower, and then they are such dunces that there is no making them comprehend the plainest i)roposition. In the beginning of the war this poor, half-witted creature told me, in great fright, that thirty thousand Fi'ench had marched from Acadia to Cape Breton. 'Where did they find transports?' said I. 'Transports!' cried he; 'I tell you they marched by land.' 'By land to the Island of Cape Breton ? ' AVhat ! is Cape Breton an island ? ' ' Certainly.' ' Ha ! are you sure of tnat ? ' When I pointed it out in the map he examined it earnestly with his spectacles ; then, taking me in his arms, 'My dear C ! ' cried he, ' you always bring us good news. Egad ! I'll go directly and tell the King that Cape Breton is an island.' " THE AC AD I AN S. Ill mmg [le, in •ched find tell bd of nd ? ' lien I with dear in which they could leave Nova Scotia. But they woiild not do so. At the same time, they declared to the French of Cape Breton their intention of remaining- subjects of France, and that they never would take the oath of allegiance to England under any circumstances. In ltl4 Nicholson was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, then a recognized Province. No steps appear to have been taken for some years with regard to the Acadians. The oath had been ten dered and refused. It was not enforced, and they remained in this unsatisfactory condition for thirty vears, when war broke out again in 1743. It was well known that, in the event of war, every Acadian would be an enemy to British rule. Mascarene was then Governor. Descended from Huguenot French, he was a man of rare ability and power. A F'rench force attacked the fort. The attack was to have been made in connection with a French squadron. The latter not arriving, the force retired, having shewn little enterprise. The Acadians did not join the attacking army. There was a body of Indians from the main land, friendlv to the English, who were sufficient to counterbalance the Nova Scotian Micmacs, and the determined defence was a guarantee against any pronounced aid from within. If Nova Scotia was to be retained with a popu- lation ever ready to rise at the first gleam of success of the enemies of Great Britain and its religion > 11*2 yOVA SCOTIA. [' i Louisbourg', it was evidiMit could not bu allowed to coiitiuue, a «oiistant omen oi' danger and loss- AVlioever first proposed the attack, and I think it must ha\'e been a necessity everywhere understood^ it was Shirley, then Grovernor oi' Massachusetts, who prepared the orq-anization ])y whii'h the iirst taking of Louisbourg' was efFected,and whose energy and ability led to the expedition of 174-3. William Pepperel was appointed its cummandei'. Few such expeditions have been marked ])y such signal organ- ization and completeness, a striking contrast to the contemptible result of Phipp's expedition against Quebec in IGOO, and Walker's miserable failure in 1711. Admiral AVarren commanded the naval forces. Louisbourg fell. The booty was immense, and to increase it the French flag was kept flying so that vessels from P'rance entered the harbour to become the spoil of the conqueror. A lesson not for- gotten when Boston was evacuated by the British in 1770, by the incompetent G-eneral Gage and his equally ineflicient lieutenants. For the British flag, still flying on the ibrt, invited the English vessels unhesitatingly to sail in. if combatants, to become prisoners of war and for the stores and merchandise to be sequestrated. It is said that at Louisbourg the share of a seaman before the mast was eight hundred guineas. The ettbrts on the part of France to revenge this reverse were futile. The design was even to destroy Boston, but the expedition was one of the most impotent on record. 'V\ I THE FINAL STRUGGLE. 113 How 0(1 d loss. liuk it rstood* Liisetts, le lirst energy rilliam w such organ- t to the against lure in naval mense, Hying )our to lot I'or- ji'itish nd his Iritish nglish iits, to ?s and that at 3 mast Dn the futile. it the ecord. ■^ Port Royal, Annapolis seemed more easy of attainment. The commandant knowing the weak- ness of his garrison applied for reinforcements. On the arrival of 420 men, they were sent to Minas. A French fort was then at Chignecto. An attack was at once determined. The English troops took no precaution, as if they were in full security. Led by Acadian guides to the exact locality where the men were quartered, the French arrived at 2 o'clock in the morning on 23rd January, 1*747. Snow vv^as fallins: so the advance was not seen until close on the sentries. The troops, attacked in bed, made a desperate resistance, but they were defeated and capitulated. Such a result would have been im- possible without the assistance of the Acadians, who led the troops precisely to the points to be attacked and withheld all kuv^wledge of the expe- dition. The disgraceful peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was made in 1748. It is hard to believe that Louis- bourg and Cape Breton w^ere given back to the French under the vague clause that no conquest since the commencement of the war should be held. England, therefore, retained Nova Scotia and France Cape Breton, for the tragedy of Louis- bourg to be repeated ten years later. We all recollect the toast of Blucher that the diplomatist may not lose by the pen what the soldier has gained by the sword. On this continent we have much to remind us how a few words in a treaty, i 114 NOVA SCOTIA. indistiuct and indefinite in theiv purport, have ignored many years of national effort, courage and determination, at the same time sacrificing remorselessly a multiplicity of private interests. But the time had come when the quarrel between France and England should be fought out, and both powers felt that this chronic condition of war could no longer continue. In ten years the struggle had ceased. One by one the strongholds of France passed from her hands, and in ten years her ilag had ceased to be. a type of power on the continent. Both countries accordingly put forth their whole strength in this period : a fact of importance when the question of the treatment of the Acadians is judged. One of the first steps was the foundation of Halifax in 1749 under Corn- wallis. It was done with rare organization, with perfect success. Without delay Cornwallis called upon the Acadians to take the oath of allegiance. They declined. For six years was this rec[uest avoided with ill-concealed hostility. " In fact," said Grovernor Hopson in July, 1753, "what we call an Indian war is no other than a pretence for the French to commit hostilities upon His Majesty's siibjects." The French, moreover, while recognizing the j)rovisions of the Treaty of Aix-la- Chapelle, drew an arbitrary boundary of Nova Scotia : that of Missiquash River, now the boun- dary of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia ; and La Jonquiere, then Governor of Canada, sent a force FA LL OF L 1 'I SB URG. 115 lUidiT La C^orne to erect a chain of I'orts from the Bay of Fiindy to Day Verte. They constructed Fort Beaiisejour. The Governor of Nova 8cotia established Fort LaAvrence. near the settlement of Beausejour. In 1755 it was resolved to drive the French from their position. As was looked for, the Acadians were there on the French side, but the fort was taken and called Fort Cumberland. It was these very encroachments of the French affainst Nova Scotia which led to the declaration of war in May of 175t5. "What followed I need but cursorily mention. Louisbourg again fell in 1758 ; Quebec in 1759. In 1700 Louisbourg was demolished, for no other port than Halifax was needed. In six months this monument of French power, which it had taken twenty-fi^e years to raise, was levelled to the ground. All of value was transported to Halifax, many of the bou- charded stones, even, having been taken there. In this year Montreal capitulated, and De Vaudreuil signed the capitulation which gave the continent to British rule. All these facts require to be stated when the deportation of the Acadians has to be considered. What else could be done with them in this crisis ? From the period when Cornwallis first arrived, in 1740, it was the one question : how to act with a body of men disloyal to the country as it was governed. Too weak to obtain a national standing, but constantly intriguing to injure the 1 110 NOVA SCOTIA. :.i ■ I » l authority they liv»-'d under l)ut would not reeog- uize; r.'t'iisiui>' all etforts of eouciliatiou ; and, with the guaraiitet^ of possessing pt^rsonal liberty, the free pra'"ti<;e of their relii^'ion, the enjoyment of their property, they still deelined to 2") were col- lected. At Anna^. '^lis and Cuml)erland many took to the woods. I cannot form any other opinion than that the number 5,000 is an exai]^geration. Among the papers at the Colonial Olhire or at Halifax the true state of the case may be found. I am quite unable, from w^hat I can learn, to give any estimate, but the evidence leads me to tliink that probably less than o,('00 w^ere so deported. A melancholy fate of su tiering, sorrow and privation ; for these poor creatures were sent, homeless and destitute, to other States ; but there was no unne- cessary hardship and cruelty shown, and thc"r con- dition was not worse than that of the immii»'rant who in old days sought our shores. UndoubtcxUy it is a chapter of human misery, this enforced exodus, but those who suffered by it could have avoided it by a line of conduct marked by no one act in any way unworthy or humiliat- ing. All that was called for w^as the acceptance of an unavoidable condition of events, beyond their control, irremediable. They refused to become friends of those who made the offer of peace and conciliation in the hour of danger and diffi-'ulty. WIMJ ■ IIV*IL,J ' 118 NOVA SCOTIA. They showed themselves to be avowed enemies. For upwards of forty years they destroyed the peace of the colony, and had at length to pay the penalty their conduct exacted, which was only with relu(^tance adopted as a necessity which self- preservation demanded. It is not until 1714 that Nova vScotia ranks as a British Provini^e. There were many mutations before it look this definite form, and in connection with its history there is the record common to most of the communities of this continent : that of misapin'ehension and a failure to understand its importance as an American possession. For the hundred and seventy years which Nova Scotia hns continued under British rule its popu- lation has steadily increased from various sources, and as a maritime people they have placed them- selves in the highest rank. Nova Scotia thus possesses the distinction of being the oldest British Province of the Dominion. ■-Vi If li i ' ii; I MB CHAPTER YIL HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. Home in Halifax — Start for the Pacific — The Intercolonial Rail- way — IMajor Robinson — Old Companions — The Ashburton Blunder — Quebec — The Provincial Le,uislature — Champlain — The Iroquois. Arrived at my Halifax home, I made the few preparations necessary for the journey before me. In the interval, I rambled through the Dingle w4th my children and x^addled over the north-western arm, a sheet of water of much beauty. There is always unusual pleasure in such quiet occupations, exacting neither labour, nor thought, nor any great strain upon the attention. We float along or stroll idly, as it were following the bent of our inclina- tions, now and then considering what lies before us, or reverting in memory to that which once has happened. Then I visited my old friends, who gave me the proverbial Halifax welcome. Two vessels of the fleet were in port, the " Northampton" and the " Canada," the latter attracting some atten- tion from the fact that Prince G-eorge, the second son of the Prince ^^ Wales, was on board, performing wm mMlKVHi'l ■Hi 1 1 120 HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. the duties of a midshipman, as any other youngster in that position and as efficiently. A new Com- mander of tlie Forces had arrived, Lord Alexander Russell, formerly known in Canada as commanding one of the battalions of the Kille Brigade, and the conversation of the garrison was the changes in discipline and general economy introduced, as is frequently the case by new administrators, x4.ll my friends were well and in good spirits. I had the additional pleasure of finding that the kindness of former days w^as unimpaired, and my whole visit was one of pleasantness. I was four days in Halifax, and on the ninth of August, I started alone. Dr. Grant who accom- panied me on my first trip to the Pacific eleven years ago, had accepted the invitation to accompany me across the Rocky Mountains, and it was arranged that he should join me in Winnipeg. My second son was also to be of the party. He was to meet me in Toronto. My family went with me to the station. There was an unusual effort to say good-bye in starting on this long journey, but that matter has no interest here. It is only on alternate nights that the Pullman car runs through from Halifax to Montreal. On this occasion I had to leave Halifax by the Pullman which went no further than Moncton Junction, and w^ith the other western passengers I had to wait there for the train to arrive from St. John. I V % FIRST CANADIAN RAILWAYS. 121 re 11 11 o We reached Moncton at two o'clock in the morning, an hour not the most convenient for elfecting' the change. It is among the minor miseries of travelling to be obliged to turn out at snch an hour for a coming train. But the fault was my own. Had I curtailed my brief sojourn in Halil\\x a few hours, or had my arrangements admitted of delay for another day, I would have had the advantage of a through Pullman without the inconvenience of a break at this place. Moncton is in New Brunswick, at the junc- tion of the lines from Halifax and St. John, whence acommon course is followed to the St. Lawrence. As I was sitting on the platform in the cool summer air before dawn, I could not but recollect that the 10th of August was one of the red letter days of my life. Thirty-one years back, on that day my railway career in Canada commenced. I was ap- pointed as an Assistant-engineer on w^hat w^as then known as the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway, afterwards developed into the Northern Ivailway of Canada, and of which I remained chief engineer for a number of years. The Montreal and Portland Railway was under construction. The Grand Trunk Railway had just been commenced, and with the exception of some small lengths of line, such as the Lachine, the La Prairie, and the Carillon Railways, it may be said that, at that date, railways had no working existence in Canada. The station ground at Moncton was illuminated by an electric light ; to escape its piercing rays, I h 122 HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. turned away to a seat which they did not reach. As I was thus sitting apart, my recollection went back over the last thirty-one years and to the many events which the spot sug-gested. The night was dark, and, excepting in the immediate neighbour- hood, it seemed to be rendered darker l)y the light which dickered and glared directly above me. I cannot say that the dazzling " Brush " light is agreeable to me at any time, or on that occasion that my tone of thought was affected by it ; but in spite of myself my mind ran over much of the past, and brought vividly before me many events long forgotten. I remembered the frequent men- tion of Moncton l)y Major llobinson in his well known report, and I felt how much I owed to his labours and to those of his efficient assistant Captain, now Sir Edmund Henderson. I thought of poor Major Pipon, who was drowned in one of the streams while gallantly striving to save the life of an Indian boy. Prominent among the actors I reverted to my friend Mr. Light, who constructed the line from Moncton to St. John, whose labours were continued on the Intercolonial Railway until its completion, and who is still actively engaged in his profession. Naturally, in connection with these memories, the whole staiF of engineers who worked with me on the Intercolonial Railway passed before me, from the first long snow-shoe tramps through the forest and across the moun- tains in 1864 to the comj)letio?i of the line in 18^6. I THE mrERCOLOMAL RAILWAY 128 Some are uo more ; those who remain are scattered over this continent doing their work as manfully as they did it here, wherever their held oi' duty. So far as the Intercolonial Railway appears before the public to-day, those engineers who were for years engaged in its construction are as if they never existed. I was struck with the similitude between the life of the engineer and of the soldier. There is much which is identical in the two pro- fessions. In both, privations and hardships are endured. In both, self-sacrihce is called for. In both, special qualities are demanded to gain desired results ; and the possessors of them for a time obtain prominence, to f)ass out of mind with the necessity for their service, and to be forgotten and uncared for. It is peculiarly during an hour of patient waiting in the advanced hours of night that much of the past comes vividly before us. My mind reverted to all the incidents connected with the history of this national railway. I recalled many recollections of the Railway Commissioners whom the G-overnment appointed at that date, and I did my best to forget many an unpleasantness. Dif- ferences of view were not unfrequent. They seemed important enough at the time, but on looking back to them now, how insignificant many of them appear. Those mistakes which permanently affect the public interests are only to be deplored. The train had just passed over the scene of one of the most glaring of these departures from a wise policy. 124 HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. In order to serve j^urely local interests, theraihvay was diverted manv miles out of its true direc- tion. The proper location would have cost less ; the line, when completed, would have been better in an engineering point of view ; the distance would have been ten miles shorter. But the local interests, in themselves insignificant, were sus- tained by political influence. AVhatever adminis- tration was in power, there was some one prominent politician to advocate the location by the circuitous route. In this one point men on opposite sides of the House could meet on common ground, and in spite of all remonstrances ^ and regardless of the facts, their individual interests prevailed. Thus the country was saddled with an unneces- sary expense of construction of a needless increased length of line with its perpetual maintainance, and every person, and every ton of goods, entering or leaving Xova Siotia, has to pay a mileage charge of conveyance over ten extra unnecessary miles : a tax on the travelling public and the commerce of the country for ever ! As I looked along the track into the darkness, I remembered that some fifteen years had passed since the troubles and unpleasant- ness of those days, and it came to my mind that the prominent actors in the events are dead. I was struck with the truth of our experience in the vanity of human wishes and the worse than folly * This matter is entered into at length in the writer's published history of the Intercolonial Railway, 187G, page 102. ■X, ASIIDURTOy TREATY. 12/ ;) a A of sa'^rificiiig* permanent public inteivsts for matters of passing moment. The circumstances su2f£»*ested another recollection of hiofher historical importan«^e and infinitely more consequence. Moncton itself, geographically, is nearly due east of Montreal, but in order to reach this point, the Intercolonial raihvay has to diverge northerly nearly three degrees of latitude, through the narrow^ limit of territory along the St. Law- rence. The extraordinary series of negotiations which led to the establishment of the Maine boundary, is a chapter in our history which the British nation equ.ally with Canadians would wil- lingly forget. It is with pain and humiliation that we reflect on the ignorance of the simplest facts of the case and of the deplorable inattention to every national interest which marked the conduct of the Imperial representative. Lord Ashburton, in the settlement of that question. I had occasion, some years ago, carefully to examine the whole subject, and I could never discover that the blame of the discreditable settlement of the matter at issue is in any way chargeable to the Washington Grovern- ment, as many suppose, and as I myself at one time had been taught to believe. The dii:>lomacy of the United States was perfectly straightfc ard throughout. Strange as it may seem, the objection- able settlement, which leaves this painful blot on the map of the Dominion, is due to the rejection of a proposition which came from the Executive at I 12G HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. v\ i ^f Washington. Had the wise and just proposal made and repeated by President Jackson been accepted, there cannot be a doubt that the boundary would have been satisfactorily established, in accordance with the true spirit of the treaty of 1783. We w^ould have been spared the bitter humiliation of the Ashburton treaty ; we would have saved ten milli'^ns of dollars in the first cost of the Inter- colonial railway, and Nova Scotia would have been, for all practical purposes of trade and intercourse, two hundred miles nearer the western provinces of the Dominion. The yearly cost of maintaining and working this unnecessary length of railway represents a large sum. The direct advantages of the shorter line would have been incalculable. The transport of coal alone, at half a cent per ton per mile, reckoned on 200 miles, would effect a saving to the consumers in the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario of one dollar per ton. Such a reduction in itself would have created great activity in the mining industries of Nova Scotia, the coal fields of which are inex- haustible, but which from their distance from market are subjected to much unfavorable com- petition. The train arrives in due time ; a sleeping berth had been secured by telegraph, and I proceed on- wards. The following evening, the train reaches the Chaudiere Junction, opi)osite Quebec, having'' passed Eimouski and Riviere du Loup in the after r r'il' 111 I QUEBEC. 12Y uoon. At the latter place, generally so quiet and free from bnstle, we saw an unusual num])er of people assembled. It was the annual excursion of the Press Association, and the members had been listening to an address from the Premier of the Dominion. There are three ways of reaching Montreal from Quebec. The traveller may take the steamboat up the St. Lawrence, 180 miles. He may cross the river and avail himself of the North Shore Railway, or he may remain on the south side and proceed by the Grand Trunk Itailway. It is now seven in the evening and the train is about starting, so I continue on the Grand Trunk route and have a second night to pass in the Pullman car. In the morning at half past six the train enters Montreal by the famed Victoria Bridge. To those who desire to pass a day at Quebec, the steamboat is a very pleasurable mode of travel- ling. The steamers on the route are well built. The accommodation is excellent, and they present a varied and animated sight during the season from the number of passengers. I have frequently visited Quebec, and I have passed many days among its mai.y pleasant asso- ciations. On this occasion, it was a mere point in my travels. Those who visit Canada for the first time, will certainly not hurry past this famous city as I was then doing. Quebec will always be remarkable for its his- ^ ■ 128 HALIFAX TO QUEBEC, torical associations and for the exquisite beauty of its scenery. The traveller, however far he may have rambled, can not fail to recognize that the view from Durham Terrace is one of the finest he has ever seen. Some contend that it is unsur- passed. On one sid*.' is the citadel in all its strength and grandeur. On the opposite bank of the river, Point Levis stands forth with its coves and build- ings and scenes of stirring life. Immediately be- low us the majestic river itself flows in a great, placid stream on its way to the ocean. To the north, rise the bold heights of the Laurentian range, bearing evidences of life from their base far up on the hill side. The whole scene furnishes a pano- rama rarely to be met. In Quebec one feels that he is on a spot where every foot x)f space was once of value, from the necessity of protecting the whole by works of defence. We are taken back to the European life of insecurity of two centuries ago, when every town was so protected, and yet was often ravaged and despoiled. Quebec is the one memorial of that condition of things on this con- tinent. The city itself is built on an eminence which admits of much variety of landscape. It is a spot of great attraction which everybody visits with pleasure. The society has long been known by the genial and kindly character of its hospitality. Although its commerce is not relatively what it was in former years, it is still a centre of much activity and possesses great wealth. The com- mencement of a railway to the settlement at Lake I 4 CriAMPLALV. 121> St. John, to the north, ontiivly by Quebec capital, is a proof that the spirit of enterprise yet remains. The city is the seat of rrovincial Government. During the sitting of its Legislature it is much frequented by men busy in political life. In summer the hotels are invariably full of tourists^ chiefly from the United States, hundreds often arriving daily to go over the ground of its historic associations, to enjoy the beanty of the landscape, and to observe what remains of the life of a past, of w^hich in their own country they are without a • parallel. Much of the history of Canada centres aroimd Quebec. Many illustrious names are asso-- ciated with the ancient city. The most distiu- guished is its founder, Samuel Champlain. Champlain's career in Canada dates from IGOS to 1635. He founded Quebec. He ascended the Richelieu and discovered Lake Champlain, which bi'ars his name. He ascended from Ticonderojra to Lake George, and penetrated the valleys of the Hudson and the Mohawk. He ascended the Ot- tawa, passed over the height of land, and by Lake Nipissing reached Georgian Bay. He travelled the country overland from Lake Simcoe to the Trent, and by the Bay of Quinte crossed the waters of Lake Ontario to what is now the State of New York, and penetrated to one of the lakes, believed to be Lake Canandaigua. He was the first to make a map of Canada, and he published his memoirs and his travels. He, and he only, is the founder of Canada. AYhat he effected wa 9 130 HALIFAX TO QUEBEC. 1 I W ' woikLmTuI. Few men havo been marked by such siiiguliir honesty of churacter. Few men have possessed so well directed a spirit of adventure, controlled by an unusually active and penetrating mind. His fortitude, his endurance, his courage, his ptu'severance, his personal honour make him one of the great characters of history. Midway between Quebec and Montreal the City of Three Rivers is situated. This place was early settled, a fort having been constructed here in 1(334. Its geographical position called for this protection. It is at the foot of the St. Maurice, whose sources lie far to the north, and west of Lake St. Peter, which in those days might be called an Iroquois lake, from the frequent incur- sions of the Indians, who were merciless in their warfare. For forty years the early French Cana- dian settler never knew if he would be able to "'^'ap the harvest of the seed he had sown. Indeed, not an exaggeration to say that it was doubt- ful, when he left his home for his day's labour, if he would not be before night a scalped cori)se. It was not until 1G86 that Tracy passed by the Riche- lieu and read the Iroquois a lesson by which peace was obtained. Three Rivers was at an early day a settlement of some importance. It even obtained a preference over Quebec, but the better situation of Montreal eventually diverted the trade to that city. It has long been a pleasant enough place, but, as the saying goes, one through which every- body passes and where nobody stops. i ^"•ewMpw^ »«UflMiMiflMi*^ il' Tt le- ice a id Lat CHATTEH VIII. QUEBEC, MONTREAL, OTTAWA. Montreal — Ship Channel— Hon. John Young — St. Lawrence Canals— Inditference of Quebec — Quebec Interests Sacrificed — Need of a Bridge at Quebec — Montreal Trade in Early Times — Beauty of the City — Canadian Pacific Railway — Ottawa — The Social Intiuence of Government House — King- ston. It is only withiu the last half century that the commercial advantages, geographically, possessed by Montreal have been understood and developed. It is not possible to enter into the history of the remarkable works, extending east and west, which have secured to this city its commercial success. They may, however, be briefly men- tioned. To the east a ship channel has been dredged through Lake St. Peter to a depth of twenty-five feet, to admit of the passage of ocean steamers. The original dei:>th over the St. Peter flats was eleven feet. This gigantic work, (om- menced in 1840, has been continued until the present day. The excavation extends for a dis- tance of seventeen n*" s, over shoals irregular in vimii!xaKsx''vtmwFy Lord Lorno in his desire to add to the oommou happiness, as indeed in all that was excellent which Lord Dull'erin coin- menced. No balls ever were more pleasant than those ^iven at Ottawa under their regime. There is a delicacy in writing all this, as both these distinguished men are in active political life, and it is not easy to speak of the actors in our Cana- dian drama wlio yet play a part in the wider Imj)erial life. Equally difhcult to venture to allude to the Countess of Dulferin, who exercised such a healthy inlluence on the society in which she mixed. The more exalted position of H. E. H. the Princess Louise makes it more embarrassing to refer to her presence ; but who that has, in any way, been brouglit within her intlueiice can forget all the associations which it suggests, not those of rank, but the more durable impress of genius, of excellence, with t^ ■ most simple and unafi'ected manner, blended with a consideration for others which delighted ev^eryone. I remained a few hours in Ottawa, and took the night train for Toronto. We start from the Cana- dian Pacific station, at which 1 had arrived, and follow the line to Brockville. Brockville is a town of importance on the St. Lawrence, at the lower end of that interesting reach of forty miles which embraces the Thousand Islands. During the night the Pullman is connected with the Grrand Trunk train, and we proceed on our journey as if we or KLVOSTON. 145 were travelling* on the system oi' lines we .started on. There is no tax imposed on travellers, as at Moncton on alternate nights turning you out of your berth at three in the morning. When you awake you are still proeeeding onward on the western journey. We pass Kingston at night, a town whii'h has grown around Frontenae's I'ort, ereett'd in ](J72. Its site is still a barrack used I'or the Military College. Kingston has the advantage of a iinely settled country in its rear ; it has an ancient look, and is substantially built of lime- stone. Its position at the junction of Lake Onta- rio with the St. Law^rence, and the presence of many owners of craft, cause some activity during the season of navigation. Kingston is also known as the seat of Queen's College and University, in which, personally and officially, the writer has the greatest interest. There is a restaurant car attached to the train, and one can obtain any breakfast he may require. After breakfast one generally becomes critical, for thought is turned outward. As we are moving onward it struck me that the farming between Trenton and Cobourg was not of a high character. At no season should thistles and weeds be seen in the fields, certainly not at the period when they are going to seed, and even a few slovenly farms will disfigure a whole district. The grain crop is later than usual, but is fast ripening, and in this section of the country not w^ithout promise. West 10 ■MHMI J-aM i'l i I! ■' '■"n Mh~' : »'»«N«aB7H«WKg3CS!W3Br/ 141) QUEBEC, MONTREAL, OTTAWA. of Cobour«i" the land is among the best in the world. Nowhere is agricnlture more careful. There is scarcely any land remaining unculti- vated, and no one but can be struck with the fertility of the district through which we are I^assing. mMim nt mmm. - - J ^ . ■ s s ^ isx.- J ti i ' A • .:::s:,usk: CHAPTER IX. TOROXTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. Toronto-Collingwoxl-Georgian Bay-The Sault St. Marv- ^av.gation of the Great Lake.-Mauitoul Lslands-liko Huron-Arrival at the Sault. Arriving safely at Toronto I was welcomed by my son Sandford, who accompanies me on my journey. For the first time I am presented to a still younger descendant, who confers upon me a new claim lo family respect, and whom I meet with much pleasure. It was the civic holiday in Toronto. It has been a custom on this Continent, in the large cities and more important towns, for one day in the year to be set apart, when, by common consent, business ceases. All sorts of excursions are organized by railway and steamboat companies, and to crown h^ jhole ^.^th additional dignity, the purport of the day is officially declared by proclamation by His Worship the Mayor. Every possible auxiliary IS called m aid to give effect to the occasion. In the city there are various performances at the I w \jv »w^rt^\lW»7S«^k*■J^ \^ 148 TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. i\ ' [if 1 ^^i Pi ' theatres, morning and evening. The neighbouring' small towns contribute their sympathizing crowds. There are cricket matches, lacrosse matches, with other meetings of every character of pleasurable association. There is the best of good eating and drinking for all who require it and are willing to pay for it. This Toronto holiday was in no way wanting in the general characteristics which such a day brings with it. Crowds of good-looking, good-humoured, holiday-dressed personages filled the streets, and there was a gaiety of manner and an atmosphere of amusement in the main thoroughfares which even the indifferent specta- tors could with difficulty resist. If Montreal may be said to be the admitted commercial capital of Canada, Toronto is battling hard to dispute its supremacy. The capital of Ontario, it is what Montreal is not. It is a i)olitical centre of great activity, where much is originated to influence both Dominion and local politics. It justly claims, too, a higher tone of intellectual life. On the whole, it may be said that there is a more assured type of culture and urban refinement by the shores of Lake Ontario than on the Island of Montreal. The city contains two Universities : one, Toronto University, without religious test, supported by the Province ; the second, Trinity, supported by the Church of England. Besides which there ar<^ a Presbyterian College and Theo- logical Halls ot other denominations. The Cana- *eiy Ml 'M 4 NIAGARA. 149 11 .hi It *. mn 111 ■j I i IM I n 152 TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. How many of these voices are mute, which then joined in the cheers given as the heralds of our good wishes ! Few of the actors in that scene remain but myself. The direct course of the '' Campana "' was along the coast of Creoro'ian Bav, skirtinq* Crai£»'leith and Thornburv. We touch at the bustlino' town of Meaford, where our well-lilled passenger list re- ceives additions, certainlv bv no means desirable. But the new-comors crowd on board, and the steamer moves off to round Cape Kich, to enter the bay of Owen Sound. It was one of those pleasant, moonlight, calm evenings so enjoyable in Canada. There was not a ripple on the water. The air was cool and pleasant, the moon three- quarters full, and its reflection seemed to dance over the whole surface of the bay. The steamer is of iron, and we move onward with little noise and without vibration. We enter the narrow harbour at Owen Sound, a town surrounded by low hills, through the gorges of which the River Sydenham penetrates, passing over some falls of gTeat beauty a mile from the town. As we are moving up to the wharf we hear the arrival of the train from Toronto, with more passei^^-ers for the boat. The latter have come on board, the vessel has started, when all at once the cry is heard, " A man overboard ! " He is soon rescued, but he has lost his hat, and the air of suffering with which he regards this misfortune would lead ^/' !ni ■Mi AN LM PORT ANT LETTER. 153 ^ ^ us almost to think that ho ht»ld life of .ittle account that it had been preserved at this serious cost. Such an event is by no means uncommon on these hikes. Grenerally it happens that some one is hi > for the steamer. Pass(^ngers have often to drive long* distances; nevertheless they loiter to chat over an evening d am, and lose their time in gossip, or they fail to recollect the length of the distance they have to pass over. Be that os it may, punctuality seems to have been imperfectly learned in these latitudes. It is remembered that the steamer itself is often late, and there is ever present the good natured friend to suggest that "there is no hurry." At last the moment comes. The dav\'dler is made aware that there is no time to spare. The steamer's last w^histle has sounded. There is a rush to get on board, under unfavour- able circumstances, and sometimes the experiment is dearly paid for. It is not always the hat that is lost. Sometimes it is the fate of the unhappy wearer never again to require one. "VYe have recovered from this adventure. We are starting, and have actually left the wharf, but suddenly the signal is given to stop the engine, and the voice of the captain is heard shrieking out, " Sam ! there is a letter left at the office by two vouno- ladies." Sam takes no short time to find the letter, but at last we get under way, and our captain is benignity itself Our next landing- place is Sault St. Mary, which we will not reach for thirty hours. f i 154 TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR t ' i I I IM :i The arrang-eineiits for the steamer leaving C'ol- liugwood to toueh at 0\v<'u Sound eauuot be accounted ibr by any doctrine of* necessity. It would appear as if thi' owners were anxious to act with perfect impartiality to the two railway companies, which, if they cannot be called opposi- tion lines, have few interests in common. The Northern line runs to Collingwood ; the Toronto, G-rey & Bruc<' to Owen Sound ; both from Toronto. As a rule, passengers by the steamer are for the North-AYest. Grenerally Port Arthur, on Lake Superior, is their destination. But we lost some twelve hours coasting around from Collingwood, and I could not see with one single advantage. This profitless waste of time will in all probability cease when the boats of the (^madian Pacific run between Port Arthur and Algoma, on the north shore of Lake Huron, connecting at that point with the railways now under construction. The new route will give to eastern passengers what they never yet possessed : a direct connection with Lake Superior without loss of time. From Toronto, passengers will probably continue to be carried for some time as at present. Having passed three succeeding nights on the railway train on my journey from Halifax, I wil- lingly sought my berth. The breakfast hour is seven, but I had had some experience of the pre- ceding evening's supper. Appetite must possess to many a somewhat tyrannical mastery, if we are

? SVRLY WAITERS. lo5 1 •4 to judge by the domoiistrative di'termiuation to obtain seats at a steamboat table. Witli us there were four relays of sux')pei\ and it was an effort to find a seat at any one of them. AYlio has not noticed, und<»r su' s \( 15«] TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. i til was no breakfast, in the sense of the word, and what there remained was not hot. But the collee was exceptionally good, nnd with a crust of bread I thought that I might have fared worse. Possi- bly the owners c'' ibe m^w steamers to be placed on the lakes next summer will introduce some improvement in the stewards' department, which the ordinary traveller, they may be assured, will duly appreciate. We were passing through the chain of islands extending from Tobermory to the GJ-reat Manitou- lin. The water is x^erfectly smooth. The passen- gers are lounging, smoking, or basking on deck. Others, proud of their prowess, are relating their adventures and experiences, enlivened with many an anecdote, to the amusement of knots of hearers. As we were running through these waters they were so beautifully smooth and the air so fresh and pleasant that my mind went back to the Adriatic as you see it near Venice, or to the western coast of Italy from Civita Vecchia to G-enoa. What you miss is the deep, ultra-marine blue of the Mediterranean. Although above you to-day there is a sky not less cloudless, bright and blue than we see in Southern Europe, the hue of the water is a deep slate colour, but in no way wanting in transparency. We have a horizon only broken by the islands behind us and the Great Manitoulin, dimly lying to our right. Like the Mediterranean, this great inland sea does I //-iM fll*' AN INLAND OCEAN. U1 i* ..i. not always exhibit the glassy snrlaee it presents to-day. As in the Bay of Nai)les, the waters of whirh all pictures depict in the brightest blue, the gale can sometimes produce an angry, turbid sea, so on Lake Huron, especially in the late autumn, we have many a storm, often to create the roughest of weather. Some thirty years ago, while crossing in a Mackinaw ])oat, those were not the days of steamers with four relays of meals, I was caught in a nor'-wester, and driven to take refugee to the windward of one of the smallest of the islands we are leaving behind us. We reached the shore before sundown by the most strenuous exertions. All of us in the boat were exhausted, and we slept soundly on the gravel beach until the following day. The island was but a few acres in extent, but we could not venture to leave it. To have done so would have been certain death, for the water rolled in on the exposed beach in giant, swelling breakers. All the subsistenc ^he whole crew had for three days was a solitary rabbit, which we managed to snare, and a few biscuits we had in our pockets. It seems as if the whole study of the hour on board the steamer is to provide food for the pas- sengers. It brings to recollection the j)rosperou8 hotel manager, who related with great zest how many hundreds he had been feeding in the last few days. It certainly required some genius to feed the numerous passengers of the " Campana," ■ \i\ 41 I ir)8 TORONTO TO LAKK SUrERIOR. 1. .' ( I with .such limited atcommodations. At noon dinner is provided. There are eighty seals, and lour times that luunber oi' people to lill them. Ihit dinner, like everything else, has its end. The passengers again Ibrni in knots upon the deck : the lounger, the smoker and the man who delights in euchre, the latter more within the scope oi' lake travel than the more classic whist, are all seen at their occupation, and the raco/tlem', with a fresh audi- ence, is more than usually hxiuacious. The moon is a day nearer the lull ; and when the sun sets, it does so gloriously and more brightly than last night. AVe arrive at a landing place and are moored to a wharf where we have to wait till morning. The Neebish Rapids lie before us. They have been improved for the purpose of navigation, but they are not yet lighted, and it is extremely hazardous to attempt to run them in the dark. I'ntil a few years ago, when they were deepened and widened, they were positively dangerous. Eleven propeller blades were j)icked up by the divers during tneir operations. By daylight the Rapids can now be safely enough ascended, but it is not simply the Neebish Rapids which are unnavigable without daylight. An artificial chan- nel through Lake G-eorge, made some years ago by the United States authorities, follows a circular course, and it is not possible to pass through it after dark without extraordinary precaution. It is true that it can be effected by sending two boats »*« ^AULT STE. MARIi:. IT)!) ■•V*'' with lig'hts tbllowiiig" the couist' of tlio buoys on each side oii«^ by oiio, but all this was a labour our captain had no instru( tious to undortake, so wo> remained at the wharf. Had we not experienced the incident oi' the man overboard, and th(? I'or- gotten hotter of the two damsels at Owen Sound, we miii'ht have arrived in time to have ascended by daylight. The next morning the boat left her moorings at dawn. It is a pleasant sail through Lake George and the St. Mary's Itiver, with its Indian settlements and the quiet locality known as Gar- den Kiver. We had passed all these places when I awoke. We were then moving through the canal constru<^ted on the Michigan side to overcome the Sault St. Mary. At the " Sault " there are, on either side, the Canadian and United States town bearing its name. Neither of them has much pretiasion, and neither of them is deficient in picturesqueness. The United States town, on the s-outh side, is not without a certain commercial activity, and contains some barracks, in which generally there are two or three companies of the United States regular army. The Sault is celebrated for its white-fish, and the passer-by will frequently observe a number of Indian canoes at the foot of the rapids, paddling about, with a man in the stern to seize the fish by a hand net. The white fish is held to be a great delicacy. They appear on the table first about H Ma»7A\YKw^ars'!BiR^^^^5aej^^^WP^S 1 1' h ■ M 160 TORONTO TO LAKE SUPERIOR. Kingston, and are vaxight in all the lakes, but the opinion seems to be that the further north you go the better they are, those on Lake Superior b( 'ng considered the best. We run out of the canaf, and continue through the stretch of the River St.' Mary above the Sault. There is little to attract the eye until we reach the lofty heights standing as portals to Lake Superior, the last and largest of the great sheets of water tributary to the St. Lawrence. r i -r RKM Braw Bff iiww w r iwi i » * ■« ■ 1,1 I ^M CHAPTER X. lak:s superior to Winnipeg. Lake Superior-Early Discoverers-Joliet and La Salle-Hen- nepin— Du Liith— Port Arthur— The Far West— Tlie North- AVest Company— Rat Portage— Gold Mining— Winnipeg. The morning is dull, the sky leaden, and the- temperature is not ver}^ enlivening for the most of us. But the boat moves pleasantly up the slight current until we reach AVhitefish Toint, then we enter the lake which lies before iis in all its magni- ficent extent. Some idea of the size of Lake Superior may be formed when it is pointed out that from its two extremities the distance is equal to that from London to the centre of Scotland. In width it is capacious enough to take in the w .?le of Ireland. Its surface is 600 feet above, its bed is 300 feet below, the ocean level, the lake being 900 feet in depth. Its water is remarkably pure,''with the colour of the finest crystal. We pass a number of steamers and deeply laden vessels. We are now fairly in the lake, with its -ugged, rocky hills on the north shore ascendino- 11 ■*»»w:«w!»sacss5s?;c\^gPi!SSS?^!era^ 162 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG. h I to the height of a thousaud feet. We are in the midst of a light fog. The air becomes chilly aud raw, but the water continues smooth, and we sail calmly over it. Towards evening the fog has cleared away, and we find ourselves in the midst of this immense fresh water sea. The nearly full moon appears and is high up in view. Our horizon is the circumference of an unbroken circle, for there is not a trace of land in sight. Our position is near the meridian of Chicago, although six degrees of latitude further north ; and we approach the lonp'itudc of that s^reat western territory which on boc . sides of the International boundary is being developed with such marvellous progress. Champlain appears to have known the existence of a northern fresh water lake of great size, but he never visited it. He showed on his map a large body of water under the title, Mer de Nor Grlaciale. This was in 16-j2. Galinee's map of 1670 gives the Itiver Ottawa and Lake Ontario sufficiently correctly for those days, everything considered, but Lake Michigan was unknown to him. He con- sidered Lakes Michigan and Huron to be one body of water, and so represented them. Lake Superior he did not appear to know, although he had reached Sault St. Mary. One of the earliest works of the Jesuit Fathers in Canada is their map of Lake Superior, published i.i 1671, with the title of Lac Tracy-ou-Superior. It showed that the many bays and inlets had been explored, and the J WaKmi uijBiJrwAww DISCOVERY OF THE GREAT WEST. 163 of itle :he map is marked by great correctness, allowing for the date of its production. They also knew of the Peninsula of Michigan. Indeed by this date the general geography and coast line of the great lakes was fairly understood. In 1669 La Salle made the first of the series of discoveries which have pre- served his name. He had heard of the great river to the west, and he was desirous of proceeding thither. He descended the Ohio, probably as far as Louisville, but it was not until eleven years later that he discovered the outlet of the Missis- sippi. Marquette and Joliet had in the meantime ascended from G-reen Bay, Lake Michigan, and fol- lowed the Fox River to the Mississippi. They may be held to be its discoverers, although claims antagonistic to their priority have been advanced, I believe, without sufficient proof. H(3nnepin, the Recollet Friar, was the first to ascend the upper waters of the Mississippi and describe the Falls of St. Anthony, where the great milling City of Minneapolis now flourishes. On his return with his cai:)tors, for he was a prisoner of the Indians, he met Du Luth some distance below the falls. Du Luth was one of those many enterprising spirits whom France sent to this Continent, a man of untiring energy and undaunted nature. He penetrated to the then utmost limit known. He was a martyr to rheumatism, but no sufl'eiing interfered with his discoveries and his devotion to the supremacy of France. At Lake Superior he had heard that ■""wwHPj^sarisway/^ 164 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WLWIPEG. •I !i: there were white men on the Mississippi, The news caused him anxiety. His first thought was that English traders had penetrated from New York, and in the interest of France he felt such intrusion had summarily to be stopped. He started with four well armed Frenchmen, followed one of the streams leading southerly and passed by the St. Croix, which falls into the Mississippi below St. Paul. It was here that he met Hennepin, who proved to be the white man he had heard of. Du Luth returned by way of Lake Michigan. Previous to this date Du Luth had established himself on the Kaministiquia, Lake Superior. In 1680 he built a fort on the site of the present Fort William on that river, for half a century the extreme point beyond which the French did not penetrate, and in itself the iirst settlement on the north shore. The Jesuits had established them- selves on the south shore of the lake at an early date in Canadian history at La Fointe, the modern Bayfield. It was a brilliant summer morning, Friday, iVth August, when I awoke ; we were near land. Silver Islet was in sight, and Thunder Cape, a bold head- land lit up by the sun, stood forth to bid us welcome. During breakfast we enter Thunder Bay, a noble t^xpanse of water surrounded on three sides by lofty hills. The entrance is some six miles wide, protected to some extent from the storms of Lake Superior by Isle Royale, some dis- PORT ARTHUR, 1()0 taiice to the south. We have fourteen mih?s to steam before we reach what was formerly called Priuce Arthur's Landing, now known as Port Arthur. It has grown up of late years. It pos- sesses an air of liveliness, and I do not think that those whose interests are centered in the town underrate the advantages of its situation or have any doubts with regard to its future. There are copper and silver mines in the neighbourhood, some of which are represented to be of value. Thev have been worked from time to time and dis- continued, and their occasional operations have told on the progress of the town. But Port Arthur does not possess unchallenged all the advantages claimed for it. Fort William on » — ' the Kaministiquia protters an equal claim to become the Lake Superior terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway to the west, and to the point of connec- tion with the eastern bound steamers in summer. A propeller with freight, loaded in the canal basin at Montreal, can reach Thunder Bay without break- ing bulk. A large movement in freight and pas- sengers for transfer to the railway for Winnipeg may be looked for, even when the railway line on the north shore of Lake Superior shall have been completed. A trip by the lake steamers is pleasant and agreeable in the fine weather of summer, and doubtless these ports on Thunder Bay will retain their importance. There is but one train in the twenty-four hours ■! ' I IOC) LAKE SUPERIOR TO W I XXI PEG. Kf I from Port Arthur to "VViniiipog. "We were twelve hours too late for the traiu which had left and twelve hours too early for the one to leave. All that could be done was to accept the situation. Human nature, however, asserts its prerogative under a sense of injustice. My mind, in spite of myself, reverted to our useless journey to Meaford and Owen Sound, and to the waste of time at these places by which we lost so many hours at the Neebish. It was the old story of the nail in the horseshoe of the Cavalier. I think the experi- ence of all travellers is that when a journey is marked by delay, little is done in the w^ay of remedying' it. Indifference succeeds the sense of misadventure or carelessness, and -the chanco of making up lost time becomes every hour less and less. I had twelve hours before me, so I determined to make good use of them. I communicated by telegraph with the railway superintendent at Winnipeg and the engineer in charge of construc- tion at Calgarry, to enlist their co-operation in our advance over the mountains. I drove with my son from Port Arthur to the River Kaministiquia, a river which assumed some importance in the early days of the construction of the railway six years back. The terminus was established three miles from its mouth. The river is upwards of three hundred feet in width, deep enough to float the largest lake craft. A bar, easily removable, extends across the entrance. in .«',l r i T i i rav v'fWfWiw'™*^^^'^"^'''Z.z—~~~~~ . "VS JJUDSOX'S BAY POST. Kit When this ol)stru\ •>i disappeared from the field, there were two power- ful compaiii«\s remaiiiiuo', who had to operate in the same field side by side, and there sprang up the fiercest and most embittered rivalry. I shall hereafter refer more definitely to this contention. This state of things was leading to the common ruin of the two companies, when, in 1821, after forty-three years of competition, discord and dis- aster, the two formed one corporation under the title of the Hudson's Bay Company. As I looked upon the old fort on the site of its departed greatness, I thought of the many stirring scenes which it witnessed before and after the beginning of this century. The stone store houses, once so well filled with every requirement, erected around the sides of a square, are now empty, con- taining a few boxes of rusty flint muskets and bayonets, with chests of old papers, dating back, some of them, more than a hundred years. The buildings will all soon be unroofed, to make way for a railway station. A year ago I saw two old cannon in the front of the courtyard. On that occasion I believe they fired their last salute. They are now removed. The old ri( kety flagstaff still remains, and so soon as it is known that a member of the Company of Adventurers is within the precincts the flag is run up as a salute, a service probably for the last time performed at Fort William. In a few months the whole scene will be changed. There is still an agent of the J 170 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG. I ,■ ,H'I'' Hudson's Bay Company in charge, Mr. Richardson, whose coniplcxioii of l)ronze tells of many years of exposure ; and his attendant, an Indian, who has been attached to the fort for forty years. On leaving" Mr. Richardson we called on a re- tired Hudson's Bay ofhcer, Mr. John Mclntyre, who lives in a comfortable house a little further up the river. He is an Argyleshire Highlander, who has the stalwartncss of his race, and is as active as ever. At his suggestion we go to Point de Meuron, named after the soldiers of that regi- ment in Lord Selkirk's service, camped here in the memorable days of 1817. There was nothing to be seen but the farm, so we returned to the town plot, and, as the hour suggested, took-dinner at the Ontario House, a place of some local reputation. There were several vessels from Ohio discharging coal at the railway wharves adjoining, showing that even the narrow cut dredged some years ago across the bar at the mouth of the river was still sufficient to admit their passage ; establishing, moreover, how easily a properly excavated chan- nel can be maintained, and plainly showing that the completion of navigation at the entrance of the Kaministiquia will eventually have an im- portant bearing on the commerce of the North- West. I returned to Port Arthur to prepare for the train, when some of my friends kindly gave me an invitation to a ball to take place in the evening. f^f^fmwrrrmmmmsn^Bsav. lilAKIUUl Jl tirwii-^ A ROUGH COUNTRY. 171 I should have liked to have accepted it for several reasons, uot the least of which was to see that phase of social life in this region ; but it was impossible to lose the twenty-four hours, the price of my attendance. It was dark when the train left, so all that could be done was to turn to the comfortable Pullman, and in due time retire for the night. The railway to Winnipeg is far from being completed ; indeed, it has but lately been put in operation. Many of the station buildings have yet to be erected. As a consequence, the following morning the breakfast was served under a large canvas awning. There was no pretension about this breakfast, but what there was of it was good ; certainly the ventilation | was perfect. The distance from Port Arthur to "Winnipeg is some 430 miles, and, as the unfinished condition of a considerable portion of the line necessitated travelling at reduced speed, the journey to most of the passengers seemed very tedious. To me every mile was full of interest. AYe pass over that portion of the line known as " Section A," which extends to a point 230 miles from Port Arthur. Civilization and settlement have not penetrated to this district, lying, as it does, intermediate between Lake Superior and the prairie region. "We have traversed a long stretch of black, boggy swamp, to which the Indian name of Muskeg has been given. One is reminded of Chatmoss, where ^T^ .^^■ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) I 1.0 I.I 1.25 lis, Ki H^ Hi m 1^ u: m Ui 1^ t. llifi- U IIIIII.6 V] <^ /i 7 c>m /^ y ,\ 4^ ^^ :\ \ % \ 6^ ■%' r\P' 6^ 172 LAKE SUPERLOR TO WINNIPEG. n <■ similar difficulties in the infancy of railway con- struction were so triumphantly met by the elder Stephenson. Muskeg is much of the character of peat. It is here inexhaustible, and hereafter may be valuable from its capacity to be formed into iuel. As the train moves on, nothing is to be seen but rock and forest in their most rugged forms. The falls of Waubigon and those of Eagle River, as we pass them, are the more striking by the contrast they present. We reach the far-famed " Section B," of which we have heard so much, and which is still a theme of such varied comment by politicians and newspaper writers. This section of railway passes through a country rugged in the extreme. The surface is a succession of rocky ridges, with tortuous lakes and deep muskegs intervening. The line has been carried across these depressions on temporary staging, and steam shovels and con- struction trains are busy converting the miles of frail looking trestlework into solid embankment. Our train moves slowly over this portion of the line ; indeed, until this work is further advanced it would be hazardous to adopt a high rate of speed. Eagle Lake, with the numerous lakelets which we see from the railway, are sheets of water with beauty enough to command atten- tion. A tew rude graves on the hillside mark the violent death of the poor workmen who suf- fered from the careless handling of that dangerous ^ \i J t^S^SSS^^m^ imUmm ■ I FOREST WEALTH. 173 explosive, nitro-glycerine. Although the most ef- fective of instruments in the removal of rock, the least w^ant of caution and care often exacts the most terrible penalty. In the fifty miles we have passed over, upwards of thirty poor fellows have lost their lives by its use. This explosive may be used with perfect safety, but in its handling it exacts prudence and attention to details ; other- wise there will be no immunity from want of care. With the reckless and negligent it is a constant source of danger. There is no great area of land suitable for profit- able farming in this district. A few good town- ships may be laid out, but the country generally through which the railway runs is not adapted for agricultural purposes. Every acre of soil, how- ever, is covered with timber of more or less value. Care should be taken to prevent the destruction of these forests. Stringent regulations should be made with regard to them, and no reckless waste permitted. In a few years these forests will proA^e sources of considerable wealth, and the ground over which we are now passing should be jealously guarded as a preserve for the supply of timber in coming years. The passengers begin to be clamorous for the next refreshment station. We learn that it is at Rat Portage. We trust that the name does not suggest the cheer we are to receive. There is an old tradition that the Chinaman delighted in \u ■•;:», i I m H ,'i r 1 If i;i ' ri 174 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WIKKIPEO. that rodent, and we all have read that during* the siege of Paris it was an established article of food. Rat Portage is beginning to be an import- ant place. It is situated where the waters of the Lake of the AVoods fall into the River Winnipeg. Four large saw mills have been constructed here, and immense quantities of lumber have been des- patched to 'Winnii:)eg and the country beyond. At present Rat Portage is the waU^'ing place for the City of AViunipeg. Gold mining has been commenced, but it is a pursuit on which but little calculation can be made. For the moment there is excitement in the dis- trict, and many explorers are engaged in exam- ining the rocky ledges which crop out on the shore and are exposed on the innumerable islands of the Lake of the AVoods. It is to be seen if this is a passing spasm or an assured success. When some instance of individual good fortune in gold mining becomes known, crowds for a time push forward eagerly, many desperately, on the path which they imj^ulsively trust is to lead them at once to fortune. Such hopes are often built on imperfect foundations. The slightest reverse de- presses the sanguine gold-hunter, and the pursuit is most often abandoned with the recklessness with which it was undertaken. How many may with bitterness repeat the well known words of my countryman, John Leyden, in his ode to an Indian gold coin : JSS 1 i < THE LOWEST DEPTH IX COOKIXG. "Slave of the mine, thy yellow lij^'ht Gleams baleful on the tomb fire drear." 175 "VVheu the train came to a stand the proverbial rush for dinner was made. No regular refresh- ment room could be found. In fact, none had yet been erected. But there were several temporary shanties built around, whoso merits were loudly proclaimed by the several touts in a great many words and the ringing of bells. We had made the acquaintance of some New Zealand travellers on their way to see two sons settled in Manitoba, and we agreed to take our dinner together. We selected one of these establishments. Our recol- lections of Rat Portage are not impressed by any excellence in its commissairiat. That which was set before us was execrable. I am not dilhcult to please, but there is a lower depth in these matters. Such a meal would scarcely have been palatable during the hunger of the siege of Paris, and a man could only have swallowed what was given at Rat Portage when suffering the pangs of star- vation. There is evidently a call for improvement at this place before the line is fully ox)ened to travellers. Leaving Rat Portage, we pass to what is known as " Section Fifteen." It is nearly forty miles in length, and, like "Section B," runs through a district remarkable for its rugged aspect. For a long distance west of Rat Portage the country is much the same in character as the Lake of the T ■r "1! f;: .i y 176 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG. Woods : full of rot'ky, tree-covered ridges and islets, the former a labyrinth of deep, narrow, winding sheets of water, separated by tortuous granite bluffs. If the lake has within its limits hundreds of islands, the land embraces innumer- able lakelets. It was this rugged and broken country, so repelling in its condition in the wil- derness, which dictated the opinion of a quarter of a century back of high authorities that the country between Lake Superior and Red River was not practicable for railway construction. The difficulties have, however, been grappled with and overcome, necessarily with great labour and great cost ; and, as I was passing over it, it struck my mind as no bad example of the danger of positively asserting a negative. The necessary work of plac- ing the trestlework in good condition on "Section Fifteen " is more advanced than on " Section B." The train, therefore, runs at a higher rate of speed. As we proceed we can observe that the roadbed is fairly well ballasted, and we run at about thirty miles an hour on the finished portion of the line, over the gigantic earthworks of Cross Lake, Lake Deception and the succeeding lakes. The distance from Lake Superior to the Red River at Selkirk is 410 miles, and notwithstanding the extreme roughness of the country through which it passes, the railway, when completed, will bear comparison with any other line on this Conti- nent. The utmost care has been exercised to I A sroKM. 177 *^ « establish gradients favourable to cheap transpor- tation. In this respect I know of no other four hundred miles of railway in the Dominion or in the United States that can be compared with the section west of Port Arthur. We leave " Section 15 " and the rugged country behind us, and enter on the prairie land of the AVest. We pass Selkirk, which once promised to be a centre of importance, but the City of Winni- peg, twenty miles to the south of it, has grown up, is rapidly increasing, and asserting its claim to be the first city in the North-West. As we proceed the sky becomes darkened and we are overtaken by a thunderstorm, during which the rain falls in as heavy masses of water as it has ever been my fate to see. The wind increases to a hurricane, but art triumphs over the elements. As the train con- tinues its course on the well ballasted road, at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, the passengers generally seemed scarcely aware of the tempest raging outside. An unusual phenomenon is pre- sented : we pass through an electrical snowstorm, which, in a few minutes, whitens the ground over a stretch of a mile. Hail storms are in no way uncommon when the conditions of the air are dis- turbed, but I have never before witnessed a snow- storm under similar circumstances. We reach the station at Winnipeg, having been twenty-four hours on our journey. A few years ago the distance from Lake Superior to this point, 12 fif 1 1 • m i 'I If. 178 LAKE SUPERIOR TO WINNIPEG. by the old canoe route, exacted twelve or fourteen days. When the railway is in complete working order the journey may be performed in fourteen hours. On my arrival at the station the night was black and forbidding, for the rain continued to fall in torrents. Nevertheless several old friends were there to extend me a welcome and the offer of a temporary home. Among others I grasped the hand of Dr. Grant, of Queen's College, who again is to be my companion to the Pacific Coast. Before leaving the station I made definite arrangements with the railway officials to leave in thirty-six hours for Calgary. We groped our way through the wind and rain to profit by the hospitality so kindly offered, and I was not sorry to find myself again under a roof with the best of good cheer before me. \ 1 CHAPTER XL WINNIPEG, HUDSONS BA Y COMPANY, LORD .'SELKIRK. Early Explorers of the North-West — Du Luth — De la Verendrye — Mackenzie — Hudson's Bay Company — Treaty of Utrecht — North- We-st Company — Lord Selkirk — War in the North- West — Union of the Rival Companies — The North- West Annexed to Canada. Wiuuipeg, with a population of 30,000 inhabi- tants, is the creation of the last decade. Thirteen years back there was little to distinguish its site from any other spot on the river's bank. The Red River was skirted by a single tier of holdings on the shore line, directly along its banks for a dis- tance of fifty miles, known as the Selkirk Settle- ment. At the confluence of the River Assiniboine with the main stream t] ^(^ stood old Fort G-arry, an establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company. We have in this old 1 <■ ^he precursor of the city. In 1859 a fe buildings, including a hotel, were clustered nt^, it as the commencement of the future Winnipeg. At an early date in the history of French Canada a great extent of the country f f 1 1 ii:. i i [- .; I! fc t ■ H si' J I 180 FB KXi n EX PL OB h'liS. aronud the western lakes was explored, rromin- ent among the many nien eminent in these dis- coveries was Du Luth, who appears in connection with the North-West as having been the iirst to establish a Ibrt on the River Kaministiquia, Lake Superior, about 1(580, on the site of Fort William. It is not to be supposed that at this date no further explorations were undertaken westward by the French. Many of the water- ways were certainly known, and to some extent the}^ were followed. But no attempt was made to extend trade operations beyond Lake Superior; and it was only to a limited extent that discovery was pushed westward. For some years exploration was turned towards the south of the territory held by the French, to guard against the encroachment of the English from New York, which now com- menced to attract more attention. There is no proof that any change in this respect took place until the days of De la Verendrye. This remarkable man in 1V31 was in charge of Fort Nepigon, Lake Superior. In that year he started westward across the height of land, passed through the chain of lakes to the Lake of the Woods and followed the River Winnipeg to Lake Winnipeg. Proceeding to the south of the Lake he ascended the Red River and reached the Assiniboine. I cannot learn that any white man, before him, ever stood on the site of the present City of Winnipeg. A series of forts were constructed by him ; one i DE LA VERl'lN-DRYi:. 181 igh ind eg. ed I >eg. whero Rainy River flows into the Lake of the Woods, Fort St. Pierre; one ou what is known as the Northwest Angle, Fort Charles ; one whe/e the River 'Winnip(\g Hows into Lake \\' innipt?g, Fort Maurepas, which name he also gave to the lake itself; one where the Red River Hows into Lake Winnipe^^, Fort Rouge ; and one at the junction of the Assiniboine with the Red River, proximately on the site of the City of Winnipeg, Fort de la Reine. De la Verendrye, himself, never saw the Rocky Mountains, but the discovery was made by his two sons in an expedition organized by him and carried out in at'cordan«'e with his instru(;tions. They started from the Fort de la Reine, followed the Assiniboine to the River Souris, which they traced to one of its sources, thence passing to the Missouri they followed that stream till they came within sight of the first range of mountains. It was therefore to the south of Canadian territory that the peaks were first seen. De la Verendrye had made a series of northern exploratiois, reaching the Saskatchewan by Lake Winnipeg, into which it discharges. He established Fort Bourbon at this point. He advanced along the river as far as Lake Cumberland, at the entrance to which he established Fort Poscoyac, which seems to have been the limit of his travels. He was acquainted with Lake Winnipegoosis and Lake Manitoba, and established Fort Dauphin at the northern end of II 182 JIUDSOX'S li.W CiOirAXY. U : i ilu' latter lako. Whil<> <'iig*ai^ed in organizing a inor<> extended expedition he died in 1749 at Quebec. The sueeeedinii* ten years of Fn*neh (-anada were passed in llie struggh^ lor national life. The North- West o])tained but ^^ttle attention except for th(^ purpose of cornmi^rc* with th<^ Indians. In spite of the difiienlties of earrying it on, it had increased in extent and was now of considerable importance. With the conquest the trade almost disappeared, and it was not for some years after- wards that it was recommenced on tln^ part of the British. The celebrated iSir Alexander Mackenzie, the first white man who by land reached the Pacific Ocean in Northern latitudes, has left some valu- able information concerning the trade of this period. We learn from him that the military posts established by the French at the confluence of '^<^ lakes had strongly in view the control of the traffic in furs. During French rule, trade had been con- ducted under admirable regulations. He himself tells us that a number of able and respectable men, retired from the army, had carried on their oper- ations under license with great order and regu- larity. At the same time, the trade itself was fettered by many unwise restrictions Neverthe- less it was taken to immense distances, and " it was a matter of surprise," he adds, " that no exer- tions w^ere made from Hudson's Bay to obtain it EMiLV FORTS. 183 at even a share of the trade," which, a cording to the cliarter of that 184 IJDDSON'^' BAY COMPAXY. flourishing settlements to the north, identical in nationality with the Bostonnais of Massachusetts and the English of New York. The Treaty of Ryswick itself, in 1(395, even became the cause of difficulty, from the vagueness of its provisions, and it was not until the Treatv of Utrecht, in 1713, that the French claims were entirely aban- doned. The English G-overnment had determined to retain Nova Scotia, the fisheries of Newfound- land and what was called the Hudson's Bay Territory, and on that basis peaie was made. For the next half century there was no clashing of interests between the Hudson's Bay Company and the French of Canada, owing to the operations of the latter being extended in a, limited degree north of Lake Superior. After the conquest, for some years, the trade was throvrn entirely into the Company's hands. Indians eA'en went to York Factory to barter their furs. During this period the profits must have been immense. It was only by degTees that the English traders from Canada penetrated into the country. They found the Indian unfriendly. The French had instilled into his mind a jealousy of the English speaking race, having represented it as the ally of the Iroquois, the long-stand:*ng enemy of the Lake Superior Indians. A rooted distrust had thus grown up which long remained. About 1766 trade some- what recommenced, assisted by Montreal enter- prise. Michillimackiuac was for a long time the h A mp "*""""l FIRST ' iici. ERS. 185 IS, t ^ base of such operations, /id few traders pene- trated further than the . aninistiquia. Thomas Curry was the first to pass beyond this limit. He reached Fort Bourbon, where Cedar Lake dis- charges into Lake Winnipeg, whence he brought away so fine a cargo of furs that he was satisfied never again to return to the Indian country. By this time the Hudson's Bay Company had pushed on their posts to Sturgeon Lake, and now commenced that antagonism between those repre- senting the interests centered at Montreal and the members of the company, which for half a century caused difficulty, embarrassment, loss and finally bloodshed. One of the charges made against the Montreal traders of those days was that they were the first to introduce rum into the North-West, to the ruin of the Indians. A name of that period, preserved in the records of the law, still survives : Peter Pond, who was tried for the murder of one of his partners. He escaped by the Court determining that they had no jurisdiction in the territory. Pond was a man of much energy. Following in the steps of P>ob- isher, he traded north of Lake Winnipeg to the tributaries of the Churchill, and to the Westward as far as the Arthabaska and Elk Rivers. His purpose was to intercept the furs en route to Fort Churchill, on Hudson's Bay. The trade, in the meantime, received a severe blow from the con- 1 1 1 ■']■] i ■ i' i 1 ';!' ■ ;;• 1 186 XORTII- WEST coMPjyy duct of some traders at Ea^-le Hills. A dose of laudanum was giA^m to an Indian, and caused his death. In the turmoil which ensued several lives were lost, and the commerce with the Indians became much impeded. To remedy the depressed condition of the trade and to avoid further complications, the North- West Company was formed in 1783. A rival company was started, of which the celebrated Mackenzie was a member. The two were, how- ever, united in 11S1. At this date the North-West Company arrogated to itself full control over the countiy. No opera- tions of any kind except under their authority were permitted. The company was supreme. The private trader was driven Irom the held, and it would seem that these extreme jiieasures could be carried out with impunity. They were the days of the North-West Company's afHuence and power. lulluences even without its ranks came within their control to make the orG^anization irresistible. Peculiarly it was a Canadian enter- prise, and as such commanded sympathy against competition from without. We can scarcely, at this day, understand the extent of its power. In our commercial world, as we find it, there are many wealthy corporations possessing social and political control. The avenues to wealth and dis- tinction are numerous, branching out from many centres. It may be asserted that formerly the «■ LORD SELKIRK. 187 North-West was looked upon as the one field which promised prizes in life's lottery to the youth of the country. The leading magnates, who had larg(» incomes, indulged in princely hos- pitality, the memory of which has not wholly died away, and it may be conceived how, at that date, with a small population, with a limited field for enterprise, with little general wealth, the power of the company wa?^ everywhere recog- nized. I have now arrived at the period when I have to record the settlement of Red Kiver, the fore- runner of the City of AVinnipeg : indeed, the first step taken towards making the prairies the abode of civilized life. The task is not easy. The ashes of the fires of that day are yet warm under our feet. The sons and grandsons of the men whose names are identified with the leading events are among those who we meet daily. The story has often been told ; nevertheless it is only imperfectly known. The principal actor in these events was Lord Selkirk. As his character is studied it must be conceded that few men have been marked by a higher sense of life and duty. A man of remark- able ability, his character w^as one of rare disin- terestedness and chivalry, and I cannot but think his name will so live in our history. As early as 1802 Lord Selkirk entered intO' correspondence with the English Government on the advisability of promoting emigration from the ■ 18S iiunsoys day com paw ■h Highlands and Ireland to Rupert's Laud. The followinu- year he arranged to (\arry a body of Highlanders to PriucH^ Edward Island. We next hear of him in Canada and the United States, where he passed two years examining into the means available to carry out his purpose. During 1804 he entered into correspondence with General Hunter, th«^n Grovernor of Upper Canada, now Ontario, with regard to making settlements in that rrovin«H\ Those were not the days when questions such us these received much attention, nor were they even understood. The value of population to develop the resources of a country had generally to ])e ])etter known before correct views could i)revail as to the valu.e of unsettled land, and the negotiations failed owing to the excessive price demanded for it. As Canada did not otl'er the lield sought, Lord Selkirk turned to the Hudson's Bay Company as the means by which his theories of colonization could be carried out He and his friends took their measures accordingly. He purchased stock in the company, and thus obtained a commanding influence and the recognition necessary for the prosecution of the undertaking. This event took place in 1811. From the commencement the North- West Com- pany vigorously opposed his project. They looked upon Lord Selkirk as a visionary, and his scheme alike impracticable and undesirable. They might I in IBBiSS ■tmimmmmBumsm rtrmTraTrr i iirri i iiiiiriiiiiii i iiiiirTirT FIRST SETTLEMENT. 180 not he nnwilling to dividi* the huiitiiiLr ground of a continent with their rivals, hut they did not recognise that the prairies of the west were avail- ahk^ for support of human life. They regarded the country as a wilderness, to be reserved for the fur-bearing animals alone. Hitherto their ])roiits had been excessive and secure, and any change threatening the discontinuance or reduction of the advantages which they possessed had to be avoided. Evidently such a scheme as that of Lord Sel- kirk's was the lirst step towards the destruction of their trade and the diminution of their profits. The same year some ninety persons, mostly High- land cotters from Sutherlandshire, with a few additio:\s from the West of Ireland, reached Hud- sou's Bay. They wintered there, and in 1812 travelled to Red Iliver, a proceeding in itself memorable, as from it dates the settlement of the North- West. A further number was added in 1813. The two winters 1812-1813, till the spring of 1814, were passed at Pembina, at P'ort Daer. The Governor was Captain Miles Macdonnell, formerly of the Queen's Rangers. In 1814 further settlers arrived under Mr. A. Macdonald, having passed the winter at Fort Churchill. Towards the end of the year the number amounted to two hundred. It was in this year that the Governor issued the proclamation so much criticized and censured, and it has been brought forward as sufficient in itself 190 COUXCIL AT FORT WILLIAM. 1 1 f' t it^ < ■ f- to justify tho inimical proceedings subsequently taken against the settlement. It is difRcult to recognize that it was not v^arrauted by the cir- cumstances, and, considering the interests entrusted to the Governor, that it was not one which he had a perfect right to issue when he did so, in nc w^ay to the injury of others. He directed that no provisions should be exported from the country, as such stores were required for the arrivals ex- pected, that money would be paid for all produce, and that those not observing these regulations would be arrested. The Governor must have known and felt the difficulties under which he was placed. The North-West Company, both in London and on this continent, had shown the strongest opposition to the settlement. Indepen- dently of the nature of the difficulties incident to vhe situation, there was this eumit^' to be met ; an enmity known to be powerful and not over scru- pulous. It is irue that it had not taken the armed and open attitude which it ultimately assumed, but the ruin of the settlement had long been re- solved upon. A council of the officers of the North-West Com- pany was held at Fort William in 1814, and it is in evidence that it was here that plans were formed to induce the settlers to abandon their homesteads and prejudice the Indians against them — every employe of the company was already their foe — and to buy up all the provisions so that scarcity NORTH-WEST COMPAXY. 101 should result and ruiu to the settlement follow. It was in anticipation of such a scheme that the Governor's proclamation was issued. lie had obtained information that such a policy would be followed, and he endeavoured, on his side, to meet it as best he could. The Selkirk settlers had constructed a new fort, Fort Douglas. Its site lies within the present City of AYinnipeg, not far from Fort Gibraltar, the property of the North- West Company. It was in 1814 that Duncan Cameron came to the Red Kiver in charge of the latter. His special mission was to inlluence the settlers to abandon their homes. Cameron is represented to have been a man of address and plausibility, and he so well executed the duty assigned him of making those who listened to him discontented that about three- fourths of the number left the Red River for Upper Canada. Their descendants are yet to be found in the Counties of Elgin, Middlesex and Simcoe, in Ontario. It will scarcely be believed that a notice was served on those who remained, signed by four partizans of the North- West Company, sternly rec^uiring them to leave the settlement. It had to be entirely abandoned. The better to show their power, in the temporary absence of the Governor, they removed the cannon, implements and other property from Fort Douglas. The pro- ceeding was doubtless calculated to show the I I! ii ■hi O P: I ;.l ..< m 192 riJE n(fIS^BRULh'S. strength of the North-West Company, side by side with the impotent character of Lord Selkirk's pro- tection. There was no course open but compli- ance. The exiles took canoes and paddled down the Red River to Lake AYinnipeg, and reached Norway House, to the north of the lake. They had not been long* here when they were met by Collin Robertson and some twenty employes passing up Jack River on their way to join the settlement. Robertson was a man of determination, and saw that there was no good reason why the enterprise should be abandoned, and that sui'h an outrage, with one of Selkirk's c*haracter, would only call for renewed effort. He induced the settlers to return. They found their houses burned and their property destroyed. This occurred in August, but in October an additional number came, and the settlement had rei^-ained more assured strencfth. AVe have now arrived at 1810. In the half century which had elapsed since the conquest that which may almost be called a new race of men had sprung up : the children of the French voi/ngeurs of the North- West Company, who had married or lived with Indian women in the neighbourhood of the several forts. They obtained the name of " Bois-Brules." They were powerful in fran , disinclined to restraint, attached to a wandering life and unsettled habits, mostly with- out education. They were easily accessible to those who knew how to appeal to their prejudices. THE ATTACK, 11»3 .1 They had courage, and under ;i])le leiulers beoame a lbrinida})le foe. Their jsymi>athies were dillieult to determine. rerliai)s the leading i'eatr.re of their character was jealousy of their individual rights. In i absequent years their self-assertion took so threatening a form that the presence of Imperial troops more than once became necesdary. Early in June, 1816, a party of them gathered at Port age-la- Prairie, on the Assiniboine. They had but one object in view. It was, in a sen- tence, to retain the country for themselves, and to drive out all whom they had learned to look uj^on as intruders. There is everything to show that they were perfectly organized. They were armed, it is said that they were painted and disguised, and every precaution taken to make their movements appear an act of the genuine Red man. The evidence, accessible to those who will examine it, shows that the Indians were in no way mixed up with the expedition. It V IS confined to the men whose sympathies were with the North-West Company. Their operations commenced by seizing some boats and furs at Portage-la-Prairie, belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, and advancing to Fort Douglas, at Ked Eiver. At the fort itself the intrigues and intentions of those hostile to the settlement were known, and in some undefined way it was felt that danger was near. What form it would take, or whence it 13 104 BATTLE OF SFA'EX OAKS. I would come, nono lould say, but a watch was kept night and day. It would appear that the attack came earlier than was looked lor. On the evening of the 17th June the alarm was given of the approach of the Bois-Brulcs. Semple was the Governor. He was a man of courage and had served. lie did ^^hat little he could with the resources which at that hour were available. He collected a few men and started onwards to meet the advancing party. Seeing the numbers increase, he sent for a cannon and more force, and in the meantime continued to advance. As the opposing parties approached, each leader asked the other what he wanted. It is stated that one of the Governor's 'larty lired a shot in the -air, on which a shot from the Bois-Brules brought down Mr. Holte, who held the rank of lieutenant in the settlement. The firing became general. Gover- nor Semple was killed and his men fell around him. Twenty-two iu all were shot. There is no report of a death on the side of the Bois-Brules. No further resistance was attempted, and Fort Douglas was given over to the North-Westers. The settlers were compelled to take to their canoes and find a refuge where they could. The settle- ment was again entirely broken up. Such was the celebrated affair of Seven Oaks on the ITth June, 1816, yet sung in the songs of the Bois-Brules and chanted as the hymn of victory. Lord Selkirk had heard the story of the attack LORD S/'JLKIRK'S EXPEDITIOy. 195 •t rs. I of the preceding year, and at once hurried to Canada, lie passed the winter of 1815 in Mont- real, the season ])eing too late for hiin to go west. Governor 8emple was held to be in all respects competent, and Lord Selkirk had given him his full conhdence ; so it was thought that until his own arrival no further difhculty would l)e experi- enced, lie was, however, convinced that the attacks had not ceased, and that if the settlement had to be defended a force sufficient to meet such outrages had to be found. The deMeuron and Watteville regiments were on the eve of being disbanded, and Lord vSelkirk obtained from their ranks the men he required to ' cruit the colony. These regiments were two of the foreign legion raised during the Peninsula war ; they had been ordered to Canada in 1812. At the peace after Waterloo their disbandment was resolved on. They left the i :"itish service with the highest reputation for discipline and conduct. Early in June, 1816, the expedition started from Montreal with four officers and eighty men of the deMeuron corps. At Kingston the number was increased by seventy of the "Watteville regiment. It proceeded up to Drummond's Island on Lake Huron to receive a sergeant and six men of the Imperial army, who were to be present at Bed River as a proof of the countenance given to the settlement by the home authorities. Selkirk joined the expedition at Sault St. Mary 19U HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. His jmrpost' was to have pioeci'dt'd to Duluth, Fond du \a\(\ and to have rrosst'd overland to Red River. They had not advaneed I'ar when they met Mih's Maedonnell hrinuinu' down the news ot' the seeoud destnietion of the colony and oi' the vioh>nt death of* the Governor and twenty-one of his peophv vSelkirk at once started for Fort William to meet the foe on his own ground. They arrived on the l*2th Anyust and encamped on the Point deMeuron, some live miles from the mouth of the Kaniinistiquia, a name it still retains, and which the reader may remember I alluded to when visiting that locality. A demand was at onee made on the fort for the parties captured, who had been brought there as prisoners. T^ie North- West peopk^ denied the fact of the arrest, and sent them to Point deMeuron. Lord Selkirk had now before him the evidence of such of his people who had suflered at Seven Oaks to confirm the opinion that the trouble had been caused by the North-AVest Company. Fort William w^as unable to resist him. He arrested McGrillivray, McKenzie and others of the Company who w^ere then present, by warrant. They w^ere allowed to remain for a time at Fort William, but as it was evident a rescue was intended, he sent them down ?is prisoners to York, now Toronto* under an escort. Selkirk wintered on the Kamin- istiquia and collected provisions. On the 1st May, 1817, he started for Eed Eiver, and arrived there I I LORD SELKIRK. VM the last week in June, piissiuj? over the distaneo in seven or eig'ht wei^k.s, which recently I traveUed by rail in twenty-tour liourH. The settlement was a^'ain established. Like all men who take a prominent part in life's drama, Lord Selkirk has his admirers and detannn's. There are those who can see in his conduct only the most self-interested motives and nn example of arbitrary, tyrannical self-assertion. He lived in an ag'«» when his unsellish views were rare. To- day we can ])otter undt'rstand that his ol)ject in urging emigration as a scheme to aid the poor and struggling masses of an overcrowded couutry, sprang from philanthropy and a desire to relieve sulFering humanity. His personal comforts and benefits lay in the opposite direction to the course he pursued. A calculation of the chances could promise only misconception of his motives and personal annoyam^^ He lived half a century before his time Of late years his theories have been accepted as admitted truths. Every facility has been established to carry them out. The shores of thi.« Continent yearly bear witness in the number of immig^ nts who arrive, that it is the policy of all wise governments to aid the less for- tunate of a people to seek a home on the unoc- cupied lands whi('h are open to them. Such was Selkirk's view. Moreover, he desired to keep up the national prestige. His aim was to transplant those who were willing to struggle to better their 4 ; 198 HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. |i t lU I ■ ^ .* !v'^ future to a land of i:>romi.se beyond the seas, where they were required to adapt themselves to no new political existence ; where they changed, it is true, the scene of their lives, but still remained subjects of the mother land whence they had sprung. In 1821 the Hudson's Bay Company and the North- West Company united their fortunes, and have since continued under the name of the Hud- son's Bay Company. Here I shall leave the subject. The events which grew ouc of the proceedings above described are too near the present day to suggest that any com- ment should be made upon them in the circum- stances under which I write. For the next half century the colony passed through many difficul- ties. It had no assistance in the shape of emigra- tion. The Bois-Brules often caused trouble. After Lord Selkirk's death, which took place in Paris in 1820, the wants of the settlers were cared for by his relati^a^s. In 1835 they gave up all control to the Hudson's Bay Company. The events following the transfer of the Hudson's Bay Company's territory to the Government of Canada in 18t0 are fresh in remembrance, and the period has not arrived to state them dispassionately. In the meantime Winnipeg has grown up to be a lively, bustling city, full of business and enter- prise. One danger, however, threatens Winnipeg, that of floods ; and I allude to it in the hope of directing the attention of those of her citizens- 'i FLOODS. 199 : who have influence, that some ronsideration be given to the subject, so that all possible precautions be taken to reduce the risk of danger and loss. I believe it is one of the painful experiences of humanity that where a flood has once been, there is always a probability that it may repeat itself. During the early days of the Pacific Railway this question was earnestly considered. The levels of the recorded floods of 1826, 1852 and of 1861^ from which the Selkirk settlements suffered so much, showed that there was danger to be apprehended, and that it would be advisable to bridge the Red River at a point where traffic would run no risk of being impeded. The town plot of Selkirk, about twenty miles nearer Lake AVinnipeg, was the point recommended. I have no desire to be an alarmist and to reproduce the accounts of these floods, written by Archbishop Tache, the Bishop of Rupert's Land, and by Mr. Alexander Ross. It is not to be said that these gentlemen were interested witnesses desirous of injuring the country in which they lived. No one can more firmly hope than myself that no such flood may ever again happen. "We have, however, before us the experience of this winter in the central United States, and the people of Win- nipeg themselves have had several premonitory warnings within the past few years. Should there be a repetition of what has previously happened, damage so extensive must arise that it cannot be wmm ; I :i ! I i5 :• ' 200 WINXIPEG. contemplated without dread. All but the original landowners and the speculators who have been enriched by their operations in lots will be serious sufferers, and none more than the population of Winnipeg vs'ill deplore that the city has been built within the known limits of a periodic over- flow. The time has passed for the consideration where a better location might have been obtained for the establishment of a centre of the importance which Winnipeg promises to attain. But it is necessary to endeavour to find a solution to the complicated engineering problem by which future disastrous consequences may be avoided. The responsibility is now thrown upon the Municipal Corporation, and it is their duty to care for the safety of the city, so that there will be the least cause to lament that it has not been founded on a site above all risk of injury from floods. li , ( i I mm. WSS ^M CHAPTER XII. WINNIPEG TO CALGARY. "Winnipeg — Great Storm — Portage-la-Prairie — Brandon — Moose Jaw — Old Wives' Lakes — The Indians — Maple Creek — ^ledi- cine Hat — Rocky Mountains. The rain coutiuued to fall in torrents the whole night of our arrival in Winnipeg, and the gale increased in violence. The streets were next to impassable. Roadways, without paving or metal, in the newest of cities, formed only on the deep, black, vegetable soil of the locality, are the least fitted to undergo an ordeal such as that of the last fifteen hours. The storm increased in strength to the time when the services commenced, so on this Sunday the city clergymen preached to pews almost empty. It was not until late in the after- noon that its violence passed away. But its traces were everywhere visible. Trees recently planted had been torn up by their roots ; buildings had been unroofed and many injured ; frame-work in course of construction had been destroyed, and a church steeple was completely thrown down. As I< V" r i I I i ' 1 ■ ■ 202 WINNIPEG TO CALGARY. daylight was waning it became possible to walk on the plank sidewalk without danger of being mastered by the wind. The roads were in a ter- rible condition, and where no plank had been laid down, the foot sank deep into the tenacious mud. I had arranged to start by the eight o'clock train on the Monday. Our baggage had been all col- lected, and we breakfasted early. The cabman anticipated the appointed hour, bearing in mind the condition of the streets through which his horses had to toil. The roads were, indeed, in a wretched state. I could only compare the thor- oughly saturated, deep, black, vegetable soil to treacle, and the horses had to do their utmost to draw the load through it. The wheels were often axle deep, and the vehicle cracked, from time to time, as if it was going to i>ieces. The platform of the station was crowded. The last look was given to the bags, blankets and waterjiroofs, and to the saddles, bridles, tents and our whole outfit, to see that they were all collected and that nothing was left behind. As it would be impossible to su} ply a missing necessary after we had left the railway, the inspection had to be made with care. During my stay in Winnipeg I saw the Chief Commissioner of the Hudson's Bay Company, and discussed with him the possibility of having sup- plies sent from the Company's establishment in British Columbia to meet us at a point east of Kamloops. It would scarcely be possible to carry m Hm Km DEPARTURE. 203 with us from this side sufficient food for the whole distani^e. It seemed practicable, however, to make this arrangement, and he kindly under- took to telegraph and also explicitly instruct his agent in British Columbia to carry it out. Before leaving the station it was definit«4y agreed that such supplies should reach the Columbia River, opposite the Eagle Pass, by the 8th or 10th of September. If on our arrival at Calgary circum- stances compelled us to abandon the attempt to cross the mountains, the fact would be telegraphed both to himself and to British Coiumbia. The distance across from Calgary to Kamloops is possibly over 400 miles. Leaving the railway at the former place, we must carry our provisions with us, limiting our supply to the bare quantity necessary to reach the point agreed upon. To make a good start is one of the first elements of success, and it was my endeavour to avoid all ground for self-reproach whatever might hereafter happen. As the train moved out of the station many of our old friends kindly bade us farewell. The railway company had kindly placed at my disposal a private car, attached to the rear of the four ordi- nary cars, which, with the baggage and post office cars, constituted the train. My small party was now joined by Dr. G-rant, who had accompanied me on a similar expedition across the continent eleven years back. 204 WINNIPEG TO CALGARY ! I I 'Hi -^ ''(If Thero is no great extent ot* tdnniug to be seen immediately iu the ueighbourhood of Winnipeg. The hmd. I believe, is generally held by specula- tors ; probal)ly as the " boom " has lost somewhat of its force, this tallow land may once more be considered of value to the agriculturist. During the past two years the locality has generally been regarded as given up to speculation. As we pro- ceed, however, we come upon fields of oats and wheat, and much to the surprise of all of us the grain stands up undamaged by the recent storm. The line runs, I will not say in the Yalley of the Assiniboine, for such an expression will scarcely convey the meaning in this prairie country) but its direction follows generally the course of the river to Portage-la-Prairie, from which point the route is almost due west. Ten years ago Port- age-la-Prairie had little more than the name by which it was known by the voijageur; it is now a thriving town with many streets and buildings extended over possibly a square mile. Two large elevators are constructed on the railway line for the storage of wheat, and there is a brisk, lively tone about the station, which, I am told, is charac- teristic of the place. The town is on the north- ern bank of the Assiniboine, directly to the south of Lake Winnipeg. A branch railway has been established north-westerly to Grladstone. The next ■station is Burnside, an improvement on Rat Creek, as it was once called. The new name has not A BSE LUXURIOUS TRAVELLING. 205 »ll iiulikely been suggested by some recollection of McGrill College, Montreal ; theEurnside estate being the property on which that University is built, and which furnished the means of its endowment. Eleven years ago I camped at this place, not far from the last house on the prairies, no settlers having ventured west of where we stood. Tlie country around is now well cultivated, large fields of waving grain stretch far back from the railway on both sides; and one might easily fancy he was looking at a champagne country, developed by a century of agriculture. Archbishop Tache was on the train, and did me the favour to join us in our car. It need scarcelv be said that our comfort and convenience had been much increased by the possession of this private car. Accommodation, in respect to meals, on many parts of the line is not fully completed. We had a kitchen and a cook and a well provided larder. "We had bedrooms and couches, chairs and tables in perfect arrange- ment. Meals were served regularly whether the train was standing? or moving. Our dinner with the Archbishop was A^ery pleasant. He was in excellent spirits, and we thoroughly enjoyed his conversation. We were fortunate in respect to our cook, an artist in his way, and he did his utmost to develope the many resources kindly provided for our use. Before reaching Brandon we passed through the luxuriant rolling prairie in the neighbourhood of yii if [i 206 W I XXI PEG TO CALGARY Carberry. It is divcrsiGed by groves of trees, aud it is an easy etlbrt of thought to imagine that you are in a suburban park of some large city. The soil is good and warm. Large crops of grain are yisil>le, and in no way have they been atleeted by the storm of yesterday. We arrived at Brandon, where the passengers dine. We are now 130 miles from AYinaipeg. The progress at Brandon in so short a time is remarkable. Tht^ streets are well formed, and, owing to the gravelly nature of the soil, I could not but think, in a much betttn- condition than those we had left behind in Winnipeg. The town is advantageously situated on a slope rising from the Kiver Assiniboine, and commands .a good view of the surrounding landscape. It has become a busy and important place. I was here a year ago, and then a cluster of canvas tents constituted the town. The prairie in all directions in the neighbourhood has a warm subsoil of sand}^ or gravelly loam, ditfering from the deep, black, vegetable mould of the level banks of Red River. Settlers' houses and huts are seen in all directions, and I learn that a great extent of the country has been taken up for farming. As we advance west- ward the prairie appears in all respects suited for settlement, and we see indications on all sides that the land is occupied. We pass Yirden, a station and village which have sprung into existence in a year. About forty I THE MILE RESERVATION. 207 i good wooden houses have replaced the one tent of twelve months baek. Carpenters are at work on an elevator, on the summit of which their ham- mers resound, and which will soon be completed. The streets of the village are also in course of formation ; and one feels that there is here great promise of a prosperous future. We have now reached the spot on the line where the reservation of the mile bolt along the railway begins, so the farms cease to come within our immediate view. Stations succeed each other at every eight or ten miles. To a greater or less extent a village is springing up around each station. Passing one of these places our attention was drawn to a pile of lumber destined, we were told, for the erection of a Presbyterian Church. With some complacency we are asked to accept it as an evidence that there are farmers, not far dis- tant, to attend the church, and that it is an evi- dence of their piety. It is a material proof of the confidence of those furnishing the money to build it, that there is every inducement to remain where they have settled, and that their future is one of assured confidence. Moosomin is the place where the train halts for supper. It has a life of six months and now counts several buildings. Meals, however, are still given in a canvas tent. Broadview, twenty miles further, is a place of more importance. Here an engine stable has been constructed, and we obtain E . ii ft ■'.X i W \ 208 WhSiWIVEG TO CALGARY. w t'lvsh loi'ouu^tivo. As it is niiio o'olork wliou wo arrivo, a riillman slcopor is attailu'd (t) tlie train. Tt has IxHMi rainiiiii" and tlio iiiiilit is dark ; bi'tvvoon tiMi and olovi'ii the moon coiiu's out to some cxtont. AVo can soo by its liylit tlKMoimtry around us, hut all of us had rison oarly aiul we wore not sorry to sook our hods. During thf niuht wo havo passod I'ourtoon or lii'toen omhryo towns. AVi* evon iailod to see Ueg'ina, the capital of Assinihoine. 1 eannot, there- lore, speak oi' its (rovernment l)uihlini]»-s, its ter- races, its avenues and its parks. Possibly it may be described as being' a jdace of as much importance as AVinnipeg was ten or twelve years ago. We reai'hed Aloose Jaw before breakfast, and received a copy of the Moose Jmc jVeirs. Amongst its advertisements we learn that pianos are offered for sale, and that these luxuries can be had side by side w^ith buckboards, stoves, and, what is of first importance in that country, lumber. The paper, we learn, is published every Friday morning in the city of Moose Jaw^ There can be no doubt of its journalistic loyalty to the interests advocated. The city is declared to be in all respects a better, larger and more promising city than its rival, Regina, and it is authoritatively claimed that the News has an intinitely larger list of subscribers than the Lender, published at the Capital. On leaving this ambitious place, four hundred miles from AVinnipeg, and the editor and his readers I t COTEAU OF Till': MJS^OURI. 20{\ have our bi'sl wishes Cor tlie rutvire of their city, our eook <^'ives us a ])reaktast which vvouhl satisl'y the most critical ii;oi(ntn't. The line now follows Thunder Creek, gradually ascendin<»" thi' jj^rand Coteau of tin* Missouri. It may be said that we have bei'ii passini*' over classic ground. Accordinj^ to i'omnion belief, it was this route which the sons of De la Verendrye followed wlien they lirst saw the Rocky Mountains. Li'aving the Red Iliver ])y the Assiniboine, tht^y turned into its tributary, the Souris, which they traci'd to its source, not far to the south of us, and then passed over to the Missouri. The herbage is light but the soil, when turned over to form the em})ankment, is warm, friable clay. I cannot but believe that if the rainfall be sulhcient, almost any crop will thrive u])on such a soil. The summers are undoulitedly dry in this section, if we may judge from the flora ; all grain, it seems to me, should be sowed in the first days of spring to profit by the moisture of that season and to obtain early strength. There is an utter absence of trees on these rolling plains, and it would be well to encourage plantation for many reasons, not the least important being the improve- ment of the climate. It is not by spasmodic efforts at plantation that any appreciable change will be efi'ected. It is only by constant and persevering labour that the face of the country can be changed and the climate rendered less arid. 14 210 WLWMPEG TO CALQARY. Secrotaii is tho iiaino of the station on the sum- mit aud we descend westerly, passing through cuttings vvhieh expose fine beds oi' gravel, excel- lent tor baUast and road work. At some of the stations there are groups of Indians, men and women. We enter into conver- sation with them through an interi>r»^ter on the phitform. Pie-a-Pc';, the great Indian chief, we are told, has gone on a mission to the Lieutenant- Governor at Regina to complain of the smoke of the locomotive, which he considers to be an evil medicine to ruin the health of his people. "VVe pass a group of three salt water lakes, the *' Old Wives' Lakes." Together they extend fifty miles in length and from six to ten miles broad. They abound in wild duck. Chaplin Station is in the vicinity. Buffalo skulls and bones strew the ground, telling of the past, and buttalo tracks are distinctly traceable in all directions. We had been led to expect, from much that we have heard, that this part of the country was per- fectly barren. I can entertain no such opinion. The soil is light and variable. In seasons not too dry good crops may be raised in the district we have passed over. In crossing the Coteau des Missouri we have traversed a great grassy region, the surface of which has the appearance of the ocean subsiding into a calm after a great tempest. There are countless undulations of varied extent and outline, and as the train passes along they THE lyniAxs. 2U the look as if thoy thomsolves wovo in motion ; as if they were masses of water rolling into quietness with the calm swell, so often experienced in mid- orean after a gale has passed away. We arrive at Swift Current, ten degrees of longi- tude west of Winnipeg. This station is not far from the southern bend oT the South Saskatche- wan, where that river makes a delour before pro- ceeding northward to Carlton. A large engine house has been erected at Swift Current. Dinner is provided for the passengers and we remain an hour and a half at the station. Several Indians are lounging about. We make an ettbrt to converse with them, but as we have no means of under- standing each other the attempt is not successful. What will be the fate of the Indian as the plains are filled up ? Is he to be engulphed in the com- mon field of industry ^ Is he to become civilized and labour with the rest of us at the prosaic occupations of every day life? Is h'i to be un- cared for and left to his fate, or be clothed and fed in idleness ? The problem is not an easy one to unre^vel. I learned from one of the pas- sengers, who seems to speak with authority, that at present some iQW thousand Indians receive an allowance of rations. It may b3 said that the Indian territory has been appropriated in the interest of the community, and that it is a con- sequent duty to care for the Red man. If it be possible the course to follow is to train the coming ni: 1 ''in U » WINNIPEG TO CALGARY generation to habits of industry and self-reliance. Is it possible ? As a rvile we take onr meals when the train is in motion, so that we can utilize the various halts to obtain information from those we may meet at the stations. There is a change to be made in the composition of the train at this point. The sleep- ing car goes no further, and a number of cars loaded with material for construction purposes are appended. We are really from this point half a construction train. There is only one ordinary passenger car, with the private car occupied by our party. Our speed, too, is reduced. It seemed to ine somewhat churlish to retain to ourselves all the comfort and accommodation the directors had so liberally extended to me and mine, when there were others I knew on the train not so fortunately circumstanced. I was therefore glad to be of use to some of my fellow passengers. Our party became thus increased by the Baron de Longueuil, Dr. G-rant the younger, of Ottawa, and other gentlemen. We pass Grull Lake and Cypress Stations, 554 miles from Winnipeg, north of the Cypress Hills. Not a tree or shrub is to be seen ; the lofty ground to the south of us is perfectly bare ; the country is dry, the herbage scanty. On the other hand there are plain indications that the country is not barren and worthless. It has been described by some people a!i a semi-desert. So far as my memory will J ) THE PLAmS. 2U f i admit the comparison, the soil resembles in colour and character that of the Carse of Growrie in Perth- shire. Those who remember that section of Scot- land will perceive the force of the comparison. The ditches and excavations expose a fine fertile clay soil, not only on the surface but to the whole depth of the cuttings. On the recently formed road-bed, in the bottoms of ditches, there are tufts of green oats growing vigorously twenty-four inches high, each plant with twelve to twenty strong stalks sticking out from a single root, i his scattered growth, so luxuriant in itself, has arisen from the seed dropped from trains or the horse's feed, during construction, without any attempt at cultivation. It is true that the herbage is brown and dried up, but not more so than I have fre- quently seen it in Ontario at this season. I cannot speak of the country from Moose Jaw to Qu' Appelle, fur it was night when we passed through it, but from what I heard at the various stations the land is good ; and generally it may be affirmed that in the five hundred and fifty miles of territory between Swift Current and Winnipeg the waste and worthless land is scarcely appreciable. We reach Maple Creek, 596 miles from Winni- peg. The country continues to be of the character I have described. I had some conversation with a Dumfries man who had passed twenty years in the County of Bruce, L. Ontario. He had a comrade with him and both were fully satisfied m !| ■ * h ■•:v 2U WINNIPEG TO CALGARY with their new home. There is evidently nothing whatever in their experience to lead to a regret that they have left Ontario. Last November there was not a single house at Maple Creek ; this even- ing I counted more than two dozen. The surface water is reported not to bo the best. It is slightly alkaline ; but good, pure w^ater has been obtained from wells at no great depth. The snow does not appear until the end of December. Last year ploughing took place on the 11th March. ^ Some two inches of snow^ fell after this date, but it soon disappeared. This year potatoes have been ob- tained from the virgin soil. I was informed by these parties that all the land is fair to Medicine Hat, the country being of the character of that which we have pa&sed through. They are decidedly of opinion that fall ploughing and early sowing will never fail to produce good crops ; they consider the country is excellent for stock raising, as the winter is short and but little snow falls. The water required can be obtained from wells pumped by wind-mills, and the climate is in all respects healthy. It is men of this stamp who are of the right build to force their way in a new country. They make light of difficulties and are fertile in expedients. They know that their success depends upon their skill and labour ; they have no yearning for continual holidays, nor do they affect *At the same date in Ottawa the snow usually lies to a depth of two or more feet. J I MODEL PIONEERS. 215 ail oxaggorated love of sport to tak«' precedence of all duty. If they have some hardship for the moment they put aside every thought re£i:ardiiig it, for they feel that their reward is assured and that they are laying up a safe provision for those who are to follow them. Hence their cheerfulness is unfailing. Their romance lies in the future : numerous herds and flocks, with rich harvests of grain, and men busy gathering them in. The small wooden house they have put up is one day to give place to a more imposing building of stone or brick, with verandahs and blinds and plenty of room for occasional friends. The piano may come, too, bye and bye, from Moose Jaw or some nearer place. Crowds of settlers will succeed, with weddings and births. There will also be the churchyard, where, in future generations, some Canadian G-ray may write his " Elegy " over the graves of the village Hampdens and Cromwells, whose force of character has led their memory to be handed down as the pioneers of the district they reclaimed from the wilderness. It was dark when we left Maple Creek. Obser- vation in the dim light was not f)ossible. Our eyes were fatigued by reading, so recourse was had to that universal panacea when time hangs heavy, the whist table. Our rubber caused no regret on the part of the loser, for the winner had nothing to receive. I was called early the following morning, for I 216 WINNIPEG TO CALGARY was desirous of seeing the station at Mediiune Hat and of observing the course of the South Saskatchewan. We had (^rossed the river when I rose. I learned that the stream is spanned by a temporary structure of timber trestles on piles, some thirty feet above the water level, to be replaced by an iron bridge before next spring. There has been a hard frost during the night, and the air is cool. I am writing on the 22nd Auo'ust. We start as the sun rises and we soon experience the heat of his rays. We have, as usual, an excellent breakfast, and our cook pro- portionately rises in our esteem. Several people joined the train at Medicine Plat. We discuss the character of the country with them, for I desire to obtain as many independent opinions as possible. I learn that the land between Maple Creek and Medicine Hat, passed over during the night, is of the character of the country to the east and west of it, which I have described. As we proceed we can see, undoubtedly, by the herbage, that the climate is dry, but the excavation shows the friable soil necessary to the growth and nourishment of cereals. There are probably sea- sons of drought when ordinary root crops will not be generally successful. We continue through a genuine prairie without tree or shrub. Our point of vision is really and truly the centre of one vast, grassy plain, the cir- cumference of which lies defined in the horizon. A PRAIRIE RAIL WAV. 211 I %^ As we look from the rear, the two lines of rails gradually come closer till they are lost, seemingly, in one line ; the row of telegraph poles recedes with the distant^e to a point. I should estimate the horizon to be removed from us from six to eight miles. The sky, without a cloud, forms a blue vault above us ; nothing around is visible but the prairie on all sides gently swelling and undu- lating, with the railway forming a defined diameter across the circle. Lookino- alon"* the track in the distance there is a small cloud of vapour discern- able, indicating that an engine is folio wiug us. The train itself is not visible. There is certainly no little monotony in a railway journey over the prairie. The landscape is unvaried : a solitude, in which the only sign of life is the motion of the train. To obtain some change in this oneness of view, I obtain permission to take a seat in the cab of the locomotive. I discover that the engine driver is from Truro in Nova Scotia, Mr. Charles Wright. I learn from him that he began his rail- way life under me on the Intercolonial Railway. I need not say that the look-out from the loco- motive was no new sensation to me, but I was impressed with different feelings to those which affected me when looking rearward from the train. I do not think I ever was more conscious of the power of the locomotive, or in so marked a way had I ever been so capable of grasping its wonder- ful capacity to change the whole condition of • '! ■B WINNIPEG TO CALGARY. our lives. I felt as if I was borne along on the shoulders of some gig'antic winged monster, moving onward with lightning' speed, skimming the surface of the ground, and setting time and distance equally at defiance. We are now on a broad plateau between Bow River and the Red Deer River. The outline of the eroded valley of the former is visible away on the southern horizon ; the latter is too far distant to be traceable. We expect soon to be able to see the Rocky Mountains. The soil improves as we advance, and the prairie has long, gentle ascents, with occasional heavy gradients. At the " Black- foot Crossing" there is a large Indian reserve, and at the station opposite we see many .red men and women still clinging to the life of their past, wrapped in the white or red blanket, with fringed leather leggings. Some of the younger men have their faces painted a brilliant scarlet, and, mounted on Indian ponies, do their utmost to keep up with the train, the women and children partaking in the excitement of the effort. They all looked so cheerful and contented that they made no appeal to our sympathies on any ground of suffering or discontent. "We gradually ascend to the summit of the rolling plain, and now for the first time the peaks of the Rocky Mountains appear in view. They are possibly one hundred miles distant ; nevertheless they stand out clear and defined in the horizon. CALGARY. 219 their snow-clad tops glistening in the afternoon snn. They give a marked relief to the landscape after the monotony of the prairie. They look like a huge rampart stretched from north to south to impede all progress beyond them. Their features slowly change as the sun sinks to the western ocean, but as long as daylight lasts we never tire looking upon them, and in watching the varying colours of the atmosphere reflected by their lofty summits. Our train has become heavy by constant addi- tions. There are now twenty loaded cars, and it is as much as the engine can do to take them up the heavy grades. We experience, therefore, some delay in the last ten miles to Calgary. It is after dark when we cross Bow River and enter the outer valley. At last we arrive at Calgary, hav- ing reached the 114th meridian, 840 miles west of Winnipeg. When I crossed the continent eleven years ago, before Winnipeg as a city had even a name, I left Fort G-arry on the 2nd August, and did not arrive in sight of the mountains until the 7th September. In that journey we did not spare ourselves or our horses, for w^e made over the prairies an average of over forty miles a day. On the present occasion we left Winnipeg on Monday morning, to come within sight of the mountains on Wednesday afternoon. The first journey occupied thirty-six days, and the last about fifty-six hours ! : ,;,; t 1:1 I : 220 WINNIPEG TO CALGARY It was eleven o'cloik when we stopped on a siding. We were anxious to acquire the positive information which we were to obtain here. Our further advance depended on the facts which we hoped to learn respecting the country we were desirous of passing over. For it was yet a question if it was possib-e to cross the Selkirk Range to the Columbia ; and it was not a matter of certainty that either the Kicking Horse or the Eagle Pass could be followed. But those who could throw any light on the subject had long retired, so we could do nothing better at that late hour than follow their example. Ml a tive Our wo '■ere ion the iity ass ow we laii I CHAPTEIl XIII. CALGARY TO rilE SUMMIT. Start for the Mountains — TheCocliranoRanclio — Gradual Ascont — Mount Cascade — Antliraeite Coal— Sunday in tlie Koi'kies — Mountain Scenery— The Divide. We had reached the point on our journey when the accessories of modern travel ceased to be at our disposal. Before us lay the mountain zone to Kamloops, the distance across which, as the crow flies, is about three hundred miles. We had failed to obtain any reliable information of the character of the country over which we had to pass. Indeed, it was by no means a certainty that there was a practicable route through it. We had hoped to learn at Calgary all that was known of the territory, to gain such thorough information that we should know precisely what course we should take to reach British Columbia. The problem had now to be discussed : if we could venture to advance directly westward, or if we should be driven to pass through the United States. At the worst, it was in our power to turn to the south from Calgary to Montana, and find |pr ill i 1 t»l I ooo caloary to the SUyfMIT. oar way by th»' Northern Paoific Railway through Orou'oii to Victoria, in British Columbia. We had been referred to Mr. James Ross, the manager of construetion of the mountain district at Calgary. He had been instructed by telegram before I left Montreal to collect the fullest infor- mation. Accordi]igly he had sent out Indian couriers to the exploring parties to learn all that was known, and it was in his power to acquaint us with the lacts if any one could do so. I had endeavoured to ascertain by telegraph what Mr. Ross had learned ; the invariable reply had been that the couriers had not returned. Mr. Ross entered while we were at our early breakfast. The couriers he had sent to the Colum- bia had been detained by forest fires, but they had at last returned with letters from Major Rogers, at the mouth of the Kicking-Horse River. I learned that the journey to Kamloops through the mountains was not held to be impracticable, but undoubtedly it was marked by difficulties. There was a road which waggons could travel for some distance up the valley of the Bow River. Where the road ceased there was a roui^h horse- trail as far as the exploring parties had penetrated from the east, some five miles beyond the summit of the Selkirk Range. From that point the ground was perfectly unbroken. We were told that for the remainder of the distance the only way open to us was to go on foot ; that the walking, at the least cal- •'• I THE SUPPLY QUESTION. 00 Q LO culalion, would occupy leu or t\vclv«» days; aud that it required about ten ludiaiis to carry supplies. The question of supplies had specially to be considered, as there was no possibility oi' obtain- ing them by tln^ way. The country was totally uninhabited. We could depend on no resource but our own commissariat, which should be suf- ficiently ample to avoid all risk of the chance of starvation. Our means of conveyance would not admit of transportation to th(^ full extent of our requirements for the whole distance to Kamloops. Before leaving* Winnipeg this contingency had been anticipated, and deiinite arrangements, which we thought coukl scarcely fail, had been made with the Hudson's Bay Company for supplies, to be sent easterly from Kamloops to the Columbia, opposite Eagle Pass. It was my calculation that we would lind our stores without fail at that point on the 10 til September. We therefore resolved to attempt to cross the mountains on the trail across the Selkirk Range as it had been described. To place the question of supplies beyond a perad- venture, I sent a special telegram to the Chief Com- missioner of the Hudson's Bay Company, which I hoped would make error impossible. =^ *" Wo expect to reach Columbia River, opposite Eapjle Pass, on foot from Selkirk eummit about 10th September. No trail reported from that point on Columbia River to Shuswap Lake. If there is no trail the supplies must be packed through Eagle Pass. We will depend absolutely upon your agent at Kamloops sending a guide, with supplies, to meet us at Columbia River by 10th September. We leave to-day for the mountains. Good-bye. " 224 CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT. ;v! It was the morning of the 23rd Aiigust. TVe all wrote some last lines home, and telegraphed some last words to onr friends in the east, inform- ing them that we were leaving Calgary to follow the mountain ronte. Previous to starting* I called at the Hudson's Bay Company's store to learn all that was there known about the country before us, and to see the establishment itself We got oil' about eleven, meeting an unwelcome delay of an hour in crossing Bow Hiver. The ferry was being transferred to a better site, and we had to wait until the final arrangements for stretching the wire rope were completed. Finally it is stretched and secured, and we move on- wards. Before many miles were passed our waggon broke down. To save time we take lunch during the halt for repairs. The prairie about us has good soil, but the herbage is dry. However, it affords r pasturage. We proceed onwards through Jochrane ranche, passing along a stretch rolling country, with hills bringing in mind many parts of the south of Scotland ; well adapted for grazing. A smoky atmosphere con- ceals from our view the outline of the mountains. Our drivers, however, inform us that when the air is clear they stand out distinctly to view, and present a grand sight. Our miserable waggon again causes us trouble. One of the wheels gives way. We have again to M OR LEY 225 halt, and romain by a large pond bordered by willows. A fire is made to furnish some boiling water, by means of a frying pan, to Mr. David MaeDougall, who has appeared on the scene. Boil- ing water, says this authority, repairs a wheel "slap bang, and makes it go for another hundred miles," with a few willow withes and some cod lines, which everyone should carry in the moun- tains, unless he has what is better, " shaginappy."=^ The wheel is pronounced fit for use, although it looked much less like a v/heel, and we reach in safety Morley, forty miles from Calgary. Our day's journey had been partially through rich pasture without a tree. In certain parts a few groves are seen. The general course was along a wide valley bounded by lofty hills. "We had to do the best we could at Morley. What accommodation we obtained we owed to Mr. Mae- Dougall, who gave up his own bed. But few travellers passed this way until recently, and but little provision has been made for them. We w^ere thankful for any shelter we could obtain. It was nine o'clock and dark when we arrived, so in any case there was but time to establish ourselves as best we could. We were up at an early hour the next morning, to find that our baggage waggon had not come up. Who should we see, as we sat down to breakfast, but Senator Ogilvie, to lead us *Buffalo rawhide, used for cordage, indeed for nearly every purpose, by Indians and trappers. 15 226 CALGARV TO THE SUMMIT. '^Vi*' li to think that we had still some relations with the world behind us. I determined not to wait for the wag-gon, but to push on to the next stoi:)ping place and see what arraugemenU could be made for our further advance. The baggage was to follow. I was much struck with the view^ as we started. It was very fine, but its eftect was marred by the cloudy atmosphere which hid the more distant peaks. For twenty-two miles to Padmore the whole route was equally striking. The valley is from three to eight miles wide, extending gener- ally in a western direction between the foot hills of the mountains. It is marked by no sudden precipitous ascents and is usually- flat, carrying the prairie character with a gentle ascent into the heart of the mountains. We are told that at one time this valley, with the country around Morley and Calgary, was the haunt of the butlalo. Mr. David Macdougall tells us that he has seen the ground black with them, and that from an emi- nence not far from Morley he has beheld them in herds on the plains, the number of w^hich would not be less than a million ! The prairie diminishes in extent as we advance. "We pass through park-like scenery. G-roups of trees appear at intervals, and the Bow River in its windings gleams pleasantly in the sun. The heavy atmosphere is partially lifted and the out- line of the mountains in the distance comes to our sa SCENER Y IX THE ROCKIES. 221 th the but to ) what urther I was d. It by the iistaut re the lley is geuer- )t hills suddeii ug the to the at one Morley Mr. en the n emi- lem in would view. What we see is probably the outlying group ; they are, nevertheless, bold bluft's, some of them defined precipices to the summit, with long slopes in one direction, and in some cases their fantastic forms look as if shaped in masonry. The streams crossed to-day run in ravines of some depth, and the water is clear and cold. We halt at Padmore, where the valley is contracted to half a mile. Evidently we are about entering the portals of the mountains. To the north, the slopes are bare ; to the south, they are wooded. The bare precipitous rock to the north is stratified and strongly contorted. The geological features are most striking and the exposure is on a grand scale. A great blufi' rises nearly vertically to the height of possibly fifteen hundred feet and is about two miles in length. The lines of the strata are dis- tinctly traceable, dipping towards the west. Four miles west of Padmore we are completely in the mou.ntains. On every side the sound of the hammer and drill was heard, and every turn of the road revealed new views of the grandest mountain scenery. Peaks towering behind and above each other came in sight, and the sun poured down its warmest rays, deepening the shadows and bringing out fresh beauties. As we advanced, the eye rests only on these mighty heights when they are not concealed from view by the hazy atmosphere. The smoky air, occasionally, it seemed to me, opened up, and in a way added to, the landscaj^e w^ 228 CALGARY TO THE SVMMIT. i< ) , ^U by developing the aerial perspective. As we advanced the vapour disappeared, and before us stood out, clear and well defined in the horizon, bold, massive mountain heights, crowned by sharp, turreted peaks. We pass Mount Cascade, so named from the small stream issuing from its side, said to be at the height of two thousand ^^Qi, and with one leap descending to the a alley below. It is the most striking of the masses we have seen, and we learn that its summit is 5,060 feet aboA^e the plain. Dis- coveries of anthracite coal have been made in the flanks of this mountain, and since my visit mining* ox^erations have commenced. The road has become very rough ; the wonder is how any vehicle can stand the jolting, jarring and sudden wrenches over rocks and stumps which we experience. We are indebted to Mr. Graham, of Mount For- rest, for our dinner. He very hospitably received us at his contractor's camp, and we were in a con- dition to enjoy all he gave us. About 4 o'clock we arrived at Hillsdale, named after Mr. Hill, manager of the company's store. I was glad to meet here Mr. Dunbar, the resident engineer, for I had looked forward to obtaining from him some more definite information than we had yet received, specially of our way across the Selkirk Range. A short conversation with this gentleman gave a new colovir to our enterprise, and I resolved not to proceed further that day. Indeed mm m m-vf^'' ' " '^ UN EX PEC TED DIFFICVL TV 229 we would have derived uo advautage from doing* so. One statement of Mr. Dunbar, and he was supported in it by one of his assistants who had recently come from the country in front of us, cer- tainly surprised me. He had heard of no one hav- ing crossed the Selkirk Range. Major Rogers had made several attempts to do so, but he had only so far succeeded as to reach the summit, or one of the summits, but had not penetrated entirely through the mountains on a connected line. No one was known to have passed over from where we stood by the route before us to Kamloops ; not even an Indian, and it was questionable, if it were possible, to find a route which could be followed. I must confess that this information was unwel- come to me. I was not without experience in crossing mountains, but expected in this instance that our route would be over known ground, and that, whatever difficulties lay oefore us, we had only to persevere to overcome them. From what I now heard all seemed uncertain before me. It was possible that we might have to walk our toil- some way onwards for many days, sudde^iiy to find it was impossible to proceed. I did not contem- plate assuming the position of an original explorer. My knowledge of work of this kind had taught me how frequently it exacted much time and labour, often to end in failure ; that a gigantic natural impedient might present itself to bar further advance, and that whatever the courage, TT ■■PI m 230 CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT. IM , ! I determination and fertility of resource shown, failure to proceed onward would be the irreme- diable result. 1 reserved, however, my opinion of our position until I had met Major Rogers, in charge of these explorations. I understood he was at the mouth of the Kickino-Horse River. In the meantime I entered into the details of our journey with Mr. G-eorge Wilson, who had been detailed to go with us in command of the pack train. We discussed our route, estimated every day's journey, and all the possibilities and probabilities incident to our advance. G-eorge had once been a scout in the service of the Southern States during the war, and Avas evidently experienced vi rough travelling. He appeared to me to know well the work and duty of crossing the mountains, and we formed some estimate of the pork and fiour required to take us, with half a dozen packers, to Eagle Pass, at the Columbia. I went into the whole question so far as my knowledge permitted, and we talked it over until bed time. I owed to Mr. Dunbar, on that occasion, that we had comfortable beds to sleep on, for he and his friends insisted that we should take possession of their quarters. The weather on Sunday morning was really beautiful. Those living in cities can with diffi- culty understand the effect on the spirits and minds of men away from civilization of a bright, SUNDAY IN THE MOUNTAINS. 231 I cheery Suuday. In all well ordered expeditions Sunday is a day of rest, and this view alone, denuded entirely of all relij^ious feeling, which is to some extent dependent on ?arly education, creates a scene of quiet and repose not always experienced to the same extent in civilized com- munities. To one bred like myself in the strict views of the Presbyterian Church, there is some- thing* more than tin sentiment: it is as if you held it a pr:' .'ilege on these remote mountains to pay homage to (he lessons of your youth. Not from the merely mechanical acceptance of them, but from a heartfelt sense of their truth. I have felt, on such occasions, a sense of peace and free- dom from the carping cares of life I never could explain ; but that the thought is not peculiar to myself many circumstan(^es have shown. You seem, as it were, at such times, only to commune with nature, and to be free from all that is false and meretricious in our civilization. You are beyond the struggles and petty personalities of the world, and you feel how really and truly life is better and happier as it is more simple. The sun lit up in warm colours the great moun- tains encircling the valley. We were surrounded by these magnificent heights. Our camp was but a few miles distant from the valley, which leaves Bow River for the Vermilion Pass. The atmos- phere was not so clear as we could wish, and the distant peaks were invisible. We had, neverthe- •« "^% w^ 232 CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT. ' ll II V > less, a remarkable view of the towering* battle- ments to the north, in themselves so lofty and so near to us, and the details so intricate that it would be impossible to portray them within the limits of ordinary canvas. It remains to be seen what eftect will be produced by photography. Dr. Grrant held a servi<'e at ten o\'lock, and gave a short sermon. The congregation was composed of men engaged on the surveys and works. Some two dozen attended. There was one also of the gentler sex present, who, with her husband, came from the contractors' camp near ])y. AVe dine early. As to-morrow we have to take to the saddle, and in order lo get hardened to our work, we think it prudent that we fit ourselves for the journey. We ride about twelve miles up the valley, between mountains of the grandest descrip- tion. To the south two heights of great promin- ence present themselves. They command a view of the depression leading to the Yermilion Pass. One of the peaks is crowned with perpetual snow, and is of striking beauty. The other has a cubical form of summit. A third, at no great distance, is pyramidal, and so on in every conceivable variety these mountains tower above us. Westward we see Castle Mountain to our right. The resem- blance to Cyclopean masonry has doubtless sug- gested the name, for it is marked by huge masses of castellated-looking work, with turreted flanks. After passing through a mile of burnt pine wood UNCERTAINTY. 233 at its base, wo reach Spillmaii's camp, w^'^re we stay for the night. The Hres in the vaiiey are extinguished, but they are still running up the mountain side, and as night comes on the flames gleam with a weird light. We soon wrapped our- selves in our blankets. Although with a certain sense of fatigue, I could not sleep. My thoughts reverted to the journey before us. Tncertainty seemed to increase as we advanced. Next morning some of us felt a little stiif and tired from our afternoon drill, for such indeed was the object of our ride. Wilson and Kit Law- rence, his assistant, started early with the supply waggon, as our own movements are governed by those of the ba^'o-ao-e. We did not deem it neces- sary immediately to follow, and hence did not hurry our start. The sun was a degree or so above Castle Mountain as we left. Our ride was very agreeable : to some extent through Banksian pine, occasionally along the bank of the Bow River, still a large stream, more considerable, for instance, than the Thames at Richmond. The current is strong, and unhappy the cauoeman who has to pole up against it. Here and there we ride through burnt woods. A " brule " is an ominous word to any one who has to make his way through the bush. The fire has recently destroyed the growth of young timber. The exist- ence of these fires explains the frequent thick, heavy, smoky atmosphere through which we have :« t ■■ ^ lU; ; iiif a - ' ■ I 234 CALGARY TO THE SUMMIT. been unable to see the outline of the mountains. Occasionally a snow-covered peak peers far above the dense smoke below, and to the south we see what the maps suggest to be Mount Lefroy ; but there are several lofty summits, any one of which is sufficiently remarkable to be named after that distinguished G-eneral. One is crested like a huge camel's back ; one rises to a sharp cone ; a third has the appearance of an extinct volcano, and the crumbling edge of the crater reveals the glacier within. The waggon which has brought us from Cal- gary has been driven by a young man named Kane. He had started early in the morning with Wilson, and at a turn in the path we came sud- denly upon Wilson's horse tethered up by the bridle. Kane was lying upon the ground, sufter- ing from a violent attack of colic. We had at once to ride and overtake the waggon for medicine. Thirty drops of chlorodine relieved him, and we left him at the nearest contractors' camp. The two waggons with which we started from Cal- gary have now nearly disappeared, for we have lost three wheels, and one of the drivers is left behind. Twelve miles distant from Spillman's Camp the waggon road, bad as it had been, ccmes to an end, and our supplies must now be carried on pack horses. Here we met Mr. Neilson, a Kingston man, who renders us great service ; and it is here THE PACK- TRAIN. 235 also, thcat Dave Leig^h joins our servicie as cook and pack man. There is always great delay in getting a pack train ready ; horses, saddlery and men must be collected. Our first calculation was that three horses would suffice, as we know the weights of all the packages and our calculation had been based upon them ; but from the badness of the roads we reduced the theoretical weight of the pack by increasing the number of our animals. Our whole load amounted to eleven hundred pounds, and our packers assured us that over the bad roads it could not be carried by less than six horses. Experience proved that the judgment of the men was correct ; the consequence was that the pack train could not leave that night. Our party, however, started. One of them, who left after the rest, took a wrong direction and nar- rowly escaped losing himself, at least for the night. Greorge shewed wonderful judgment in hunting up the wanderer and putting him on the right track, relieving us all from great anxiety. Our course took us across two forks of the Bow River and thence along the banks of a rapid stream called Bath Creek, so named from one of the engi- neers having fallen into it. AYe ascended for a few miles, when we turned to the west by Summit Creek, a small glacier-bed stream, which we fol- lowed till we arrived at the engineer's camp at the Summit, 5,300 feet above sea level. I had here to take leave of my friend Mr. Dunbar, K\ 236 CALQARV TO THE SU31MIT. who had to return to his duties. He had been good enough to accompany us this far, and I had found his presence of great use. Sitting around the camp lire at night he was an admirable com- panion, for he had a line voice. I have particular!}^ a very i)leasurable recollection of the hymns he sang on the Sunday evening in the Hrst mountain pass. All music has a peculiar effect under such circumstances, especii^ly when it brings back thoughts of the past and of distant friends ; and there is to men of my age a peculiar feeling in listening to devotional music, the influence and power of which, however simple, are not easily forgotten. To-night we fall asleep on the, continental " Divide." Hitherto we have passed over ground draining to the east. To-morrow we follow a stream flowing into the the waters of the Pacific. i CHArXER XIV. DOWN KICKING-HOnSE VALLEY. Tlio Descent- -Summit Lake— The Kickin^-Horse River— Sin- gular Mountain Storms— An Engineering Party— A Beaver Meaclow— A Dizzy Walk. We were up at half-past five, and it was a cold, sharp morning. At six, Mr. Dunbar had said good bye and turned eastward. When breakfast was over the pack-train arrived, and by nine we had started for the River Columbia. It was a rugged and broken path which we entered upon. To our right two conspicuous twin summits v/ere stand- ing out in the range. The water of the streams which we were following was more heard than seen, for the trail exacted all our attention. Our horses were moving among sharp broken granite rocks and fallen trees. In about half an hour we passed by the side of Summit Lake. The northern mountains were now concealed from view by a forest of spruce, through which we were passing. To the south the landscape is more magnificent ;a 238 KiCKisa-noRSh: valley. ' »ii_i tlijin ovor ; a bold, rocky l)luir rises thousandth of tocl dircclly in Trout of us, while uiounlains of groat heiiiht, iu i>*roups, tower above it to the right nnd left. Some oi' them have crater-shaped peaks tilled with snow. Our i)rogress is slow^ and much interfered with by the pack-horses glutting continually otl' the trail and losing part of their load. We pass the second mountain lake, and al)out four miles from our morning camp we reach the third and largest lakt\ about a mile in length. We cross the path of a great snow slide, an avalanche divided into two forks, one about fifty yards and the other al^out one hundred and iifty yards wide. Thousands of trees, two an.d three feet in diameter, have been broken into shreds ])y it, and roots, trunks and branches, in a tangled mass, have been swept away, and, with a multitude of boul- ders of all dimensions, hurled into the lake, to form a promontory of which three or four hundred feet still remain. To the south, beyond the lake, the eye rests upon a mighty mountain, streaked by snow-filled crevices, and reflected in the bright, glassy lake, presenting to our eyes a most striking- picture. We cross the outlet by fording a stream some forty feet wide and about sixteen inches in depth. I looked upon it with uo little interest for it is the stream we are to follow for some days. There is often a history lying behind the nomen- clature of these waters and peaks, and in the pre- WALTON'S CAMP. 2iJ!> liiins ) Ihc and iJig sent insljiiK^e it is said thai Dr. Ht'ctor, who accoiupjiiiicd llu* Pji,llis»;r rxjx'dit ion. wiis kitk«;d not lav IVoni lliis spot. Th<^ Indians liavf iranH- hitcd it Shuvvata-nowchata-wapta — lIorHu-Kicking liiver. As W(; ascend (he stccpiM' and southern bank wo obtain a grand vii^w of lh(» h^l'ty twin mountains soon i'rom our hist camp, and it struck mo that it was from tho lowor heights that the avahmches must have (h'seended. A mile of bad trail })rought us to Walton's camp, whero wo delivered tin; mail which had ))een entrusted to our care. We wore now six mih\s from our morning's starting point. By (reorge's account we are about entering tho worst five miles of road befor*' us, and bad onougli it proved to be. Dave declared that there were places further on far more trying. We moved at a snail's pace, but our progress, if slow, was sure. The scramble on the rugged path, through the boulders, rocks and ragged surface, was a constant effort to the poor horses. In many places they had to be dragged up almost perpendicular heights. Three packs rolled ofl', and one of the horses fell down a side hill, accomplishing a complete somer- sault. No doubt the creature was s^aved from injury by the pack, firmly secured to his ba(?k. He was soon released by George and Dave unfastening the pack ropes and lifting him to his feet. We are seldom in the saddle, for it is safer to walk. Now and then we catch a glimpse of the stream passing H IP 240 KICKING-HORSE VALLEY. ^'\ '. 15 \l'^ m 1 i ■TT" " !■■■ ' : I 1 i i along ill Ibamiiig' rapids, with an inclination appar- ently from 1 in 5 to 1 in 8. By this rapidity of current the water is churned into a liquid in colour like weak whitewash. It gathers its volume from so many side tributaries that although its source is a mere brook, yet four miles below when the water is high the stream seemingly attains a width of nearly a thousand feet. Even at the present time its volume is so great that it is only with difficulty it can be forded. We descend the mountain side to the bed of the river and follow the gravel banks. Before we reach our night's camping ground we meet with some remarkable scenery. Looking upwards to the south at about an angle of sixty degrees, we can see high, in the clear air, a mountain peak which, lighted up by the sun, presents in its horizontal strata various colours, and assumes the form of a mural crown. Separated from this height by a great depression rises a sister peak singularly striking, both undoubtedly rising to a vertical mile above the river. A great glacier on the second mountain overhangs a precipice with a face of hundreds of feet in thicl^ess : at the base debris has gathered for countless centuries to form an immense deposit sloping down the mountain. We cross its base, and accept the first place suit- able for a camp which we reach. Grass for the horses is the first requirement, water we can always count upon. Our saddle horses have tra- sss PACK-HORSES. 241 veiled twelve miles, the journey of the pack-horses has been seventeen. It was still early in the afternoon, but the strain upon the poor animals had been severe. The last six miles had taken four hours and a half to pass over ; and then there had been no mid-day halt and feed. There cannot be a doubt that one of the secrets of driv- ing a horse long continuous distances is to let him take his own pace and feed him regularly. Any one who has had any experience with horses well knows that the creature will by a hundred wa^s let you know w^hen he looks for his food shovnd you neglect to give it him. There is everything to show that he suffers in strength if there be great irregularity in this respect. We learn that there is no pasture in our front for a long distance, so we camp on the gravelly beach- The ground we are on, at high water, is covered, and a few rods from us the river is winding on its rapid, rolling course. The horses are provided for in a gully near by. Close to us rise four massive, lofty mountains, and as we turn to their summits the eye is raised from forty to fifty degrees. A blue sky looks down between these heights through an atmosphere free from smoke. These high peaks i^-'ng directly from the valley form the points of a quadrilateral figure, the longest side of which does not exceed three miles. There are no foot hills, no intervening eminence between us and these mountains, rising 5,000 feet above 16 242 KlCKiNG-IlORSE VALLEY. \ M i ' 1 where we stand. The sun sets behind the western heights. I have often felt the cahn of evening, but I do not recollect so perfect a picture of quiet nnd repose as that which reigned in this amphitheatre of nature in the first twilight, when everything was marked and distinct, but with subdued colour, with no high lights, and present- ing a solitude so vast that one for the time loses all consciousness of the existence of an outer world. Two families of Stoney Indians were encamped near by. They belonged to the christianized tribe at Morley, and consisted of a father, three hand- some sons, two squaws and a number of children. They had with them some of the spoils of the chast\ mountain sheep and goats. Towards night a party of the locating engineers arrived wet to the middle from fording streams. Their pack-horses had not come up, so they were without dry clothes or tents, but they made the best of the situation. They were all cheerful, and indulged in that " chaff" by which men work themselves up to make a molehill of what is often a serious hardship, accepting what is inevitable with perfect stoicism. They made a huge fire to dry their wet clothes, by which they passed the night without tents or blankets. For our part we had some days' serious work before us, and were not sorry to seek repose, and we soon were lulled to sleep by the roar of t^ j rapid w hich ran within fifty yards of us. THE RIVER. 243 We are now fairly up to our work. We rise about five ; then breakfast, an important element at the start; then see to the i^ieking of the animals, an operation which takes a good hour's time. We say good-bye to the Indians and to the engineering party, none of whom seem the worse for their night's experience, and we start. Often during the hour are the names of the horses shouted in those valleys, occasionally with no feeble echo ; especially of the pack animals, and we soon know them one and all. There is always a wouderful link between the man and the horse, and the kinder the man the more gentle the quadruped. The names of our horses are Black, Coffee, Blue, Calgary, Coaly, Buck, Pig, Bones, Strawberry and Steamboat, and each creature knows perfectly the reproof or the cheering cry addressed to him. We follow the bed of the river, which is of con- siderable width, for five miles, and leaving it we turn to a trail over low ground to return to the stream some distance down. We find it consider- ably increased in volume and it would be impos- sible to ford it fourteen miles from our morning camp. The valley has widened out, the river now flows in a well defined channel with banks six feet above the water level. We stop and take our mid-day meal ; the horses, too, must have rest and be fed. The atmosphere has again become smoky, not a pleasant indication, for we may be approach- ing forest fires, and it is the last situation in which I 244 laCKlNG-UORSE VALLEY. T\i- ill V' h ■ W. '■} one desires to be placed, for when the fire is around you there is no extrication. We advanced, how- ever, but took the vs^rong trail, which led to a cul- de-sac, where Mr. Davis was encamped, and his trail was the best defined. We made our way back and fortunately met two gentlemen, Messrs. Hogg and Shaw, connected wath the engineering staff, returning from an exploration to the Selkirk Range ; they spoke of the travel as of the roughest description as far as they had gone, and it was as far as it was posible to go. They held that the continuance of the route on which we were bound was impracticable ; there was no path or track of any description beyond the point at which they turned back and nothing to mark the way ; in fact, no one had been through to the western slope of the Selkirks. I must add that, however little I said, I had some very serious reflections on what I heard from these gentlemen. We halted about twenty miles from the last camping ground ; the horses, owing to the detour at Davis', had travelled about twenty-three miles and had little to eat since we first started. It was six o'clock in the evening, and on examining the grassy plain we discovered it was a beaver meadow with the beaver works in excellent condition. One beaver house was twelve feet in diameter by six feet high, formed of sticks, and each stick showed the marks of the beaver's teeth. We found a number of underground passages through which ■ill A BEAVER MEADOW. 245 the water flowed ; here and there were vertical openiiii^s twei\ ^ or fifteen inches in diameter ; the passages (n-os.sed and recrossed each other like the underground passages made by moles. The dam was, generally, in good preservation, but the water had found a way for itself at some points. We pit(^hed our camp on the edge of the beaver meadow ; the horses could not have better pasture. Our beds, too, were a shade in advance of last night's quarters on the gravelly beach, for they were of hemlock boughs, and if well laid who would ask a daintier resting plare. Certainly we were all asleep at half-past nine. What a sound sleep it is after a day's ride or march over a bad road ! As we started on our next day's journey a high mountain frowned down upon us ; but not from its lofty summit, for its peak is hidden by rain clouds. Yesterday the smoke interfered with our landscape, for we could only dimly see the outline even when the glaciers were gleaming in the sun- light. Our last night's camp was half a mile dis- tant from the river, but we heard the roar of the water ; the heavy atmosphere, the lowering clouds and the loud echo of the raj^id river warn us to prepare for rain, and we do so as best we can. We ride onward, leaving the pack animals to follow, for I am desirous of reaching Major Kurd's camp, a few miles distant, We were unfortunate on our arrival, for Major Kurd had left for the Columbia i -r 246 KlCKlNG-liORSE VALLEY 1:4 Ir, I i i 11 WW. ■ m Mi about an hour and a half before we appear, d. As it was possible to overtake him we hurrisd for- ward ; the trail winds through old windfalls up a}id dow^n the elevations in our path. We were in hopes of meeting him at Island Camp, but on our reaching the place we found that he had stopped and fed, but that he had left before we arrived. Our horses were tired, his were fresh, and we had been told that for the next thirteen miles there was no food for the animals, so we remained there for the night. By this time it commenced to rain ; w^e made a good fire and toasted the slices of bacon we had brought for luncheon. The pack-horses came up and there was good feed for them on the island in the river. The clouds shortly rolled away. We could see that snow-covered mountains lay directly in our front ; indeed at all points of the compass, and especially from the direction we had come, there were magnificent lofty peaks. As we sat at our early supper a cloud appeared and swept rapidly down the mountain side with a mighty rush of wind. Heavy rain commenced to fall and every- thing about us which we could not gather u^) got so drenched that we had some trouble in drying our things. We retired in good time, to prepare for an early start, for we well knew that we had a hard journey before us on the morrow. It was cold during the night, and on rising there was a dense fog, with the prospect of a wet INSECURE FOOTIXG. 241 day. The mist hung like u thiik curtain, conroal- ing everything not directly near the oamp-fire. But we start ; the six paek-horses in front with their loads standincj: out I'rom their ba'-ks. giving the creatures the ai:)pearance of so many drome- daries. Dave rides ahead with th" bell-horse, then the pack-horses follow, and the horsemen bring up the rear to see that none stray behind. Our Journey this day was over exceedingly rough ground. We have to cross gorges so narrow that a biscuit might be thrown from the last horse des- cending, to the bell-horse six hundred feet ahead, ascending the opposite side. The fires have been running through the wood and are still burning ; many of the half-burnt trees have been blown down, probably by the gale of last night, obstruct- ing the trail and making advance extremely diffi- cult. The delays are frequent ; ascending a long slope by a narrow path, the footing of one horse gave way and the poor animal fell, rolling OA^er a dozen times. Our fear was that Calgary was killed, or at least seriously injured, and that he would have to be left behind. The first thought is to prepare the rifle to put him out of agony, but Dave and George unfastened the load and soon had him again on his feet at a depth of some fifty yards below the trail. After some delay the poor brute takes his place in the pack-train as if nothing had happened. The road does not improve as we advance, and 248 KICKING-IIORSE VALLEY. Il It,- ;.' i. I if. i 1 we have many miles of burnt woods to pass through. Fortunately there was no wind. The air was still and quiet, otherwise we would have ran the risk of blackened trunks falling around us, possibly upon the animals or ourselves, even at the best seriously to have impeded our progress, if such a miseham^e did not make an advance impossible, until the wind should moderate. We move forward down and up gorges hundreds of feet deep, amongst rocky masses, where the poor horses had to (*lamber as best they could amid sharp points and deep crevices, running the con- stant ris' of a broken leg. The trail now takes another character. A series of precipices run sheer up from the boiling (^urrent to form a contracted canyon. A path has therefore been traced along the hill side, ascending to the elevation of some seven or eight hundred feet. For a long distance not a vestige of vegetation is to be seen. On the steep ac(^livity our line of advance is narrow, so narrow that there is scarcely a foothold; neverthe- less we have to follow for some six miles this thread of trail, which seemed to us by no means in excess of the requirements of the chamois and the mountain goat. We cross clay, rock and gravel slides at a giddy hc'ght. To look down gives one an uncontrollable dizziness, to make the head swim and the view unsteady, even with men of tried nerve. I do not think that I can ever forget that terrible walk ; it ij MAJOR ROGERS. 240 was the greatest trial I ever experienced. W(^ are from five to eight hundred feet high on a path of from ten to fifteen inches wide and at some points ahnost obliterated, with slopes above and below us so steep that a stone would roll into the torrent in the abyss below. There are no trees or ])ranches or twigs which we can grip to aid us in our advance on the narrow, precvarious footing. AA^e become more sensible to the diihculties we encoun- ter each step as we go forward. The sun came out with unusual power ; our day's efiort has caused no little of a strain, and the perspiration is run- ning from us like water. I, myself felt as if I had been dragged through a brook, for I was without a dry shred on me. About three miles from the mouth of i\v^ Kicking-Horse Valley we met Major Rogers and Major Hurd. At the same time we obtained the hrst uninterrupted lo:)k upon the Selkirk range. From this point to the Columbia the trail improved, but it still ran at a great height. We had not, however, got out of our difficulties, for we came upon a hornets' nest. The leading horses were stung and darted forward. To have been attacked by the whole colony on so narrow a path might have caused serious disaster, so we abandoned the trail and traced a new route for ourselves to avoid that which we were follow- ing, and thus escaped the dilemma. The Kicking-Horse Valley turns into the valley of the Columbia River, which at the junction is !■ Hi « i'i I ei'^:? ,; .; t t J. vu; I '■tis e I 250 KICKING-nORSE VALLEY. some twelve miles wide from peak to peak. Our train has now travelled through the whole valley of the Kickiiig-Horse from its summit to the flats of the Cohimbia, a distance of about fifty miles, with a descent of 2,70 .= +ty. J 10 ( I TO THE sr^[MIT OF THE SELKFRk'-'^. Tho Eaglo Piuss — Kickinji-IEorso Rivor — Valloy of tho Colmnbia — Tho Selkirk Rani^o — Tho CoUimbia Rivor — Sumiuit of tho Solkirks— Major Rogers' Discovery. The poiut which we have reached is about two and a third deijrees north of the interuatioual bouudary, of the forty-ninth parallel. The Colum- bia takes its rise ninety or a hundred miles to the south-east of us and Hows in a generally direct course to a point known as the Boat Encampment, some seventy miles to the north-west. From its source for nearly this whole distance the Columbia is Hanked by lofty mountains, those on the south- west side of the valley being known as the Selkirk Eange. The Boat Encampment is a trifle to the north of the lifty-seeond parallel. At this point the Columbia completely changes its course and runs almost directly south to Washington Terri- tory, in the United States. This section of the Columbia also flows between high mountains, the Selkirk Eange being in this direction of its course on the east and the Gold Range on the west. KJCKLVa-JIOUSE RIVER. 258 Near ^he point where the river crosses the r)lst parallel there is a remarkable opening in the Gold liange, known as the Eagle Pass, which h'ads westerly towards Kamloops. Measured on the map, the distance, in a straight line to the second crossing of the Columbia at the Eagle Pass, is scarcely sixty miles. To rea/h that point is the task directly before us. The route which we had followed to the position where we now are, is the Valley of the Kirking- Horse Kiver, which has its source in one of the vSummit lakes of the Ivocky Mountains. It Jlows with tremendous impetuosity for the first six miles from the summit and lor the last ten miles through canyons. The descent in the principal canyon is most rapid, and the water in the lower reach, now of great volume, rushes downwards with wonderful force belbre it falls into the Colum- bia. In the lower canyon this large volume of water is forced through a rocky chasm of unknown depth. At one spot which I visited, the rocks on opposite banks so over-hung the current that their summits did not seem to be more than fifteen yards apart. The valley of the Columbia where we are now encamped is several miles in width. Although less than one hundred miles from its source the river is of considerable size, being fed by many streams, like the Kicking-Horsc, having their sources in the glaciers. 1 1 'I *l i \ -- H l"i r - 34 rO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRK'S. It is the first of September, which we devote to the rest needed for the horses and men. The sub- ject of discussion naturally is the chance of gei- ing through to Kamloops. A lofty range of moun- tains intervenes directly before us to make our advance in that direction impracticable. We know that there is a x")ossibility of passing round the Selkirk range by descending the Columbia to the Boat Encampment and thence continuing until we reach the Eagle Pass, and so get through the Gold Range to our destination. We learn, however, from Major llogers that he has found a pass through the Selkirk range which we can take, and he proposes to accompany us part of the distance and to send his nephew, Mr. Albert Rogers the entire route. We must follow the Columbia River north-westerly thirty-two miles on the way to the Boat Encampment, and. then turning westerly enter the Selkirk Mountains by the valley of a stream named Beaver River to an opening in the west of the range, and crossing the summit descend the valley of a stream, the Ille-celle-waet, which, running southerly and west- erly, falls into the Columbia directly opposite Eagle pass. We learn that a horse trail has been opened to tht summit of the Selkirk range and a short way down the Ille-celle-waet. Beyond that poin": we have the wilderness in its nati^ ruggedness, without a path for the human foot, wiih the river and mountain gorges only as landmarks and guides. ■i 1 1 ■ r ;«ffl f 4 J A QUIET SUNDAY 255 Such is the condition of the country to the second crossing of the Columbia. The passage through the Eagle Pass is mentioned as being of the . ^aghest description ; we have therefore to prepare for the work before us. We take a day's rest, lightening the packs as much as possible. We arrange to start the horses in the morning, while we ourselves will descend the Columbia in a canoe and overtake th^ animals at the end of their first day's journey. It is again Sunday. The horses with the men leave us as arranged. We remain quietly in our camp. It is a beautiful morning ; the sun lights up the whole valley of the Columbia. The great Selkirk range lies in front of us. To the west and north-west high peaks appear, forming a golden line of stern magnificence. We are at the base of the Rocky Mountains, which lie behind us to the east, and hence they form no part of the i:)anorama. A glacier is visible to the south and huge areas of snow, possibly the accumulation of centuries, rest betwt^en the peaks. It is a prosaic fact to record, amid all this grandeur, that yesterday's halt admitted of some washing of our clothes ; a homely fact but suggestive of volumes of comfort. We look forward for the rest of the day to enjoying the quiet scene in which we seek a few hours' rest, to regirvin our vigour and elasticity, and they have never more strength than after repose from labour. 251; TO THE ISUMMIT OF IHE SELKIRK'S. 'M As it is Smulay Dr. Cirant lioUls a short sorvioo. Our ('()iiL»ivi'"atioii, <]^athoivcl iVoiu tin* nearest eni>'i- ueer's eanip, numbers iweuly-iwo. The ineideni may hereafter be remembered as tlie first act of publie worship in this part of tht^ Colum])ia Yal- hw. After service we walk to tlie river, al)out a mik^ and a lialf of a stroll over low uronnd. AVt* tlnd the (juiet stream o-ently ilowinu' in its north- western course, a strani»'e contrast to the bold broken mountain ui^aks wliich Ibrm the border of the valley through which it runs. The evening was warm. Some oi' us took a plunge into the Columbia, a i)leasant incident in our trip. The water was o( t' right temperature, aiul there was a certain romance in swimming in a stream in the heart of the mountains, in Avater as calm as the Serpentine, in the centre of a A'ast solitude without the slighest impress of civilization. In the cool of the evening we walked up the lirst gravelly ter- race in rear of the camp to enjoy the view, ascend- ing some 500 feet. AYe were repaid for our eiibrt. The huge mountains in our front and the valley stretching awav in the mau-nificence of foliage to the south-east, lit u]> by the warm colour of sun- set, presented a noble landscape. I asked myself if this solitude would be unchanged, or whether civilization in some form of its complex require- ments would ever penetrate to this region V What is the nature of the soil, what isothermal lines curve in this direction ^ Is there anvthing that ii 9 THE JIEART OF THE MOUNTAINS. 257 () t' to the The can 1)0 sown and ripened ^. CiMlainly as a uTazini;' countrv it must l)o .valuablo. JhH'I' and inulton may bi' producinl I'or mon and womi^n of other hinds. Will the din oi' the loom and whirl ol' the si)indle yet be heard in this unbroken domain of nature ^. It cannot be that this immense valley will remain the haunt oi'a lew wild aninuds. Will the future brinii" some industrial devt'loi)ment : a future which is now dawnini»' upon us. How 8oon will a busy crowd of workmen take posses- sion of these solitudes, and the steam whistle echo and re-echo where now all is silent ? In the ages to come how many trains will run to and fro from sea to sea with millions of passenn*ers. All these thoughts crowed ui)on me with that peaceful scene before us as the sun sinks bi'hind the serrated k^elkirk Mountains, and 1 do not think that I can ever forget the sight as I then gazed upon it. The evening, like all evenings in the mountains, after sunset, became cold, and we found our camp lire comfortable. As we sat opposite it we missed our friend, Mr. Dun})ar, whose cheery voice we would have all welcomed. Possibly I exaggerate my iriend's powa^rs, for it was the only human melody we heard on our travels. We retired early to prepare us for the journey. The night was cold, and sleeping in our clothes and w^rapped in our blankets w^e could not complain of the h?at. As usual we were up early. At eight we were in a canoe iloatinii' down the Kiver Columbia. The 17 "11 •v* 7V) 77/ A' SlDlMir OF TllH SKLKIRKS. ill iuiiuiHliate hanks nw low and lln^ river w iiids in iis I'oiirso with hut littk' currt'iit. AVo couhl now siv tlio rorky ranuv wliich wo hav(^ Kdl hchind us. Thi» tiM'raot* on whii-li we sttxxl at sunsot li(\saK)ni»* tho loot of tlu' hills and a stH'ond tori'at-o is soon to follow tlu» Kicking-llorst* liivcr, 1 learn, sonio 1,'J<)() h'ot hiuh. The iiround from tlie eanyon of tho Iviekinu-llorsi' Kivor ascends to this terraee Avith a slope, as far as 1 can judii'e. scarcely one to om\ an ani>le of less than 4')\ and it was along the face of this ui)i)er sheh ini>- actlivity that the narrow ledge of pathway \vas traced, which we followed for miles. I never wish to take such another walk. I dared not look down. It seemed as if a false step would have hurled us to the base, to certain death. There is many a Joke of the strong head of the Xorth Countryman. 1 shall ever listen to any wit of this character complacently, for I leel that ii was beeause of my experience in mv younuvr davs amid hills and dales that my nerve did not tail me as we went onward. 1 am not ashamed to say that I still look upon the tramp in the Kieking-Horse as a serious ellbrt. I believe that there are many who could not have passed tiirough it in any iorm. The power to walk along heights is a constitutional endowment not extended to us all. For my part I have no desire to retrace my steps by the path I have followed in the descent of the Kicking-llorse Valley. Six miles below our starting noint, to-day, we WAIT-A-IilT. 259 [lids ill (I now iiul us. < aloiii;' is SCO 11 I. soiuo I yon ol' torriice 'ly Olio it was ly tliai which .0 siuh jCOlUiHl io tlio ' of tlio lU ovor 'cutly, Mice ill lat my 1 am tramp 3elievo passed walk lit uot dosiro kVod ill ay, we touched the shore io lake note of (he buihliugs erected })y those eiii»'aged on lh(* railway survey of twelve years back. They arc live or six in num- ber, and look as it' once they oUered a comibrtablo resting pla«H\ AVe continue our journey lor three miles. We feel the contrast between this coniibrtablt* advance compared to our eirorls of last week. The g'lacier- fed river, the i^'rand widi^ banks and tln^ dim dis- tant hills, with the snow-covered mountains far behind them, presented a panorama as striking* as it is rarely seen. At noon we passed a tributary whi<'h has been tailed " Wait-a-bit,'' sui»'o'estive as th(^ spot where travel ling parties rest and adjust the loads in their canoes befor(^ passing the three miles of descending rapids which lay before them. In twenty minutes we hav(* passed the rapids and reach the landing. We have crossed the outlet of a clear stream from the east discharg'ing its bright blue water far into the turbid Hood of the Colum- bia. The landing is at the upper end of a (^anyon through which the river passes between ro(;ky blufls at the foot of the mountains. At this point we have overtaken our pack train. George and Dave speedily unload the canoe and we make pre- parations for a twelve mile march on foot or saddle. The sun has been hot the whole day. The air is smoky and the distant mountains are not visible. The trail we follow passes up the hill- si def or some in tie distance and then descends to 200 TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. !i 1 I 1(1 I' ' 11 a lower level, aud for this locality is coniparatively good. It continues lor six miles alongside the canyon, so called, but whiid descents through the con- tracted portion of the river. There is nothing to prevent them being safely run by canoes and boats, as many of the rapids of the Saint Lawi'cnce are so passed ovc^'. Indeed, I believe that a steamer could di^sc'^nd them, for the water is less turbulent than the rapids overcome by the Beau- harnois canal. Once down, however, ascent would be impossible. As far as I can learn, the Indians of this territory do not use canoes to any extent. Grenerally they depend on the Indian ponies, and mounted upon them they follow known trails through the forest. AVe followed the ilats of the river to our caminng ground, some thirty miles north-westerlv from the mouth of the Kiekincr- Horse River, opposite the mouth of the Beaver River on the Selkirk side. AVe had now to ascend the eastern slope of the Selkirk range. AVe are up by day-dreak. Although only the 4th of September, as usual in these mountain valleys, the morning was raw and cold. A heavy dew had fallen during the night. Break- fast was over at six, but our horses were missing. There was little pasture for them in the neighbour- hood and they had strayed in search of food. George has been absent since day-break in search of them. He shortly returns with three horses THE BEAVER RIVER. 2lU more ' con- less (hail our iiumlxn-. Those he has coHected have to be taken across the river, and the only way of reaching the opposite ])ank is to make them swim the stream. Th(i width is a])out 400 Feet and the water is d«M^p lor three ([uarters of the dis- tan«i\ All animals swim, especially the horse, ])ut to land on an opposite shore is not always easy. 8u<"h was the case in this instance, and some oF the poor cnnitures, tailing to make a landing, by instinct returned to the sidt; whenct^ thi^y started, the strong current sweeping them a long distance down stream. The three lost horses are found. At last man and beast are on the Selkirk side oFthe river. AVe OL.rselves, and the imprflhnentd are taken across ' - old leaky boat built by the Moberly survw/i. g party in 1871. By this time it is nine o'clock. It is no use crying over spilt milk ; but time is now precious, and every hour lost is a mis- hap. I did not look (^omplac^ently on our delay ; there was, however, the sa,tisFa(^tion that we had overcome the dilhculty. We hope aFter crossing the mountains beFore us to mi^et the Columbia in its southern course in about a week. We follow the rough and recently cut trail by the Beaver Kiver itselF, a large stream, passing through an open canyon For Four or five miles. It is quite unnavigable. There are few places where it can be forded along the whole route. We proceed through a flat well-timbered valley over half a mile in width. ■ ':: f;t IU.\ K s IIP' I I 2G2 TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. There is a dense growth of cedar, spruce and Cottonwood, and surh magnificent cedar! Four feet and more in diameter. AYe have now an undergrowth which is the genuine flora of the Pacific slope. Everywhere the prickly aralia or devil's club=^ and ferns and skunk cabhau'ef are to be seen, all of the ^ mkest growth, on the low gi'ound. There is no pasture for horses. Having had little to eat last night the poor animals look miserable and wearily wind their way through the woods up and down the ascents, while tiie voices of the drivers are constantly heard encouraging them. As we advance we come upon a llock of grouse, five of which were secured by hand without much difficulty, the birds being so tame. The packmen know them as "fool hens." We fancy that they resemble the spruce partridge of the Atlantic Pro- A^nces. A short time after the capture as we vv^ere trudging onwards a few miles beyond the spot, my friend, Dr. G-rant, finds that he has lost his watch. He supposes that it dropped from the guard as he was engaged in the chase. We are three miles past the spot. Unfortunately it was a ^Devil's Club.... f Skunk Cabbage Fatsia horida — Panax horridus Ecliinopanax horridus — Oplopanax liorridus — Horsfieldia horrida. Symploearpus foetidus Potbos foetidus Ictttodes foetidus — Lvsicbiton Kanitscbatceneis. A BURNING FOREST. 203 g'okl presentation watch, highly valued, and an effort must be made to find it. Along with Mr. Albert Kogers he determines to return to make a search for it. It was not possible to halt ; the pack-train moves fjprward and I accompany it. The smoke in the air now becomes more dense, ibr we were reaching a region where fires appeared to be ahead of us, the ord<^al of passing through which we did not wish to experience. The forest had evidently been burning some time, and the trees had fallen in many directions, obstru ting the path and causing considerable delay. \Vith diffi- culty we continued our advance. The horses at one time clambered over fallen trees, still on fire, at another waded through hot ashes or burning vegetable soil. We go on with some dread. If wind arises the half burned trees may be hurled across the horses and ourselves. We continue on wearily hour after hour in the hope of finding a spot where the horses can pas- ture, but none is to be seen. At last we reach an engineer's camp about six p.m., and Dr. Grrant soon appears, in the best of spirits. He had found his watch, and if ever a patient search was justly rewarded it was in his case. There is no pasture for a long way before us, and there is no alternative ; we must remain for the night, even if there be no feed for the horses. The surveying party is in charge of Major Critchelow, a West Point man, with all the marks of culture M; ii I til I I ' i 264 TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. whii'h that iii.stitulioii oxtiMuls. Ilis assistants are equally ag'ivoal)le. They L»ive us a cordial wol- como, and we have a supper of oatmeal porridge aud roudeused milk. I could eat only with elibrt when I thought that our horses were without their iced. But so it was, and nothing could be done. We have still live or six mile.s to ascend before we reach the summit. AVc have travelled eighteen miles to-dnv, and we are fatigued, and I do not think any of us were long wrapped in our blankets befon* we were fast asleep. Our poor horses could only nibble the leaves of the devil's clul) in the attempt to satisfy hunger. There was nothing to bo done but to proceed, and as soon as possible reach good pasture at the summit. AVe were now no longer by Beaver Eiver. We had followed it for iifteen miles, and had ascended a bramdi named Bear Creek. We heard that a number of these creatures are to be met in this locality. The surveying party had seen as many as fifty. We pass through a tall forest until we reach a rugged mountain defile leading up to the summit, which we are to cross. The mountain peaks rise high above us, and although it is far advanced in the forenoon the sun has not yet appeared to us in the defile, for it has not yet ascended to the lofty horizon. We crossed many old avalanche slides. On the southern side of the mountains, as we wind our way, great scaurs, banked with snow, are seen THE SUMMIT. 26.5 dge two hundred or three hundred l(»et abovo the bottom of the narrow valley through whi«'h Bear Creek Hows. To the north we o}).serve a ghicier, possibly fifty yards thick at its ov(n'hanL>-ino' ter- mination. It takt's its orii>'in at some remote lofty source far beyond the reach of our view. Below the fflacier on the mountain side there are traces of a heavy avalanche, where trees have ]>een broken and crushed in all directions. Judgino- from the age of the timbi'r the movement must have taken pla /e a considtirable time back, and was probably caused by the breaking' otf of a huge mass of the glacier. What could have been more majestii^ than the fall of one of those great glaciers, in its descent driving everything before it as stubble in the Held. Five miles from our last night's camp we leave Bear Creek and follow a small stream to the south. Half a mile further brings us to the summit. At last there is pasture for the poor horses, so they are unloaded and unsaddled and turned out to their food. Our dinner, too, is prepared, although it is not yet noon. The horses require rest and we ourselves are now in no hurry to proceed. There is a grassy knoll in our neighbourhood which might have been plained in the most sylvan of scenes, and we recline at our full ease to enjoy the scene around us. Nothing would have been gained by leaving before the horses had satisfied themselves. I recollected that I had a package of ^/. V] 7 V M IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 |50 |2^ 2.5 I.I 1.25 1.4 120 1.6 7 // A ^ f/. »'^ ^ V ^^ ^ ^ <> ^^ ;\ ^'% rv ^ I i' 1^ 1 1 1.1^;!,; I!' ! il; 266 rO 7/7^ SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. cigars, a gift from our genial Ottawa friend, Mr. N . They had crossed and re-crossed the Atlantic with me during the i:)resent summer, and it was little thought when they came into my possession that their aroma would mingle with the atmosphere of a summit in the vSelkirk range. They are produced. We have no wine, so we can only congratulate Major Rogers over the cigars on the discovery of a pass so far practicable and on certain conditions appearing to furnish a solution of the iKoblem of crossing over the Selkirk range instead of makins^ a detour, followins^ the Colum- bia by the Boat Encampment. AVe are now 4,600 feet aliove the sea, surrounded by mountains of all forms, ^lyramidal, conical and -serrated. They are marked in bold relief on the lofty sky line. Between them the everlasting glaciers present the most remarkable variety of appearance. Westward there is an open valley with great peaks which stands out in the dim distance. It is by looking north in the direction whence we came that we have the grandest view. The valley is to all appearance completely enclosed by what seemed to be impenetrable mountains. The defile which we entered is not visible, although the entrance is dimly seen clothed in shadow through the smoky air. Towering high near the crest there is a series of glaciers extending for half a mile or more from north to south. As we quietly rested, enjoying our cigars in tha % MAJOR ROGERS' DISCOVERY. 267 midst of the remarkable scenery which surrounded us on every side, Major Eogers described to us various details connected with the discovery of the pass, and we felt that his description was as creditable to him as the discovery itself He stated that he was indebted to the report of Mr. AY alter Moberly for a sug"gestion which led to the examina- tion. As far as I have any knowledge, Mr. Moberly is the iirst white man who ascended the Ille-celle- waet, the stream which we have now to follow on our journey. It was eighteen years ago. He was engaged in an exploration for the G-overnment of British Columbia. In the year 18r>o, Mr. Moberly had discovered the Eagle pass, through the G-old E-ange, He then ascended the Ille-celle-waet, a distance which he estimated at forty miles, to the Forks, where it divided into two streams, one of which, the most northern, he traced some thirty miles farther. This branch terminated in a cul-de- sac among snowy mou.ntains. The other branch he was unable to follow, as the season was advanced, 23rd September, and his Indian guide declined to accompany him. In his report, Mr. Moberly spoke hopefully of a route by that branch^ and recom- mended that it " should be examined before a road is finally determined on." It was upon this hint *The latter valley was evidently the one that, jiul^'ing from its general bearing, M'ould be most likely to alibnl a pass in the direction wislied for. I therefore tried to induce the Indians I had with me by every possible persuasion to accompany me sll the way across tlio Selkirk Range, and make for AVild-Horse II '!* i ti: 268 TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRK'S. that Major Rogers acted. Three years back he traced the lUe-celle-vvaet to the Forks, and then followed the eastern branch. This branch also proceeded from two streams, the most southerly of which he followed. \Vith his nephew he climbed a mountain on its northern bank, and from the summit he looked down on the meadow on w^hich we were then resting. Major Rogers, pointing up to the height directly in front of us, said : "There Al. and I stood; we could trace through the mountains a valley, and the conclusion was established in my mind that it led to the unex- plored bran(4i of the lUe-celle-waet. AVe also traced a depression to the east, which we con- sidered might lead to the upper waters of the Columbia. And so it proved.'' Major Rogers could go no further at that date. He was short of pro- visions, and he returned as he came. But next year he ascended the stream by which we have travelled for the last two days and reached this grassy plot. On this occasion also his nephew accompanied him, and recognized the meadow, the height on which they formerly stood and the peculiar features of the scenery which they beheld. All that remained was to follow the flow of water Creek (The Columbia River Indians would, from the first, only engajje to jro as tar as the head waters of the Ille-oelle-waet.) All my efforts were, however, unavailinjj, as they affirmed that if we went on we should be (taught in the snow and never get out of the mountains. — Mr. Mobcrbj to Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, ISth Dec, 1855. THE CANADIAN ALPINE CLUB. 269 westerly. They did so as far as the forks of the Ille-celle-waet. They returned by another route in the hope of finding a better pass, but this effort proved unsuccessful. A party had been detailed to cut out a trail westward, which we are now to follow^ as far as it is made passable. Beyond that point our party will be the first to pass across the iSelkirk I\ange from its eastern base on the upper Columbia to the second crossinu: of that river. The horses are still feeding and we have some time at our command. As we view the landscape we feel as if some memorial should be preserved of our visit here, and we organize a Canadian Alpine Club. The writer, as a grandfather, is appointed interim president. Dr. Grant, secretary, and my son, S. Hall Fleming, treasurer. A meeting was held and we turn to one of the springs rippling down to the Ille-celle-waet and drink success to the organization. Unanimously v.^e carry resolu- tions of acknowledgment to Major Rogers, the discoverer of the pass, and to his nephew for assisting him. The summit on which we stand is a dry meadow about a mile in extent, with excel- lent grass. On the approaches we found raspber- ries, blackberries, blueberries, pigeonberries and gooseberries. They were a treat to us with our hard fare. Fruit, gathered from the bush is always more pleasant to the taste, and fancy eating these delicious fruits in the heart of the Selkirk Range, V' ' I i 270 TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SELKIRKS. nearly a vortical mile above the 0(.^eau ! We are in the best ol' health, and have the digestion of ostriches. The air is bracing, the day is line. We have regained our freshness and elasticity, and to show that we are all still young and unaffected by our journey we deem ic proper to go through a game of leap-frog, about the only amusement at our command, an act of Olympic worship to the deities in the heart of the Selkirks ! Our packers look upon our performance gravely, without a smile. It struck us that the thought passed through their minds that it would be as well for us to reserve our strength for the morrow, and that in view of the path before us our elation was somewhat premature. If >such were their thoughts they were certainly justified by the fol- lowing week's experience. CHAPTER XYI. mm DOWN THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. The Descent of the Selkirk Range — Glaciers — The Last of our Horses — Devil's Clubs — The Illo-cclle-waet — A Rougii Journey — A ISIountain Storm — Slow Progr(\ss — A Roarintr Torrent — Skunk Cal)l)aefore them. A spirit of comradeship springs up but little known in the world of paved streets and hack-cabs. Day after day, as you see the familiar creatures obediently serving you and partaking of your fatigue, and, as in this instance, undergoing privation by your side you regard them as friends. You have always a cheery word of kindness for them, and how a horse knows a man's voice and makes an increased etfort at obe- dience in response to it ! These poor creatures had acted admirably for us. On one occasion for a spell of nearly sixty hours they had been almost without food. Yet how patiently they kept to their labours. All of u.s, I may say, greeted the pasture at the summit with as much delight as if our own food depended on it. But we have now to separate. They return on their way and we go onwards. I had a kind thought for the poor brutes and said to them some parting words, and I hoi:)e to-day they have a perfect paradise of pas- ture wherever they may be. On reaching the surveyors' camp alluded to I find a fellow laborer of former days, one of the Intercolonial staff, and I was delighted to see him, Mr. McMillan. He commenced the active duties of his profession with me some seventeen or t , !' ii hi 1', ' !J;' II u ^J 276 TJIK ILLE'CELLE-WAET. eightoon yoars ])a(k. Eiiginoors hav(» always a pleasure in meeting those who liave been on the same work, and when there has been no unplea- santness, which, I am glad to say, does not often happen, the link having so worked together is very strong. Nothing ])ut the best of feeling existed between Mr. McMillan and myself, so we were equally pleased at the meeting. We spent the evening in discussing the best means of proceeding, for we required additional men to take our provisions, at least to the south flow of the Columbia. The camping ground was not good. Between the tall cedars there was a dense growth of devil's club through which we had to pass going from tent to tent, and to avoid it we were driven to carry torches to light our way. Before the even- ing was over we had finally made arrangements for our further journey, and it was ten before we retired. Last night it rained hard, with thunder and lightning. This morning everything is wet and the trees are dripping in all directions ; not^a plea- sant prospect for those who have to travel under them. There is, however, no halting in a journey such as ours. Our horses have left us. They were driven back to find pasture last night. The men must now carry on their shoulders what we re- quire, through an untrodden forest without path or trail of any kind. Clothing, tents, food and a fi.i FACING THE WILDERNESS. 211 few cooking utensils constitute what we have to bring with us. Fortunately we can always lind water. It is a matter of some calculation and care putting these articles into proper packs, but the task is finally accomplished. We say good-bye to Major Rogers and Mr. McMillan and we start at half-past nine. In saying good-bye to them we were bidding farewell to all civilization which had forced itself into the mountains. Hitherto we had enjoyed what appliances of the great world were available. Our advance had been made as easy as it was possible to make it. We were now turning our back on civilized life and its auxiliaries, again to meet them, we trusted, at Kamloops. Our world was for a time in our little band. We knew nothing of the country before us and we had no assistance to look for from the world behind us. We were following a tributary of the Columbia to the waters of that river, and this was the one ^ttide for our direction. One by one we march off in Indian file to the forest, and I bring up the rear. Independently of myself, the party consists of Dr. Grrant, my son Sandford, Mr. Albert Rogers and five men from Mr. McMillan's party, trans- ferred to our service to carry our necessary stores as far as the Columbia. We had also Dave, our cook. I must here say that Dave, in his way, was a man of genius ; with that magnificent equanim- ity that is seldom unaccompanied by great powers. Dave was a plain, honest Englishman, who had T 278 THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. i'5< f' 1^ Its I III spent part of his life as a sailor, and had roughed it in many parts of the ^^^orld. He never shirked his duty, was of herculean frame and always shoul- dered the heaviest pack. "With a certain roughness of manner he was, with us, one of the round formed pins set in the roundest of holes. I often think of him, and I am sure that he will be equally useful wherever he is. The walking is dreadful, we climb over and creep under fallen trees of great size and the men soon show that they feel the weight of their bur- dens. Their halts for rest are frequent. It is hot work for us all. The dripping rain from the bush and branches saturate us from above. Tall ferns sometimes reaching to the shoulder and devil's clubs through which we had to crush our way make us feel as if dragged through a horse-pond and our perspiration is that of a Turkish bath. We meet with obstacles of every description. The devil's clubs may be numbered by millions and they are perpetually wounding us with their spikes against which we strike. We halt very frequently for rest. Our advance is varied by ascending rocky slopes and slippery masses, and again descending to a lower level. We wade through alder swamps and tread down skunk cabbage and the prickly aralias, and so we continue until half-past four, when the tired-out men are unable to go further. A halt becomes necessary. We camp io'' the night on a high bank overlooking the Ille-celle-waet. A TURBULENT TORRENT. 21^ Three of us have dry underclothing, in \ .^. v proof bags, but the poor men have no such hixu" , so they make large fires by which to dry the - selves. Dave, our cook, fries the pork and makes us tea in the usual way on such expeditions. We have all excellent appetites and no fear of a bad digestion ; and all quite ready to sleep, literally and truly in spite of thunder, without criticizing the couch on which we lie. The Ille-celle-waet, on whose banks we have camped, has increased from a tiny brook to a rag- ing torrent, some fifty yards wide. The colour of the water is much as that at London Bridge ; a result possibly due to the disintegration of the rock over which the stream rushes and to the grinding action of the boulders rollino- down the stream. CD A sediment is thus formed which is visibly preci- pitated in any vessel where the water remains quiet. Last night we discussed the suggestion of con- structing a raft and with the current float down to the Columbia. As we look upon the water foam- ing past us and the numerous rocks and obstacles in the stream, we are satisfied that no raft could live long in such a torrent. The valley is narrow and is skirted by lofty mountains, wooded up their sides and of considerable elevation ; but owing to the height of the trees we cannot see their summit. Occasionally durin^j the day we have beheld snow peaks peering above the lower levels. In some I T • ■ .T,i i I . mH !;. M t : 5 ■" 280 77/^ ILLE-CELLE'WAET. parts of the valley a stray sunbeam never pene- trates to the lower ground. The vegetation in consequence is peculiar, and mosses of rare variety are found. The ferns, where the soil is rich, are as high as a man's head. The aralia and skunk cabbage are as rank as possible. Here and there on rocky points, above the deeper portions of the valley, we find many berry-bearing shrubs. They enjoy but little sunshine. The fruit in conse- quence is acid but palatable. Darkness at an early hour enshrouds the base of the peaks, so the cook has to bake to-morrow's bread by the light of the fire. Suddenly thunder is heard and the red glare of lightning illuminates all around us. For some time we are threatened with rain and at length it falls in torrents. The thunder and lightning are now seen and heard through the valley, and our one danger is that a heavy wind may spring up, and, as often happens, root up many of the forest trees around us ; but our trust is in Providence as we wrap ourselves in our blankets to sleep. By the morning the thunder had ceased and the tall trees around us stood erect ; the air is thick with mist. The mossy ground with every bush is wet with rain. Breakfast comes, with one and the same menu for all meals, and for us all, fried pork and bread made in a frying pan, now and then some dried apples boiled, and tea without milk, strong enough for anyone, and nothing could have been more relished. We mount our packs, 1 ;* ■aroBnoaeB SLOW PROGRESS. 281 the lick lush land •ied md lout luld ^ks, for we all carry something, and start onwards for another hard day's march. Our yesterday's advance on a direct line we estimate at four miles. This day's experience was a repetition of that of yesterday, and our great business at the halting places is for each of us to extract the prickles from our hands and knees. The scene of our midJay meal of cold pork and bread was the junction of two clear streams from the mountains, the more bright and crystal like from contrast with the chocolate looking water of the Ille-celle-waet. We resolve to encamp some- what earlier, so that the men may dry their clothes by da^ ^ght. It was fair weather when we halted by a picturesque brook, tired and weary enough. The spot we selected was at a turn of the Ille-celle- waet where the boiling, roaring torrent sweeps past with formidable fury. Coming from the south a brook falls by gentle slopes into the larger stream forming a cascade near its mouth, where we obtain a shower-bath of nature's creation. On the river side there is a forest scene of dark cedars, while here and there lie immense prostrate trunks, some of them eight or ten feet in diameter, covered with moss. Beyond the river the mountains frown down upon us as defiantly as ever. The usual routine of camp settling is gone through and after supper has been eaten the last pipe is smoked and the last lingerer leaves the camp fire for his blankets. ?^ ii w^ ■f 282 THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. vx 4 h P^ I I It is Sunday, so we venture to sleep a few five minutes longer, and as we hear the roar of the rapids whinh seem to shake the very ground, we wonder how we could have slept through it. It rained all night, none of the men had tents and they nestled by the trees and obtained what pro- tection they could. Our waterproofs were divided among them as far as they would go and such as did not possess them were more or less drenched. Looking skywards through the openings in the thick overhanging branches there seems a prospect of the clouds rising. Sunday though it be, with our supi:>lies limited, we are like a ship in mid- ocean : we must continue our journey without taking the usual weekly rest, whifh would have been welcomed by us all. Dr. G-rant called us together, and after the simple form of worship which the Church of Scotland enjoins under such circumstances, we start onwards. The walking is wretchedly bad. "We make little headway, and every tree, every leaf, is wet and casts off the rain. In a short time we are as drenched as the foliage. We have many fallen trees to climb over, and it is no slight matter to struggle over trees ten feet and upwards in diameter. We have rocks to ascend and descend ; we have a marsh to cross in which we sink often to the middle. For half a mile we have waded, I will not say picked, our way to the opposite side, through a channel filled with stag- nant water, having an odour long to be remembered. I yj. A BATTALION OF SORROWS. 283 Skunk cabbage is here iudigenous and is found in acres of stinkinj^ perfection. We clamber to the higher ground, hoping to find an easier advance, and we come upon the trail of a cariboo, but it leadsto the mountains. We try another course, only to become entangled in a windfall of pros- trate trees. The rain continues falling incessantly : the men, with heavy loads on their heads, made heavier by the water which has soaked into them, become completely disheartened, and at half-past two o'clock we decide to camp. Our travelling to-day extended only over three hours, we have not advanced above a mile and a half of actual distance and we all suffer greatly from fatigue. I question if our three days' march has carried us further than ten miles. We build huge bonfires and dry our clothes and are just beginning to feel comfortable, under the circumstances, when we discover that an old hollow cedar of some height, near us, has caught fire and leans towards our camp threatening to fall across it. I have heard unpleasant stories about cami)s in such situations, so we move to another place. In the morning this very tree lay on the ground directly along the site where we were first encamped. In the meantime the rain falls more and more heavily. Our blankets, kept in their water-proof bags, are the only parts of our baggage which are dry. Under the circumstances it was a blessing we possessed this luxury. M 11. SI ;. . I Pfl tiift If CIIArXER XYII. DOWX THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET.—Continwd. A DilVu'ult March — Cariboo Path — Or>:ani/ation of Advance — Vassinij; Tlirouirli the Canyon — Timber Jam — A Gun-shot Hoard — The Cohimbia Aj;ain — Indians — Disappointment — The Question of SuppHes becomes Urgent — No KeHef Party Found — SusiK>nse. It rained when we awoke at live on the Monday. Dave, our cook, had had one ol\ those nights of misery which many have now and then to under- go, but his excellencies are more appreciable as difficulties increase. Soaking wet to the skin he performs the duty ^f preparing breakfast as < Heer- fully as if he were in the Koyal Kitchen, and in such a situation good humour is the first of virtues. Some time is exacted in drying, even partially, our wet blankets and clothing, so as to lighten the loads, already heavy enough ; we can- not, therefore, start as early as we wish. In the first hours of our journey we make fair progress. AVe are now far up the mountain side, and here and there we come upon the path of the bear and the cariboo. G-enerally these trails do not run in the direction we wish to take, but if ^ ORGANIZATION OF LAllOVR. 285 7. Advance -Tiiii-shot itnioiit — of Party 3uday. hts of luder- )le as in he Heer- id in St of eveu as to can- fair iide, the do t if I % they incline in the hnist towards the West we gladly tnrn to them. They are gone over with so much more ease than the tangled forest, that how- ever much they prolong the distance it is a saving to follow their windings. The cari])oo paths, how- ever, too frequently lead to recesses in the moun- tains or to alder swamps near the river. An attempt to systematize our travelling was made to-day. Hitherto our rests had been irregular. Our halts were long and we were drenched with perspiration ; we got chilled, so we laid down the rule to walk for twenty minutes and rest for liA'e. Dr. Grrant is appointed the quartermaster-general for the occasion, with absolute authority to time our halts and our marches by the sound of a whistle, and when he sees lit to call special halts after extrao^'dinary etlbrts. Our period of progress for twenty minutes often seems very long, and we wearily struggle through the broken ground and clamber over obstacles, eagerly listening for the joyful sound to halt x>roclaimed by the whistle. It was a system of forced marches and answered admirably, for we made more progress in this way than on any previous occasion. We have another experience of an alder swamp, possibly not quite so formidable as that of yesterday, for we did not sink deeper than the knee. But we had another phase of experience. We reached the lower canyon of the Ille-celle-waet and climbed from rock to rock, grasping roots and branches, scrambling up r "' ^^■l ■ t; t { 1 1 " ill .AC ^; 11 ^1. 286 THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. almost perpendicular ascents, swinging ourselves occasionally like experienced acrobats and feeling like the clown in the pantomime as he tells the children, " here I am again." At some places the loads had to be unpacked and the men had to draw each other up, by clinched hands, from one ledge to another. Then we had another chapter of the Ivicking-Horse Valley experience : passing cautiously along a steep slope, where a false step was certain disaster ; creeping under a cascade, over a point of precipitous rock and surmounting obstacles, which, unless we had to go forward or to starve, would have been held to be insurmount- able. But we persevere and overcome them, and reach our camping ground for the night, all of us showing traces of our day's work. We select for our camp a small plateau of about half an acre, overlooking the river, which passes in a foaming torrent through a deep canyon with perpendicular rocky sides, which twists in gigantic irregularities. Such places are only seen in these mountains. The packmen give them the name of " box can- yons." A dead tree furnishes us with fuel, and we obtain water by letting a man down with a sling half way to the river's edge to a spot where there is an excellent spring. The water of the river was objectionable, being ir^pregnated with dark sand held in solution. As we were preparing to rest for the night a bright glare of lightning and a sharp peal of TRUNKS WITHOUT BAGGAGE. 287 thunder warn us to protect our clothes as best we can against rain. We saw but one flash and heard its accompanying- loud crash, to remind us that each night of our descent by the Ille-celle-waet we have been saluted after dark by h- even's artillery. Our relief is great in the morning to find that it does not rain, that the sky is clear and that there is promise of a fine day. We have all slept well and are refreshed and hope to make the Columbia early in the day. We start off* cheerfully, but we are not out of the canyon. We again climb through the rocky defile, and about half a mile from our starting point w^ reach a jam of trunks of trees, not far from its lower end. Tree after tree has been piled here by the current for many a year. Who can tell the period ? For the space of some hundreds of yards up and down the stream a mass has been heaped up thirty or forty feet above the level of the water. There is an accumu- lation of material at this spot which would be a fortune to its possessr * if he had it in London or any European city. We cautiously clamber from log to log over this jam and reach the opposite side of the canyon. We proceed onward soon to find the ground cumbered by many fallen trees, with masses of rocks and the invariable ferns and devil's clubs in all their luxuriance. We continue our march, making our halts by rule, and on the whole make decent i)rogress. We halt at mid-day sufficiently lou^ to eat our •/ t I' { f 1^1 ; . f M\ ! ' 1 i i 1 , ^li ' '■ :\ ' f ' 1 , d' ■ ■ |>; Uj 1^ lyfl 288 THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. bread and cold bacon, and we thought we ought to be within hearing of a gunshot from the Col- umbia. We expect the party from Kamloops with supplies to meet us there. It is the eleventh of the month. I had named the 8th of September as the date at the latest when we should reach the place appointed. Accordingly I direct my son rapidly to fire two rifle shots. We listen atten- tively and in a short time we hear the welcome report of a gunshot. We answer with three shots in quick succession, and again we hear a gun-shot. We count almost with breathless excitement. It is repeated and again repeated, — -it is the three shots ! Thank Grod ! We have established our connection. Our friends are in front 'of us with the provisions on which we rely. All anxiety for the future is past, and the promised waters of the Columbia cannot be far from us. By the nature of the ground over which we have to pass some time is exacted for us to over- come the obstacles before us, but not a moment is lost. We are all alive with excitement, and move forward as rapidly as it is possible to do. At our first rest we fire another shot, and we hear two shots move distinctly than on the first occasion. We are much elated to feel that our combinations have been so successful, and that we were on the eve of having to welcome new faces from the outer world, and possibly receive letters from home. We strike a bee line in the direction of the sound and INDIANS ONLY. 289 strive to follow it. Soon we are out of the g-reen woods and are in sight of the Columbia. We observe the smoke of a camp a mile from us on the opposite shore. Impulsively we give a series of hurrahs, for it seems to us we can see our friends from Kamloops. Two canoes cross the river. We are standing upon the high sandy bank in full view of the Eagle pass, directly opposite to us. We soout observe that our expectations have deceived us^ The canoes contain Indians only. We meet themi at the water's edge. They can speak no English, but with the help of a little " Chinook," we learn, to our great disappointment, that no one has arrived from Kamloops ! It was the Indians who had replied to our shots. They were Fort Colville Indians, and had come by the Columbia some time ago as a small hunting party, and they had been on this spot for at least four weeks. However, we decided to cross the river in their canoes and send back the men to Mr. McMillan, as \ 3 had pro- mised him. We divided our little store of provisions with the fine fellows who had carried our impedimenta down the Ille-celle-waet, so that they would have enough to take them back to McMillan's camp. I added a letter of approval to their chief. No men ever more deserved thanks than they did. Our lives had been passed side by side for many an hour, so I could judge and estimate their good- will and the cheerfulness with which they performed 19 r/r I 1 1' , m ! 1 ; 1 ! ! 1 ■ 1 i 1 1 1 290 THE ILLE-CELL E- WAET. their dutios. I never know men with better pluck or endurance. I could easily see that my friend, McMillan, had specially picked them out for the arduous service they had to perform. They were all made of the truest and best of slulf, and let me here make my acknowledgments to them for their admirable conduct. We had Cam])bell, Currie and McDougall, from Ontario ; McMillan, from New Brunswick, and Scoly, an Englishman, from Lancashire. These men had been put to the test, and showed of what material their manhood was made. They could not have behaved better, and they carry with them my best wishes for their future welfare. Our canoes shot out from the shore and those we leave behind give us three hearty cheers, which we as cordially acknowledge. The Columbia at the junction of the Ille-celle-waet, is a noble stream, broad and deep. We landed at the gravelly bank of the Indian encampment, where we found three Indian families, with four canoes. We pitched our tent four hundred yards down stream, where the current was much stronger. The width here is about twelve hundred feet, and the whole river brought to my mind the South-west Mira- michi, where the Intercolonial Railway crosses it. It was early in the afternoon and the stream furnished us the luxury of a good bath. We made a fire on the beach and had dinner, after which we seriously considered our situation. We were ^ DISAPPOmTAfENT. 201 4 ■■'5 fatigued beyond measure and every joint ac^hed. The skin of all of us in a few places was somewhat lacerated, our hands were festeriu?^ from the pricks of the devil's club, and we had not yet come to the end of our work. I was well aware that we would yet have difficulties to meet in reaching Kamloops. Our supply of food was nearly ex- hausted, and what was left we had to carry oixr- selves. I certainly felt grievously disappointed that the men from Kamloops were not present. We were three days later than the appointed day of meeting. We ought to have found the party on the spot to receive us, and their absence had a most depressing effect on us. Neither men nor provisions were on the ground. I distinctly remembered the arrangements made at Winnipeg. I read over and over copies of the directions left behind, also the telegrams sent from Calgary, and I knew that if any one could carry out the ar- rangement it was the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company. I had been careful in impressing upon the Chief Commissioner that we depended on him solely and absolutely for our supplies of food at this point. We were on the spot where they should have been d':Iivered, and the time had passed when the relief party sh Jd be on the ground. We thought of all sorts of mishaps that might have befallen them. We knew there was no trail through the Eagle Pass ; indeed I myself had telegrai)hed that fact from Calgary. Major f: I- , mi ?i. » ^ 'H" t ' -8 4 . m ' B ' Wt {8 1 |H H ' flU [t II 1 292 THE ILLE'CELLE'WAET. Eogers and his nei)hew had traversed it three years ago, and we were aware that the ground to be passed over was of the most trying' description : that there were several lakes to be crossed. The thought came upon us that the supply party might have met with an accident in crossing one of these lakes, or they might have been overtaken by forest fires, or some other misadventure might ha*^e hap- pened which we knew nothing of. There was one alternative open to us. Fortu- nately the band of Indians were on the spot, and if the worst came to the worst we might induce them to paddle us down the Columbia to Fort Cclville, in the United States, and thence find our way through Washington Territory and Oregon to our destination. But we had started to go through the mountains to reach Kamloops on a direct line, and the idea of abandoning the attempt and making a flank movement was the last we could entertain. Our decision as to the course we are to take cannot be long delayed, as our slender stock of provisions will last but a few days. In this pain- ful embarrassment, and it was painful, we asked ourselves the question : Would it be prudent to go on risking the chance of meeting the party from Kamloops, or do the circumstances compel us to give up the idea of crossing the Grold Eange and force us to enlist the services of the Indians to take us down the Columbia, some two hundred P DOUBT. 293 miles to their own village, from which j-joint we can find our way to Portland in Oregon in twelve days, and then by Puget's Sound reach our desti- nation in British Columbia ? This mode of proce- dure was most repugnant to us ; but however desirous we were to cross the Gold Range of mountains, we had seriously to consider the situ- ation. I may seem to exaggerate the doubt and misgiv'')g which thus crossed my mind. But the facts of the case must be borne in mind that our dependence rested entirely upon receiving the supplies from Kamloops ; this source failing, none was open to us. Had our stock of provisions been exhausted and no Indians been present on the Columbia, I do not see that our fate would have been different to that of many an explorer : starva- tion. There was only one deduction to be drawn from the absence of the Kamloops party : that there had been misapprehension or misfortune, and that we could not look for assistance where we stood. The responsibility of determining the course to be taken under such circumstances was serious and depressing. It was evident that we had to act independently of others, and viewing the state of our provisions we had at once to do so. Our united feeling was strong that we should not abandon the Eagle Pass. We all recognized that after a night's rest immediate action was imper- ative, that we ought in no way to delay but to proceed onward, leaving behind us tent, blankets. If :?i ■1; U 1 -^ ! 294 THE ILLE-CELLE-WAET. ba^^gage and everything not absolutely required, carrying only the remnant of food we still had, with a small frying pan, and so work our way westward as best we could. "With this feeling uppermost in our minds we try to consider the prospect before us with equanimity. \Ye had at least accomplished an important part of the journey, and our advance had so far been without misha]3. We had crossed through the Eocky Mountain Range and the Selkirk Range, and had arrived at the second crossing of the Columbia by the time estimated. We are no longer in the wet and clammy recesses which we passed through along the course of the turbulent river recently followed. We are on the banks of a noble stream in the wide open valley of the Columbia. The landscape which met our view was of great beauty. It was mellowed with autumnal tints and confined within countless lofty peaks. To the east lay the valley of the Ille-celle- waet, surrounded by towering heights gradually fading in the distance, while in front of us the Columbia swept along through its various wind- ings, made more glittering by the contrast of the dark masses of foliaoe on the low QTound. Evening came on to throw a more sombre tint of colour over the scene. All that was to be heard was the peculiar sound of the rapidly flowing stream and the distant roar of the Falls of the lUe-celle-waet. .1 r i I r % tiut \ % CHAPTEK XVIII. THROUGH THE EAGLE PASS. The Kamlooj^ !Men at Last — No Supplies — On Short Allowance — An Indian Guide — Bog-wading — The Summit of the Pass — Bluff Lake — Victoria Bluff — Three Valley Lake— Eagle River —Shooting Salmon— The Cached Provisions— Pack-horses Again — Road Making — The South Thompson — Indian Ranches. Our anxiety passed away when five men ap- peared coming* from the woods on the flats of the Columbia, a short distance from our camp. AYe saw them approach with more than usual satisfac- tion, for we felt certain that they were the men we were looking for, and we hastened to meet them as they came towards us. McLean was in charge, with four Shuswap Indians, and without delay he gave me letters from the Hudson's Bay Company's agent. And among them was a sheet of foolscap setting forth a list of the provisions sent us, which, in the condition of our own stores was peculiarly acceptable. On inquiry we learn that the sheet of paper alone represented the provisions, for it was all that the party had brought with them. The stores entrusted CO them to bring to the Columbia had been cached A I 13 296 THE EAGLE PASS. at a point five days distant from us, and they had brought with them barely enough food to supply their own wants. It was neither welcome nor looked for intelligence with our slender stock of pork and flour. We had already put ourselves on short allowance, and in view of our resources we had not a moment to lose in making a start. The non-appearance of the Kamloops party at an earlier day was accounted for by the well- meant but ill-advised attempt to bring horses with them to the Columbia, and by the exceedingly rough character of the ground through the Eagle pass itself, even for foot travel. Many parts of the valley were blocked up by fallen trees of gigantic size ; and the obstructions, owing to masses of rock, the lakes, swamps and a general ruggedness, had proved to be formidable. No attempt had been made to bring on any of the provisions beyond the point which the horees could not pass. At that spot the whole was cached, and one of the Indians had been detailed to remain behind in charge of the animals. The main object of their mission had, therefore, not been fulfilled : that of being at the Columbia on the 8th of September with provisions. They had neither observed the date of meeting, nor had they brought with them the food which we looked for at their hands. Fidelity to an engagement of this character is indispensable in the wilderness. It ought to be felt that failure might lead to privation and suf- I ECONOMY. 297 fering. Had any one of us or our party slipped on the rocks or trees, had forest fires impeded our progress, had we lost our way, or had we, through any other unforeseen cause, been delayed, our stock of supplies would have been exhausted when we reached the Columbia. Fortunately we had met with no misadventure. We had been exceedingly careful with our provisions, and hence we had a small reserve of pork and flour, which, with careful management, could be made to serve for a couple of days longer. There was nothing left for us but to make an effort to extricate ourselves from the false position in which we found ourselves. We discovered that the Fort Colville Indians encamped near us were well acquainted with the country for some distance back of the Columbia. It had been their hunting ground ; accordingly we engaged one of their party, old Baptiste, as a guide, to take us on our way by the least difficult route, to the extent of his knowledge of the country. After the usual delay incident to a start with a new set of men we march off" in Indian file, headed by old Baptiste. None of us had been impressed either by the knowledge of the country which the Kamloops party possessed or by their skill in com- binations. The Indian knew the route well as far as Three Yalley Lake, and we felt safer under his pilotage, and assigned him the advanced post of our party. 1' f^" 1 i i Ik 1 i ii 1 si iii i i <■ s 298 THB EAGLE PASS. We imagined that we were making the best of starts. We all started forward in Indian file with that springy gait which marks men having confi- dence in themselves. The guide, however, led ns to his own camp. He did so without explana- tions or remark. He entered his wigwam and we remained outside. The proceeding was inexpli- cable until we learned that he had to repair his moccasins before he could start. We halted three quarters of an hour, while the squaw deliberately plied her awl and leather thong, the Indian in the meanwhile sitting motionless, smoking his pipe and looking into the embers of the fire. We could only imitate his patience and await the result. At length in the same silent way he re-appeared, and started without comment on the 'trail. We sub- missively followed. The thought crossed my mind that in this case knowledge was power. Our guide took us by a circuitous route round the shore of the " big eddy," avoiding a mile of exceedingly painful walking, which the Kamloops men had passed over last night. We find our way over ground almost clear of trees. Some years back the country had been rav- aged by one of the great forest fires, often extend- ing over immense distances. The trees had not again grown, and we rapidly reach the green wood in the pass, where we take our mid-day meal. We start again, skirting a larffe marsh. It seemed to us at first to be a beaver meadow. It 1 BOG-WADINO. 299 . It It was fvill of water holes, skunk cabbage and deep black muck. McLean and his men had waded through this bog up to their middle for the greater part of the way. It was the one part of their return they most dreaded to encounter. Do any of my readers know what it is to wade through a marsh of deep oozy mud, covered with stinking water ? It is not an experience they may long for. The path we i^ass along is the one taken by the Indians for carrying cariboo and game over the mountains. The various wild berries we saw on the route were unusually large. They more resembled small grapes in size than the ordinary berry, and were pleasant to the taste. There was an abundance of black huckleberries and blackberries. Is not this presence of a luxurious growth of wild growing fruit an indication that garden fruits might find their home in these sheltered valleys ? We are fast ascending towards the summit. The valley leading to the Eagle pass is about a quarter of a mile wide, walled in by parallel mountains generally wooded to the top. "We pass through a vast grove of fine timber, mostly hemlock, fit for purposes of railway construction. We cross sev- eral times the stream we are following, and about five o'clock encamp on its eastern side. The site we select is the freest we could find from the formidable devil's clubs. Cedars, four feet in diameter, rise up around us like the columns of a lofty temple. We counted some forty or fifty in a ;( 1 i 300 THE EAGLE PASS. iir !■ i^;i '.I ■% I ii Pi ): 1 I : circle of a radius of a hundred feet, and a striking appearance they presented. We have travelled seven miles and have reached the summit of the Pass. Our journey has been in every way satisfactory. We thoroughly recognize all we owe to our guide. He has saved us labour, time and much painful experience, and we are pro- portionately satisfied with our own forethought that his services could be utilized. As night came on we lit up a hollow cedar. It is some distaiice from us, and w^hen it falls it will be away from us, as it inclines in the opposite direction to our camp ground. It burns rapidly, and illuminates the scene around us for the whole evening. It was moonlight also, but the dense forest intervened, so the camp remained in shadow. The vege':ation around us was rank, with a green, luxurious growth of mosses. Indeed the mosses extended in all directions, the surface of the lower branches of the lofty trees not excepted. Some of the ferns we saw were striking, and the abomin- able devil's club w^as in profusion all around us. It rained during the night ; we were comfort- able in our tents, but the mien were exposed to the rain, having brought with them no protection against it. Before starting their blankets had to be dried, so it was nearly eight o'clock before w^e got off. In less than two-thirds of a mile we gain Bluff Lake on the summit ; the steep rocky sides have MOUNTAIN LAKES. 301 . given it its uarae, and the walking is so difficult that we deem it expedient to form a raft on which we can float to its further end. We have now entered into the third range of mountains and have passed beyond the waters flowing into the Columbia. We have reac^hed the waters of the Eagle River, which find their way to the Fraser. Our raft carried the tent and bag- gage, but was not large enough for all to find a place upon it. Accordingly some had to clamber over the rocks as best they could, and a difficult walk they had. We reached the end of the Lake and continued on our journey. Another three- quarters of a mile brings us to a second Victor Lake. We did not construct a raft to navigate it. Baptiste took us by what he called an easy route. We had, however, to clamber over rocky precipices the whole of the way, and it is the afternoon before we sat down to take our meal at its western end. The Lake is about three-c[uarters of a mile in length ; the water is like a mirror, in which the lofty peaks are reflected in every variety of shade. Directly in our front there is a magnificent bluff rising vertically sheer from the water seven hundred feet. Its image appears in the mirror-like lake as well defined as in the atmosphere. On behalf of the Canadian Alpine Club we name the bluff after Her Majesty, and give three cheers for the Queen in honour of the occasion. We all feel in good spirits, for we are satisfied with the pro- ill: 802 THE EAGLE PASS. gross we arc miikint»-. Our advance, however, was liot without its dilliculties. AV^e had a seemingly endless number of prostrate trunks of trees and rocks to surmount, and on the lower ground we had from time to time to wade through troublesome marshes. Three and a half miles from Victor Lake we arrived at Three Yalley Lake. Our Kamloops men, on their way to meet us, had constructed a raft at this point, which is again available. It is large enough to take the whole party. So we embarked upon it. Baptiste followed in a small, birch-bark canoe, which he had taken from its cache. We move slowly through this beautiful lake, nestling in the mountains, where three valleys meet. Its shape is somewhat that of a three-corner staff officer's hat. It has lofty, wide banks, with bold rocky bluffs standing out from the spruce and birch wood, here and there visible. It is a beauti- ful sheet of water, dark in color and exceedingly deep. It has been said that it is fathomless. Few Swiss lakes, which I have seen in my limited wanderings, rise in my mind as superior to it in wild, natural beauty. This sheet of water has a character of its own. We reach the outlet in about an hour, somewhat chilled by sitting immovably in one position on the raft. We soon are ourselves again as we arrange our camping ground. Every spot is bright green, but there is not a blade of grass. Possibly, owing to the excessive moisture EAGLE RIVER. 303 of the locality, the ground is hrilliaut with rich mosses of the thickness of three or four inches, and you walk on them as on a Turkish carpet. We encamped on a small tree-covered promon- tory at the outlet of the lake. Eagle River has now become a good sized stream of clear water flowing over a rocky bottom. The scenery is striking in all directions. The central of the Three Valleys branches into four subordinate val- leys, between each of which high ptniks, covered with snow, are to be seen. To the north and west the peaks are less lofty. Baptiste tells us that much game abounds, and that from the lake large fish are taken, as we infer, salmon. The evening was very pleasant ; we were all in good humour, not by any means the worst resource to the wan- derer in his travels. It did not rain last night. I do not hold my own experience as sufficient for any generalization, but from all I can learn, at this season of the year, it is seldom that such is the case in the mountains. Certainlv the ni^'hts during which we have escaped rain since entering the Selkirk Range have been few. We had now to part with our Indian guide, who had fulfilled his contract, so we settled with him and found he had a cool way of his own in reckon- ing the value of his services, whatever he might know of arithmetic. As a "lucky penny" we supplied him with enough matches to last him a 304 THE EAGLH PASS. \\ ;i i month, a mine oi' wealth to him ; and he pculdled away to the east to iind his way back to the Grand Eddy. The Kamloops Indians, now on their own ground, are unusually active this morning. A tree is felled on which we can cross the river, and we get ofF by eight o'clock, trudging through the woods, passing over alder swamps and dry rocky ground, encountering prostrate trees of giant growth until we reach Griffin's Lak. , a mile in length, with rough and rugged sides. We con- structed a raft of light timber and formed our paddles of split cedar. It took an hour and three- quarters to make the raft, but by paddling through the lake we made up the time and reserved our strength for further efforts. We had an excellent opportunity of seeing the country from the middle of the lake. Snow covered peaks were here and there visible, but I question if this snow be per- manent ; it struck me that it was only the deposit of the late storms which we had experienced. We took our mid-day meal, it was now bread and water, on the raft, so there was no delay in our starting westward when we landed. The ground was smooth for some distance, but we soon reached a part of the valley where it was entirely swamp to the base of the hills. We had, therefore, to clamber along its side, which was encumbered with large fallen trees and huge stones. Our pro- gress was as slow as in the valley of the lUe-celle- ,1 LIGHT BURDENS. 305 waet ; and soon, from sheer t'ati<»'ue, we were forced to accept the lirst avaihible camping ground which oftered : a small plateau near a mountain stream. As arranged, Albert and McLean started next morning at day-break towards the point where the horses and supplies had been left, to get every- thing in order, so that when we came up no time would be lost and we could at once proceed. We shall not reach the spot a minute too soon, xbr we are out of everything in the shape of food. McLean and the four Indians, despatched from Kamloops with supplies, have helped to finish the remnant of stores which we have carried across three moun- tain summits from the Bow River. Without our forced marches our provisions would certainly have been insufficient, and but for tlie accident of meeting a guide we might have been in an unen- viable situation. Yet the failure of our jilan was in itself so ridiculous that I cannot look back upon it without a smile. We were in the heart of a desert and asked for bread. We did not even get a stone, but we met five hungry Indians ready to devour the little store we had brought with us. We started soon after seven, every member of the party carrying his own pack, except Albert and McLean, who had been already despatched without loads. Our advance had much of the character of that of yesterday, along a steep hill side, among fallen trees from four to six feet in diameter. Our progress was exceedingly slow 20 !• 806 THE EAGLE PASS. m i Iff i: ;j 11 through these difficulties • at length we reached the cached i:>ro visions at eleven o'clock. The hour of short commons was passed, and at our mid-day meal we had a sumptuous fare. We found tinned oysters, potatoes, coffee, bacon, flour, onions and such delicacies ; we also had an example of the saying that " it never rains but it pours," for my son fortunately shot a salmon in the Eagle River* "We were thus in the very lap of luxury ; but our business was to do more than revel on good fare. We had to be up and moving. The Indians expressed great astonishment when the order was given to march. They expected we should remain here for a few days to feast on the good things till they were done : as they term it in British Columbia, to have a'repular " potlatch." We continued our journey, having horses to carry the loads. Occasionally we ourselves mount, but the trail is so rough that for the best part of the distance it was easier made on foot. The horses were fresh after a week's rest, and for an hour they bounded over the logs and rocks with ease, but they soon settled down into their ordi- nary pack-horse walk. Two miles from our dinner camp we crossed a stream of bright blue water from the north, nearly equal in volume to the Eagle Eiver. Four miles further we met Mr. Joseph Hunter on his way to find us. He gave us the welcome news that to- morrow we would be on a waggon road, now 1 A GOOD SrPPER. m bed LOur day Liied and the L- my ivei-' ury ; 3I oil The I the i we II the srm it atch.'* ;es to Lount, art of The or an with ordi- ssed a nearly • miles way to at to- now being constructed over the western end of Eagle Pass, and that at Schuswap Lake we would find a steamer to taAe us to Kamloops. Our trail did not improve. It continued on the hi 11 side over rocky ground, partially through a brule. Our march was tediovis, for we were more on foot than in the saddle. Eight miles from our noon camp we reached the north fork of the Eagle River, a stream about eighty feet in width. The water was turbid, indi- cative of a glacial scource. We found some difficulty in fording it, owing to the rapidity of the current and the bed of the stream being full of large boulders. A mile further on we camped on the hill side among the charred remains of a forest fire, and had an excellent supper. The moon rose, nearly at the full, lighting the lofty hills in our front, and as we sat by the fire Mr. Hunter told us all he knew of the doings of the outer world, of which we had lost all trace for nearly four weeks. We learned that our camp is but four or five miles in a direct course from a working party constructing a waggon road in our direction. As the morrow will be Sunday, Dr. Grrant sug- gests that we should start as usual, and that he should hold a service when we arrive. Accord- ingly the following morning Mr. Hunter and he start off on foot in advance. We were so eager to reach the waggon road that all were up and at breakfast before sunrise and were under way as its Ml w \ 308 THE EAGLE PASS. m i ^^v early rays were peering over the mountains where, last night, the full moon eame up. The sky was without a cloud. The trail was so imperfect and circuitous that, although the distance was given as from four to five miles, it took us from six until about twelve to reach the encampment of Mr. Gr. B. Wright, the road contractor. It was a tented village. Our hostess, Mrs. Wright, received us under a large tent, appearing to us with an addi- tional charm as being the first white woman we had seen since we left Morley on the eastern slope of the Eocky Mountains. One of our first luxuries was the use of soap and hot water, and certainly we all required it. After we had partaken of the bounteous hospitality of Mrs. Wright, Dr. Grant held a service, at which about forty men attended, together with the only woman of our race within a long distance — our hostess. The men wore the usual long beard, bearing no signs of the scissors, and their dress was rough, but they all listened with marked attention and reverence. In the afternoon we left this canvass town, which comprised some sixty tents of all sizes. We were accommodated with a spring waggon and were driven some sixteen miles over an excel- lent road. The whippletree gave way more than once, but was speedily repaired by the help of a short stick and some cod line. At half-past five we reached Shuswap Lake, where a steamer was waiting for us, Albert having ridden ahead to m EFFECTS OF THE DEVIL'S CLEB. 309 :he :cel- t detain it. "We were soou on board and steamed through the Sicamouse Narrows, a))oiit three hun- dred ieet wide with about six to eight feet of water, as the hist rays of the sun were lighting the lake. The moon rose and we (^ould see the coun- try around us with the water channels from every point of view. The shore is still in a state of nature, withoat a settlement. There is not even a house at the steamboat landing, and the supplies for the waggon road construction parties find shel- ter from the rain under cam'as. The steamer is about a hundred feet in length, with a stern wheel for naviii'atin"' shallow Vv^aters. It was eleven o'clock before we turned in, and I could not but contrast our present mode of travel with that of a few days back, and it seemed almost like a dream as I thought of our advance from the first summit. AYe had still, however, a most unpleasant recol- lection of our wearing journey through the moun- tains ; the prickles of the devil's club in their poisonous effects had b-3come a great annoyance to many of us. Indeed, our swollen hands had to be wrapped in oatmeal poultices. In one case the swelling and pain were really serious, and as a consequence at least one of our party suffered from loss of sleep. At eight next morning we were on deck. The steamer was sailing down the South Thompson. We stopped frequently at Indian ranches for pas- sengers and freight. The effort of getting some 310 THE EAGLE PASS. m ■J I ,i * pigs on board at one of the landings created some amusement ; a scene in its way suggestive of our having entered again the realm of civilization. Breakfast had been delayed until our arrival at a spot where we were to obtain fresh milk and some butter. When we reached the place, a ranche by the river side, the fresh butter was not ready, so we waited until the churning had been completed. Affairs seemed to us rather primitive west of Kam- loops Lake. Our cook is a Chinaman, comely look- ing enough, and the breakfast that he put before us was certainly a resp^ectable proof of his skill. We were now gliding through a country en- tirely different from that east of Shuswap Lake. We had left the lofty peaks behind us, and were surrounded by high hills covered with bunch grass, with groves of trees and sometimes with Ringie massive trunks of spruce or Douglas pine. The landscape has a park-like character, and is highly picturesque. The hills are high and varied in outline. Some portions of the Eiver Thompson recall the scenery on the upper portions of the Arno and the Tiber on ihe journey from Florence to Rome. No rocky bluffs are visible ; the hills are smooth and rounded, but nevertheless of such variety as to take away any monotony in the landscape as we move down the river. About nine o'clock we arrive at Kamloops, some ninety miles distant from Shuswap Lake, our starting place of the previous night, where we had embarked. N CHAPTEE XIX. KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. Lake Kamloops— Savoiia's Ferry— Irrigation— Chinese Navvies —Chinese Servants— Lytton— The Fraser River Canyon— Old Engineering Friends— Sunday at Yale— Paddling Down the Fraser— An English Fog at New Westminster. The district into which we have entered, in its physical character, is directly the opposite of that which we have traversed, We have no mosses to tell the story of excessive humidity. We are now in a country where the leading feature is extreme aridity. I can compare the dark powdered earth to nothing to which it bears more resmblance than ground pepper. On all sides the indications show that this condition of soil and climate extends over a wide district. The surface is covered by a tufted vegetation known as bunch grass. There is only one remedy to make it productive of farm crops : a system of irrigation on an extensive scale. As yet no steps have been taken for its introduction in this neighbourhood. Nowhere is the eye relieved by a flower garden or by the familiar charm of cultivated ground. The small town of Kamloops 312 KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. m\ a • \ at present can boast of no such advantages, but there is nothing to lead to the belief that they are not attainable. We are indebted for a temporary home to the hospitable factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Naturally one of our first acts is to report our arrival to our friends in the east. Unfortunately the telegraph line is down and the operator absent repairing it. Deeming it of importance that no time should be lost we despatch an Indian courier with messages to the next station, Savona's Ferry, thirty miles distant. We all feel that after our tramp we are entitled to a few hours' additional rest. It is true that for the most part we have slept sor^ndly every night of our journey ; indeed, if men could not sleep after serious work like ours, it would be hard to say when they could do so. But we had not indulged in the luxury of late hours. We were always up at day-break, and I never heard the complaint that any of us had slept too long. One satisfaction we had, we can thankfully say that we were generally spared the penalty of loss of sleep. Last night, however, was an exception. In my own case the wounds on my hands, swollen by the poison of the devil's club, made sleep impossible. We resolved accordingly to pass the afternoon quietly at the Hudson's Bay post, and retire early to bed ; in this case not a figure of speech, for under this roof we had all the comforts of civilization. SAVONA'S fERRY 313 T' Ik We were up in good time next morning. I paid what bills we owed, bade ftirewell to our Kamloops friends, said good-bye to Mr. McLean and his In- dians, and prepared to proceed westward. A steamer had been engaged to take us to Savona's Ferry. We started about nine o'clock, skirting along the north shore of Lake Kamloops by Battle Bluff. We returned by the south side, examining the ground adjoining Cherry Blutf. The day was line, so the trip was pleasant. The sky was as clear and the air as pure and balmy as on an Italian lake. The steamer touched at a place cF»Ued Tran- quille, w^here the land has been irrigated. In this instance the experiment has been in all respects satisfactory. The result is shown in a good garden with excellent fruit and vegetables. At Savona's Ferry I received messages by tele- graph, and I was reminded of being once more within the circle of artificial wants and require- ments. For the last thirty days we have been out of the world, knowing nothing beyond the experi- ence of our daily life. Our leading thoughts were of the difficulties which lay in our path and of the labour necessary to overcome them. There was nothing vicarious in our position ; there was no transfer of care or labour to others. Each one had to accept what lay before him, and our world for the time was in our little circle. Now we are reminded that we are again in another condition of being. There is scarcely anything more powerful 314 KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. it' , to recall the attention to this change than the receipt of a teleg'ram sent across a continent to remove anxieties as to home and family. I had mnch pleasure in meeting' Mr. Hamlin, an old Intercolonial i'riend, the Resident Engineer of the section under contract west of Savona's Ferry. I had telegraphed to him the previous evening, and he had taken the trouble to come seventeen miles to meet me. We took dinner at Savona; and the fact recalled to my mind that eleven years ago I had stopped at this same place. Mrs. AVhorn was then our hostess, whom I perfectly recollected, but the poor lady had been dead for twelve months^ and is buried not far distant. Dr. Grrant and my son started in a waggon for Cache Creek. I hod professional business with Mr. Hamlin. AYe proceeded by the banks of the Eiver Thompson, and reached his quarters about sunset, to receive from his wife and mother the most kindly of Irish welcomes. We passed a pleasant evening and spoke much of old days, going back to the time when we were working in the valley of the Metapej.ia, in Quebec. 1 had another excellent night's sleep and was up early. At six Mr. Hamlin and myself started. The morning air was cold. We arrived at Cache Creek about half-past seven, and found Dr. Grant and my son under canvas. The hotel was so un- promising that they preferred their tent to the cheerless entertainment it suggested. Albert and '' m t THE THOMPSON lilVFJi. 315 Mr. TTiiutor soon join us, and the tbuv took the stai^'c to Sponco's bridc^o. Mr. TTamlin wiis i>ood enough to drive me there with his own horses. We took some rel'reshinent at Asheroi't, seven miles from Caehe Creek. The eoiintry residenct^ ot* tho Lieutenant-Governor of British Colum})ia is at Asheroi't, and I felt it my duty to pay him my respeets. Mr. Cornwall, himself, was absent ; the ladies, however, reeeived us with mueh kindness, and our conversation turned to a previous oc;easion when I passed an evening in their so('i<'ty under the same roof, some years back, of which I retained the most pleasing recolhu'tion. In fac^, I may remark that, as they say in Paris, this was my vhite de digestion after the pleasant dinner which I then had with the family. As we proceed the sun shines upon us with unusual heat for the time of year. Small fields of irrigated land are seen here and there and pr(\sent a promising appearanc^e. The ground generally is dry, for there is little rainfall in this district. From the indications I fear no crop can thrive without irrigation, and it appears to me it is the main con- sideration for the residents to entertain. We descend by the westerly bank of the River Thompson, and obtain a good view of the railway work on the opposite bank. We reached Spence's Bridge about three o'clock, where Mr. H. F. Macleod greeted me with a warm welcome and invited the whole party to his house. Mr. Hamlin returned to ■) ''( m 9a : I SIP) KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. ' his own place. Dr. G-rant, my son and myself availed ourselves of Mr. Macleod's hospitality. Mr. Macleod is another old friend and fellow worker on the Intercolonial Railway, ^pence's Ihidge has a canvas town of about one thousand Chinamen, engaged on the railway works. I presume the Chinese popvilation will disappear as the railway is completed. The place contains a good hotel, with a garden of some size, producing apples, grapes and excellent \^egetables ; in itself showing Avhat can be be accomplished with irrigation, effort and skill. No fact is more patent than that irriga- tion is indisx^ensable in this district. Mr. Macleod kindly drove us over the works. We follow the deep gorge through which the Thompson forces its way. Mr. Macleod's house is situated at Drynoch, so called from his relationship to the Macleods of Skye. It is scarcely necessary to say that at Drynoch w^e received a cordial and graceful Highland welcome. We were particu- larly struck with the appearance of the Chinaman waiting at table. His loose dress was of spotless white, and with his thick soft-soled shoes he moved so quietly as to be scarcely audible. He had always a smile on his face, and his mistress gave him the best of characters for intelligence, industry rnd good manners. We passed a delight- ful evening in this oasis in the mountains. In the morning Mr. Macleod accomi:)anied us to Lytton, where the Thompson falls into the Fraser. I I . LYTTON. m IS to Lytton has not greatly improved since I saw it last year. It is still a wn^tchedly dilapidated place. The dingy wooden buildings were marked by a striking absence of paint, and evidently the summary course applied at Truro, in Nova Scotia, on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' visit, could with benefit be introduced here. At Lytton I said good-bye to Mr. Macleod, heartily thanking him for his hospitality. Mr. Hannington, another of my old assistants, from Ottawa, now received me. Mr. Hannington drove me to his place, three miles beyond Lytton, and we proceeded eight miles further to the site of the railway bridge to cross the River Fraser. The bridge, a massive structure of stone and iron, is in progress. Here we met Mr. George Keefer, the Engineer in charge of this section, another of my old staff. Mr. Keefer took me to his quarters, seventeen miles below Lytton, being thirty-three miles from Dry- noch. Mr. Keefer's house is on the railway line on the western bank of the Fraser. So we crossed the river in a canoe and floated down the boil- ing, seething current to a convenient landing place. Ascending the bank about two hundred feet nearly vertically, we reached Mr. Keefer's present house, where we remained for the night. Mrs. Keefer and her children were absent on a visit at Victoria, but he himself left no effort untried to entertain us. I was delighted again to see my old friend so pleasantly circumstanced, n^ Si t'l ■I 818 K AM LOOPS TO THE COAST. and we were all indebted to him for his hospi- tality. I was awakened in the morning by a Chinaman appearing with a bath, a luxury more appreciated after my late experience, and one among the first benefits of civilization, which we hasten to enjoy. We are forty miles from Yale, in that huge cleft in the Cascade Range through which the Fraser impetuously continues its course. The rails are laid from Yale to a point two miles above where we now are. We can accordingly reach Yale by a locomotive in little more than an hour, but it is my desire to j^ass leisurely over the line, in order somewhat to examine it. It has therefore been arranij'^ed that we proceed on our journey by hand- car. A dense fog- fills up the valley but the sun soon comes out and the fog is dispelled. As we approached Mr. Keefer's quarters last night we had to pass over the long ascent of Jackass mountain, a name familiar to British Columbians from the day of the discovery of e-^ . Cariboo. The road leading to the gold . passes over it. The frame of a house ok > small terrace some nine hundred feet above the river, was pointed out as the resting place for the night of Lord and Lady DufFerin when in British Columbia. It affords a magnificent view of Fraser river and the great mountains which flank the valley on both sides. The hand-car came, bringing with it my old friend Mr. H. J. Cambie. He had left his home rni: fuaser river. 319 this morning at Spuzzem, twenty miles distant. We again start. To Dr. G-rant the hand-car was ahnost a revelation ; it was certainly a new mode of travelling whic'h he was about to expt^rience. Mr. Keefer follows on a railway veloeiped(\ This machine has its two main wheels on one rail, with a third wheel to steady it, ganged to the opposite rail. It is kept in motion by a crank, worked by the rider's feet. I am sorry to say that on this expedition Mr. Keefer's velocipede was crushed by a gravel train backing, owing to a mistake of orders, and Mr. Keefer had only just time enough to extricate himself to avoid a similar fate. Our course followed the railway down the west- ern bank of the great canyon of the Fraser. The Cariboo waggon road runs on the opposite bank as far as the Alexandria Bridge. We had an opportu- nity of observing the lofty cliffs and the precipitous ledges it passes over, and from the really slight character and dangerous appearance of the staging upon which man and horse have so long risked their lives, I could not but think that the railway would not be open for traffic an hour too soon. I presume that when that result comes to pass the waggon road will fall into disuse. The construc- tion of the railway has been exceedingly difficult and costly within the twenty-eight mile section in charge of Mr. Gamble. The w^ork is extremely heavy, including thirteen tunnels. We reach Spuzzem in the afternoon, having travelled leis- W f |^1 i-):;;' Hi: m I »■ -■ f 320 KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. urely. "We proxwsed making another start, but Mr. Cainbie would not hear of our passing- his house, and desi:>atched the hand-car to Yale for our letters, the j)lace where they had been ordered to be addressed. In a couple of hours I had received the bag containing ' ^y month's corres- pondence, including letters from home of the latest date. I was under no apprehension of any bad news, for the telegram which I had s \nt from Sayona's Ferry had been answered to the effect that all was well ; but with what delight, when we have been for weeks cut off from those dear to us, do we read in their own words that everything is pre- cisely as it should be. Every onward step, every hour, was bringing us more into the world's usages. I had not been long at Spuzzem when I was invited to attend a telephone conference. On taking my place, at once I recognized the voice addressing me, although at twelve miles distance, and I had not heard it for two years. It was that of Mr. Onderdonk, giving the party a cordial invitation to make his house our home during our stay in Yale. Under Mr. Gamble's roof we had another delight- ful evening, as might be supposed from my many years pleasant intercourse with him. It is twenty years since he entered my staff on the first explor- ations on the Intercolonial Railway in 1863, and I am glad to say our relations have been untinged ii i THE CASCADE RANGE. 321 but ■ his 3 for lered had )rres- latest lews, roiia's .1 was 5 been io we ,s pre- ngin^ been end a it once ugh at it for giving house elight- many :wenty lexplor- and I Ltinged by the least unpleasantness. I cannot but express the satisfaction I felt in meeting so many of my old associates in my journey from Kamloops. I was no longer the Chief Engineer of the Eailway : I was simply a wayfarer. Nevertheless I felt no little satisfaction to fiiid the works originally planned by me so well advanced and in such good hands. Nothing could have given me more plea- sure than the cordial way in which the members of my old staff received me. Thf^re is always a perfunctory mode of paying a civility which it is somewhat embarrassing not to offer, and it is generally well understood on both sides what such attentions amount to. But in the case of my old friends I was received by a hearty, natural, unmis takeable kindness, and I feel confident that it will not be unwelcome to them to learn that I was much affected by it. It was nearly ten the next morning before we started, continuing our journey on the hand-car. The works we pass still continue very heavy. We are in the heart of the Cascades, and many of the rocky masses which rise up perpendicularly from the foaming torrent must be pierced by tunnels as the only means of passage through them. We make our halt at Mr. Onderdonk's gate at Yale, to meet with a hearty welcome from his family. I continue my journey some twenty miles further, but I return to Mr. Onderdonk's house before dark, for it is Saturday night and I had 21 i! 322 KA3f LOOPS TO TIIK COAST. n-i accepted his kind invitation to pass the Sunday with him. AVe now sleep in beds in the true menning of the word, and how we enjoy our nio'ht's rest ! AVe knirn that there is but one church in Yak\ a small wooden building* of thi^ Church of England, and we readily accept the ofl'er to attend the service. En route Mr. and Mrs. Cambie joined us, increasing our number to nine. When we entered the building we really formed the major part of the congregation. As the service proceeded other parties arrived at irregular i .tervals There were twenty-four in all, including live children. Two clergymen officiated, evidently educated men, but with " advanced " views. To me even the Lessons, the only part of the service not chanted, were far from -^being read in a natural tone of voice. Intoning the service may be proper enough in some circumstances, but it certainly seemed out of place in Yale. There are possibly at this time eight hundred or a thousand people, white people, Christians statistically at least, within half a mile of the spot where the church was situated, never- theless the congi'egation was little more than half as large as the number assembled for worship the previous Sunday, at the invitation of Dr. Grant, in the Eagle Pass. As we walked home we saw not a few loitering about the streets, and especially around the taverns. One would think that with all the teaching ,vhich the Church of England has received since the days of Wesley, i AN EMPTY on men. 323 the wants of thoso to whom tho rlorg'y havo to minister would bo better understood. I asked myself could these clerj^ymen know the character and habits of the men who havt^ been brought together to perform the work of the railwa5^ No class of men are so peculiar. They art* not perfect in many respects. Some are sensual, brutal and self-indulgent. But they are not all of this char- acter. If the mass of them have any trait which is at all in prominence, it is their respet^t for straig'ht forward dealing and regard of what is natural. They can understand what is plain and free from pretension and allectation, but the least shade of what is artificial and strained repels tLem. This very conclusion was again forced upon me from the appearance of the congregation. I doubt if a single man of the six or eight hundred workmen in Yale on that Sunday were present in the Anglican Chapel, the only church open 'br worship. If the workmen were not attracted by the service, the merest handful of ordinary citizens were i^resent. It was pamful to observe so small an attendance. The character of the service may not have been the wholly repelling cause which existed ; but I venture the remark that in my humble judgment in circumstances of this char- acter the simpler the worship the more consider- ation it will obtain. What is wanted on railway works is the active, simple effort of the missionary who will seek men out in their houses and pane- II I I I 324 KAMLOOrS TO THE COAST. trate within their daily lives and conduct. Such ministers of religion bring men within their influ- ence by the genuineness of the sympathy which they show and by an ax:)peal to the best feelings of their listeners. Ritualism on the Fraser was obviously not a success. I am strongly of the opinion that such men as the army chaplain whom we had on board the "Polynesian" would have found a line field in Yale, and would have attracted crowds of willing worshippers to his services. We pass a quiet afternoon in Mr. Onderdonk's shady verandah, around which the hop vines luxuriantly grew. In the evening, as the lights appeared in the windows, Yale had a pleasant and picturesque appearance. It is built on a bend of the river at the head of steamboat navigation, and at night, with the reflected lights in the stream, it assumes an importance which by day one would not concede to it. As a landscape the mountains are too lofty, too near, too precipitous and crowded to be remarkable for beauty. There is a total absence of all distance in the picture. One sees only a maze of rugged, towering rocks, for the most part covered with a stunted vegetation. Monday came and with it our determination to start by the steamer for New Westminster. We gratefully said good-bye to our polished host and hostess, whose kindness reminded me of what I had heard of the hospitality of the old Knickerbocker families. During our stay at Yale it was hard to DOWN THE PHASER. 325 believe that we were not iu some hospitable mau- sion on the banks of the Hudson. We take with us a dug-out (;anoe and a crew of Indians to paddle us on our journey when we deem it advisable to leave the boat. My purpose is to proceed by steamer to the point which on Saturday night I reached by hand car and then take to the canoe. I will thus be enabled fully to examine the whole line in the valley of the Fraser. The steamer is by no means of little account on these wa,ters, to judge by the passengers that she 'arries and the places she stops at. Our landings are frequent, to receive or dis(?harge freight, cattle and passengers. We reach the spot where, wath my son, I go on board the canoe. We arrive at Harrison River at half-past three. I was met at this point by Mr. Brophy, also an old Intercolonial friend. Mr. Wilmot, who has hitherto kindly accompanied us, goes on shore. We ourselves continue our descent of the Fraser. The three Indians paddle at a good pace down the Nicomen Slough to a point off Sumas. It is after six and twilight is coming on, so we find our way through a cross channel to the main river. We believe that any other course would be hazardous, so we follow the stream to the point where Dr. G-rant was to leave the steamer and where we expect to meet him. The Fraser is wide at this spot and the current swift but we keep the centre of the river. The Indians continue to paddle briskly. We float down the current very f\ li h m m ^ r. 5t i L J M ii i: ' I ■' 32tJ K AM LOOPS TO Til/; COAST. rapidly. Tho air is inuch warmor Ihau W(^ have yot oxporieiii'od it, both whoii wo woiv in the mountains and since we reached Kamloops. Night comes on, and although there is no moon thi^ sky is without a cloud and the stars shine l)rii»htlv> giving' us enough light to guide our canoe. We still kee]) to the middle of the river where the stream is the strongest. About eight o'clock we see a light on the shore toward^^ which we i>addle, and as we approach we hear the well known voice of Dr. Grant. We iind supper waiting for us for which we are indebted to Mrs. Perkins, who keeps a workman's boardini»' house. But we had a mile further to paddle to the engineers' camp, where we are to find beds. They nu'cive us as hospitably as engi- neers always receiA'e men accredited to them. They insist on me taking the one stretcher they have; the rest of the ]Mirty Iind rest on the* lloor. We were up early, for although we had come sixty miles yesterday we were anxious to continue our journey. A heavy fog made it impossible to leave before nine. We paddle for an hour and a half until we reach Stave River, where we land. There is a line view of Mount Baker, forty miles distant, when the weather is clear, but there is too much mist in the air to-day for us to see it. We again land three miles above Maple ridge, and walk that distance over the half-constructed railway, crossing Kanaka bridge. We owed our I TIDE-WATER AGAIX. 327 dinnor at Maplo Tvidg'o to Mrs. Siiulair's culinary art. Wo (*omo to the site of the hind slide ot four years back. A surlace of twenty-four acres was carried into the river, bearing along* with it the forest trees with which it was covered. A large extent of the mass was thrown across the Iliver Fraser, fully a quarter of a mile on to the opposite shore, uprooting many acres of forest and for a time damming back the stream. Its traces are still visible, to show what th(^ consequences are of those minor convulsions of nature which on a great scale elfect such wonderful changes. We are again in the canoe. The water of this great river is as calm as a canal in Venice, and our quiet progress partakes no little of the motion of the gondola. The air conveys the idea that it is full of smoke, while the temperature recalls the season of Indian summer. The banks of the river, even at a short distance, are scarcely discernible. We now reach the tidal waters of the Pacific. There is no great rise where we now are, and the water is still fresh for some distance, but at Hood there is uo current and the surface looks like a placid lake. The air is pleasant. The three Indians keep paddling with marvellous reguhxrity. Two sit in front, side by side, and the third is at the stern steering as he paddles. The men work as if they were pieces of mechanism, in perfect silence ; not a word is spoken. (' till 1 i' !■, 5» i lis: t ;? I m !l ■ I 328 KAMLOOPS TO THE COAST. We leave the main stream at the mouth of Pitt River, w^here we paddle up to the new railway bridge, spanning 1850 feet of a deep inlet, at one spot sixty feet below high water. We return to the Fraser, where we were about thirty-four miles from the starting point of the morning. We i)ass on our right the mouth of the River Coquitlum and on the left is the salmon cannery of that name, consisting of a large number of scattered build- ings, the centre of one of the chief industries of the Province. We meet a number of boats manned by Indians, drawing in or laying down salmon nets. The river is nearly half a mile wide with deep water. The Fraser is a noble stream, but it is only at intervals, as the fog lifts, that you can see the opposite shore. , So thick is the fog that the sun itself is obscured, and it was in weather of this character, bringing back to my mind the November fogs of the world's emporium on the banks of the Thames, that we made our landing at New West- minster, on the Pacific ocean. CHAPTER XX. ON PACIFIC WATERS. New Westminstor — Enormous Forest Trees — English Broom — Port IMoociy — Down Burrard Inlet — Sea Fog — Navigation by Echo — Straits of Georgia — The St. Juan Archipelago — Sea- manshii) — Victoria. We had reached the most important town on the Mainland of British Columbia. Although New Westminster is of modern date the town has had its mutations and disappointments, the last and not the least of which is to have seen the Railway terminus diverted northward to Burrard Inlet, a proceeding which her own citizens must admit to have been unavoidable. In the morning we found the fog even thicker than last night. I had finished breakfast and was considering what course I would take when Mr. Marcus Smith did me the the favour to call upon me, and kindly offered to drive me to Port Moody, first calling at old Grovernment House, now the Railway Engineer's office. G-overnment House was, I believe, last occupied by Grovernor Seymour and, from all I have heard, many pleasant hours lit I 330 ON PACIFIC WATERS. have been passed within its walls. It has fallen upon the evil days of ceasing* to be the home of official life. Victoria, on Vancouver's Island, is the seat of government, and is the present centre of political movement. The capacious dining and ball rooms are much out of repair, but they still retain a trace of former grandeur. The grounds are well laid out with shade trees and rich green lawns, but unfortunately the fog conceals every- thing but the objects almost within reach, and prevents any extended examination. New Westminster is not remarkable either for its extent or population. Two thousand live hundred is the estimated number of its i)resent inhabitants. It possesses, however, a four peal of bells, the gift of Baroness Burdett-Coutts, the only peal on the whole Pacific coast, and indeed a rare possession on this continent. The residence of the Anglican Bishop is in the neighbourhood of Government House ; and at no great distance the Lunatic Asylum and the Penitentiary are to be found. About half-past ten, under the escort of Mr. Smith, we started in an open carriage for Port Moody, on Burrard Inlet. My attention was attracted by the forest trees of enormous size. Within the limits cleared for the roadway, blackened stumps of many of them, ten feet in diameter, still remain, on which the record of their age is traceable. Some of these trunks show a life of six centuries, and hence must have attained the rank of good PORT MOODY 331 sized trees before the recorded diseovery of the American continent. The ground is covered with a luxuriant ilora, indicating a rich soil and a moist climate. Along the road side English broom was growing wild, in great luxuriance, the iirst I liave met in such circumstances on this continent. A drive of six miles over a hilly road brought us to Burrard Inlet, at Bronson's tavern, a recent erec- tion, where the road terminates. At this point we had recourse to a boat and rowed al)out a mile to Port Moody, the terminus of the railway. Port Moody is something more than a village, but at the present moment it is a strained recogni- tion of its importance, even as a railway terminus, to call it a town. The number of inhabitants when I was there could not exceed two score of souls. Whatever its future, at the present time it has certainly no claim to civic rank. A wharf of good size has been constructed. At this time it w^as covered with piles of steel rails. A freight shed is attached. Near it stands the small house occupied by Mr. A. J. Hill, Resident Engineer. Two sailing vessels were lying at the wharf. The rail track has been laid a few miles westward. In the neighbourhood are half a dozen scattered frame buildings, some of them scarcely finished, erected by speculators to promote the selling of town lots. Several square miles of land have been so laid out. At this moment the greater part of the city of the future is covered with a dense M II > I tij Si ' I 332 ON PACIFIC WATERS. growth of primeval forest, the age of some portions of which carries us hack to the century in which the Magna Charta became law. I was told on the spot that the lots so projected would accommodate tenfold the present white population of British Columbia. I have to acknowledge the kindness and hospi- tality of Mr. and Mrs. Hill. I derived no little pleasure from looking at the water-colour drawings of the wild flowers of British Columbia, which Mrs. Hill had executed. They promise to be a valuable contribution to science. I trust they may be published at some future date, when they shall have been sufficiently completed to admit of this proceeding. The steamer on which we had to embark at Burrard Inlet had not arrived, so \vc obtained a small boat and des(".ended the inlet to meet her in order to have sufficient daylight to continue our trip through the entrance. The fog, which had partly cleared away by this time, soon re-appeared, and accordingly we kept near the shore so as not to lose our reckoning. We had rowed a distance of three miles when we met the small tug sent in search of us. We got on board without delay. The fog necessitated caution in our progress. It became thicker and thicker, until it was impossible to see a ship's length ahead. Night came on and we did not know where we were. The head of the tug was turned in the supposed direction of the A THICK FOG. 333 settlement, near Ilastiiii^'s saw-mill, All that wo had to steer by was a pocket compass, which on more than one occasion has done good service. Some of us fancied that we heard the squealing of a pig ; important in the double sense that we wer(^ not lar from laud and also near a settlemc^nt. Our whistle was almost continually sounded and the sharpest look-out kept. Thc^ pig replied unmis- takably. We continued cautiously to approach in the direction of the sound, and were enabled to land at almost the only settlement on the south side of Burrard Inlet, west of Port Moody. On landing we obtained intelligence of the steamer "Alexandria," detailed to take the party to Victoria. The vessel was lying at the Saw Mill wharf, at no great distance, so we found our way to it. Supper was gone through ; but the fog still continued. The cai)tain therefore concluded that it was better not to start, but wait until morning ; he on his part being prepared to leave the moment the fog lifted. The " Alexandria " is a large, pow- erful tug, which the owner had kindly placed at our disposal to cross the Straits of G-eorgia. She came expressly from Nanaimo to Burrard Inlet to meet us. We slept on board, and when we awoke found that we were still moored to the w harf. It was early, half-past five, but the fog continued heavy and damp. Capt. Urquhart, however, deter- mined to start and to feel his way through the thick mist. About half-past seven he took his bearings, It i; I u r\mm .(■■Pi li'lM li ! i i ! i • : :v li^lt Ml ll I I Jr 834 ON PACIFIC WATERS. and dire(;ted the steamer towards the entrance of the Inlet. "We steamed slowly on throug'h the fog, and in a few minutes nothing was visible from the deck. The whistle was sounded contin- ually, and the lead was cast without ceasing. We several times stopped, backed, and again proceeded slowly, lill we reached the Narrows at the entrance. Here the current is rapid and the channel narrow, not having above two hundred and fifty yards of sea-room. Fortunately we got a glimpse of the shore through the haze. The captain, however, saw enough to satisfy himself, and with a fresh departure put the boat at full speed down English Bay ; at least so we concluded by reference to the chart, for we could see nothing through the fog by which we are surrounded. We proceeded down the Straits of Greorgia towards the San Juan Islands, our whistle con- (inually blowing. Mr. Joseph Hunter is the only passenger not directly connected with the party. At Victoria I am to part with Dave Leigh, the last of the men who had been with us in the mountains. He joined us at Bow Eiver, and had determined to see us to the end of our journey. From the day when we commenced with pack- horses to cross the range of mountains, Dave has stood by us and has gallantly helped in many a difficulty. He is a powerful Cheshire man, such as one would fancy a northern Englishman to be : honest, self-reliant, plain-spoken and staunch, with "mmm DAVi:. 335 entrance 'Ugh the 3 visible i contin- iig. We roceeded intrance. narrow, y^ards of 3 of the Lowever, a fresh Englii^h ;e to the the fog Greorgia tie con- le only e party. h, the in the nd had 3urney. pack- ive has lany a 1, such to be: 1, with O" a peculiar habit of calling a spade a spade. He has cooked for us in all circumstances, there is no other word for it, heroically. He did his share of the packing, and if there was a load a shade heavier it was caught up by Dave with some saying of his own, and off he trudged as if it were a plaything. He had done everything for us that a man could do with unfailing cheerful- ness, and has followed our fortunes for many a mile. He has driven pack-horses, paddled canoes, rowed boats, built rafts, stretched our tent, driven hand-cars, cooked our food and indulged in many a hearty objurgation at Skunk Cabbage and Devil's Club. He crosses the Straits of G-eorgia, and then at Victoria we have to say good-bye, he to seek other employment. I wish him all happiness and success, but I have no fear of his future. What- ever his sphere he will do his duty, and alwc^ys ►je found from the beginning to the end a true man. We approached the San Juan Archipelago and made our way from the soundings read from the line and by the echo of the whittle, as its tone was affected by the nearness or distance of the land. I stood on the bridge with Capt. Urquhart, and the fidelity with which he could judge the situation was not simply the result of experience, but of a natural capacity to determine the niceties and delicacies of sound. I myself began somewhat to understand the shades of difference, but I was a very long way from possessing the ability to i ri' i< l( 336 ON PACIFIC WATERS. m ^ ill! ! . , 11 JW. navigate the ship. We were approaching an island. The whistle vibrated toward it with a more mnlHed tone. "We are warned by the echo on which side of us it lay. We came opposite to it and passed without its being visible to the eye. The echo changed as we proceeded. The lead is unceasingly cast. We are warned that we are coming near land. The current is carrying us towards it. We see plainly before us a precipitous rock, and with difficulty we change our course, for we have to back against the current and give the ship's head another bearing ; so we grope our way, stealing along to avoid mischance, without the least guide beyond the echo of the whistle, as it is affected by the nearness or distance of the shore. The fog continued all day ; it appeared, however, to have little influence upon Captain Urquhart more than to bring out his phonetic genius. Familiar with the intricate channels, currents and tidal inlluences of the San Juan Islands, the lead constantly going, he keeps on his course slowly and cautiously, but perfectly undismayed and without a moment of doubt. The whistle, with its echo, pilots him through the archipelago ; and to this day it is a wonder to me how we found our way. I was by his side and had the benefit of his shrewd deductions and theories. Even with a bright sun, skill and knowledge of the landmarks are called for in the passage through th .se waters. SKIL FUL SEA MAX 8 HIP. m 3wever, Our difficulties and the skill displayed in over- coming them may well be imagined. Fortunately for us there was no wind; frequently we found ourselves amongst kelp, with its rank leaves float- ing on the surface. At one point we passed by rocks not seventy yards distant from us on the starboard side, the land appeared through the fog a ship's length ahead. We immediately stop. The euffine is backed. We are so near that we can hear the voices of children playing on the elevated shore directly ahead. No one is visible, but in reply to the question from the look-out at the bow we learn that we have passed Victoria Harbour and are near the entrance to Esquimalt. The course of the steamer is changed and we shortly enter Victoria Harbour in as dense a fog as can be seen in any part of the world. It was dark when we reached the wharf. I do not think that any of us were sorry that the experience of the last thirteen hours had been brought to a close. It was entirely new to me, and with all its success somew^hat bold and enterprising. Capt. Urquhart undoubtedly displayed great qualities, sagacity, caution, coolness and skill to track his way as he did. He achieved wonders in seamanship, but to men wanting in the qualification he possesses, the attempt to imitate it is not to be commended. It was three o'clock in the afternoon of the fol- lowing day when the regular steamer from New Westminster arrived. She left twenty-four hours 22 1!^^ wr ',!.; ! i !■ l!; t ' ■ ^ J 1 1 ; 1 ■ 1 i 1 a ■ i f 'fe ' i 1" ' ' ': ^^B 1 \ il ! i 1 1 11^ ! : ll i ! [ ii 4, -J J 338 ON PACfFIC WATERS. before we started for Burrard Inlet, aud took fifty- six hours to cross the Strait throug-h the fog-. We found our way in thirteen hours. In clear weather the trip is made in a])out half that time. "VYe went directly to the Driard house, an hotel which the Victorians never tire praising. We were late but had a special dinner, and Mr. Hunter with Captain Urquhart did us the favour to join us, when, as in duty bound, we did due homage to the captain and ship w^hieh carried us over ; and we had especial cause to do so as we were indebted to Mr. Dunsmuir, the owner, who, hearing of my desire to pass to Vancouver Island, with gTeat courtesy placed the vessel at my disposal. I did not fail next day to call and thank him for his kindness, and Tfeel it my duty again to acknow- ledge my obligations to him. The dinner was excellent and after it was over w^e strolled out into the gaslight of Fort street and walked a few miles in^o the country before we retired. I looked ujion the gaslight as an old friend whose acquaintance I was glad to make again, and a pleasant duty it is to recognize all we owe to a well lighted city. "W ,' obtained our portmanteaus, which had been sent from Winnipeg by the way of San Francisco, and we were by no means unwilling to fall back on the garb of e very-day city life. Moreover we also had the happiness to receive letters from home. Saturday was a comparatively idle day. We walked through nearly every street of Victoria. VICTORIA. 339 We made some calls, aud I recollected that eleven years age on Saturday, September 29tli— to-day is the 28th— I reached Kamloops after a hard journey across the mountains by the Yellowhead Pass. My task was now accomplished. We were on the shores of the Pacific, having passed through the mainland of British Columbia and crossed the waters to Vancouver Island. Our next thouo-ht is the dn-ection we must follow homewards But for the moment, as birds of passage, we have to wait for the fog to lift. ler was ■^ \) ^ ' IM. |!': ^r ■ I , r 1 if : u I ik \ I II CHAriER XXI. BRITISH COLUMBIA. Sir Francis Drake — Mears — Vancouver — Astor — Hudson's Bay Company — Gold Diecoveries— Climate — Timber — Fisheries — Minerals — Mountain Scenery. The western Province of the Dominion cannot lay claim to even a geographical recognition of longer date than that of a century. Drake first visited the Pacific ocean three centuries back, in 15^9, but it is questionable if he ascended higher than the forty-eighth parallel when he took pos- session of the country now included in Oregon and Washington Territory in the royal name of Queen Elizabeth and called it New Albion. There is also a tradition that Vancouver Island was discovered by De Fuca in 1592. From this date the northern Pacific waters remained without further notice for two centuries, until the voyage of Capt. Cook, who coasted along the shores in 17^8. Ten years later these possessions were on I FIRST SETTLEMENT. 341 ui's Bay lieries — caiiuot iou of e first ck, in igher k pos- regon me of [sland this Ithout |oyage res in ire on the verge of causing war between EngUmd and Spain. In that year, 1788, some subjects of GJ-reat Britain, the most i)rominent among whom was a Mr. Mears, purchased from the natives the land about Friendly Cove, Nootka Sou id, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. AYhat was then held to be the transfer of the territory was gone throug.i; buildings were erected and possession assumed. Mr. Mears shortly after left the spot to return the next season, placing the whole in charge of Maquema, an Indian chief. During his absence two Spanish ships of war arrived, took formal possession of the place and declared it to belong to the realm of Spain. An appeal was at once made to the Imperial G-overnment for protection. Spain, on the other hand, in the first instance, seemed determined to justify the act of its officers. The proceeding attracted much attention in England. Public feeling was greatly excited. The spirit of the nation was thoroughly aroused. A fleet was fitted out, and it looked as if the dispute could only be settled by war, when Nootka Sound was surrendered by Spain. It was in 1792, when Capt. Vancouver, of the Royal navy, was sent from England to receive the transfer, and to make a voyage of discovery to the Pacific. Those familiar with the literature of the last century will recall all that was then said of Nootka Sound. By this date the mainland had been penetrated from the east. Sir Alexander '' , 1 1111 tj ; 342 BRITISH COLUMBIA. McKenzie had discovered the river which bears his name, running to the north, and he had accom- plished the difficult journey of penetrating to the shores of the Pacific overland, the first of our race to find his way through the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. To the south, the Government of the United States had fitted out the expedition of Clark and Lewie, who in 1802-3 ascended by the sources of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, and reached the Columbia and the Pacific Ocean. The name also of John Jacob Astor cannot be for- gotten in connection with the Columbia River, at the mouth of which he established the celebrated settlement of Astoria. In 1821 the Hudson's Bay Company obtained a license to extend their operations to New Cale- donia, as British Columbia w^as then designated, and the country virtually passed under their con- trol. There was indeed little to tempt the emigrant to cast his lot there and to seek an independant existence, for without aid from the organization of the Hudson's Bay Company it was impossible to cross the continent. New Caledonia could only be approached from the ocean. Vancouver Island continued in its state of isola- tion. Thirty years ago its white population of all ages, chiefly employes of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, was four ^^undred and fifty. The Mainland was even less known and had fewer civilized inhabitants. Without the influences which caused GOLD DISCOVERED. 343 the rush of popuhition to the Fraser, New Caledonia might have remained undisturbed for hal f a century. It is difficult to see how it could cease to be other than a wilderness, and its gigantic forests unpene- trated except by Indian tribes, with a few trappers of wild animals. In 185G the discovery of gold inaucfurated a total chans^e in its character. The Fraser was then the scene of the gold excitement. This, the chief river of British Columbia, flows in a course seven hundred miles, and is marked by rare grandeur of scenery, with frequent rapids dashing through gorges almost impassable. Mr. Douglas was at that time chief factor of the Hud- son's Bay Company and Governor of Vancouver Island. In April of this year, 1856, he reported to the Home Grovernment the discovery of gold, the miners being chiefly retired servants of the Com- pany. In 1857 the number was increased by arrivals from the United States. In a short time the report of the richness of the deposit was spread among the miners of California. The result was that by July, 1858, some twenty thousand persons left California for British Columbia. The parties who engaged in the new venture are described as being of all ages and conditions ; men advanced in life, those still on its threshold, many with ample means, doubtless the greater part extremely needy; all crowded to the Fraser, it was said, some to steal, unquestionably some to die. They arrived too early in the season, and the majority experi- V 344 niilTfSJI COLnfBfA. I! a ; M li .;5I1 1 i 'n eiiced disappoint ment. The river wa.s swollen and the bars (^ontainino* the deposits covered with water. Those who failed in patience or endurance throug'h deficiency in resources, returnc^d to Cali- fornia, to share in the abuse of the distri<'t and of the country in general. Those who remained received the reward of their patientn^. The water ceased to cover the bars, and the miners who worked them found what was sought after in fair amount. The political history of British Columbia goes no further back than 1840. Vancouver Island was then created a (^olony, with G-overnor Blauchard as administrator. The only inhabitants were Indians, and there was no revenue from any source. No laws were enacted, and scarcely anything was done to promote settlement. He returned to Eng- land in 1851, when Sir Francis Douglas succeeded him. In the same year a Surveyor General and assistant arrived from England, and surveys were commenced as the first step towards emigration and settlement. A Council of four was nominated to assist in passing laws. Shortly afterwards one hundred and fifty persons, farm labourers and miners, arrived from England. Mr. Labouchere was then Secretary for the Colonies, and in accor- dance with his instructions G-overnor Douglas, in June, 1856, issued a proclamation for the election of a House of Assembly, composed of seven mem- bers. The qualification of a member to be the SUCCESSIVE QOVERNORS 345 11 and with Lvaiice . Cali- md of laiiied water who ill fair 1 o-oes id was ard as diaiis, ?. No ^' was Eii^- eeded d and were ration nated s one and chere ccor- as, in ction em- the possession of jeSOO, that of the electors the owner- ship of twenty acres of kind. The first House met in April, 1858. In 1858 the discovery of g'old, which had become known, led to a great increase of the population along the Fraser. The mainland, British Colum- bia, was, however, not declared a colony until 1859, when the license of occupation of the Hudson's Bay Company expired. It was presided over by the Grovernor of Vancouver Island, and possessed of itself no Legislative Council or Assembly. The Assembly of Vancouver Island, on the other hand, was increased to twelve members. There was also this further distinction : Vancouver Island was free for importation, whereas British Columbia had a revenue tariff. In 1864 Grovernor Douglas retired, and Grovernor Kennedy was appointed to Vancouver Island, at the same time Grovernor Seymour was named Grovernor of British Columbia, with an Assembly partly nominated and partly elected. In 1866 Vancouver Island became part of the Colony of British Columbia, with one Assembly, as above described — partly nominated and i^artly elected. Grovernor Kennedy retired. On the death of Governor Seymour, in 1869, Grovernor Musgrove was appointed, and it was during his rule that the incorporation of the Province in the Dominion of Canada was accomi^lished in 1871. It returns to the Dominion Parliament three « -;t5 346 BRITISH COLUMBIA. Senators and six Members of the House of Com- mons. According to the census of 1870 the popu- lation was 8,570 whites, 472 coloured and 1,578 Chinamen. The present population is roughly estimated at 25,000 whites, 40,000 Indians, 17,000 Chinese. Victoria, the capital, is reported to contain 8,000 inhabitants. The Province has been described as a sea of mountains. Within its limits, however, are consid- erable tracts of rolling prairie, marked by fertility. They consist of good soil, capable of abundantly producing cereals, although in some localities there is too large an admixture of giavel or of decom- posed rock. Its extent is about 200,000 square miles, extend- ing from latitude 49" to latitude 57°. The sea coast is about 450 miles in length, indented from north to south by a succession of inlets running many miles within the coast line, in each case presenting a harbour of perfect security, of great depth of water, generally to be approached with safety and in all cases marked with the boldest scenery. In no part is the climate so severe as in the same parallel of latitude on the Atlantic. To find the eastern equivalent of the mildest sections we mus^ descend twelve hundred miles to the south. As a rule, throughout the Province, in the habi- table portions, the climate is favourable to the con- ditions of human life, generally without the great .p ^. jsi CLIMAT/:. 347 extremes of heat and cold. It is marked, however, with atmospheric ( versities. From the mouth of the Fraser, inhind, it is moist. The rain is abun- dant in spring, summer and autumn, in the fall of the year continuing' for days together. In winter the depth of snow is from one to two feet, in the extreme northern districts, frequently deeper. It remains on the ground, near the coast, from a fort- night to three weeks, and it disappears to be suc- ceeded by another fall, and so continues throughout the winter. Fogs prevail in October and November, sometimes earlier, as was the case in my experience. But they do not occur every year, for on a former occasion I found the air both light and clear during my whole visit at the same season. There is much to be learned about the climate and its variations, and it is difficult to form a close generalization of the exterit of the localities where changes begin and end. AYe pass by insensible mutations from the one zone to the other. There is no definite arbitrary line shewing when we are in another climate. It may, however, be said that the humidity of atmosphere is found to extend from the sea coast up the Fraser, as far as Lillooet* above the junction of the Thompson, and that it is continued along the Upper Fraser to the Forks. Within this district the level land is fertile and densely wooded. In the more northern Cariboo section there are extensive tracts of forest land and of open prairie, highly fertile, fitted for farm- !,.> -( I'l , I 1. ,, i 348 BR IT IS n COL UMBIA . ing purposes, and well watered nnd drained. The soil, most strongly marked by these characteristics, is found more immediately in the neighbourhood of the Fraser and of the innumerable lakes in this district. In these localities the climate is superior to that of the Lower Fraser, for it is drier. In "Winter it is of a lower temperature, much like that of some pares of Ontario. Leaving the Fraser to the east by the Yalley of the Thompson, the land is elevated but the winter is less cold. Indeed whatever varieties of climatic influences may be found in different localities, it can with certainty be affirmed that Southern British Columbia is fiee from the extreme heat of summer and the intense cold of winter experienced in East- ern Canada and North-Eastern Uni.ed States. So far as such a statement can be made, it may be said that snow on the Upper Fraser and its tri- butaries does not reach the depth found in Eastern Canada. Often it is not deeper than from six to twelve inches ; frequently the ground is quite bare. The authoiitiys I have referred to assert that the larger lakes in the district do not freeze, as in Eastern Canada, nor do the Fraser and other streams become locked up in ice like the tributaries of the St. Lawrence. Stock can subsist on the bunch grass throughout the whole year. On the more lofty ranges and summits, the height to which tLey ascend must be taken as typical of the depth of snow. . The *i sties, Li'hood u this iperior T. Ill h like Hey of vviiiter imatic Lties, it British immer 11 East- s. t may ts tri- asterii six to quite assert freeze, aiid e the ibsist year, leight leal of i CLIMATE. 349 There is, undoubtedly, east of the Fraser aii extent of country where the dryness of the soil -"alls for irrigation, especially in the direction through which 1 j^^»assed ; but wherever artificial moisture has been obtained by this means, the result has left nothing to be desired. Around the more southern coast and the lower lands of Vancouver Island it is not possible to live in a more favourable climate. The wincer is espe- cially mild, the thermometer seldom falling below freezing point. The summer is temperate ; the thermometer, Fahrenheit, seldom rises above 72', the lowest range being 23' 30'. Southerly winds prevail for two-thirds of the year, and summer lasts from May to September. The atmosphere is sensibly affected by the current which flows from the south' rn latitudes of Japan and China. The Kuro-Siwo brings the warmer temperature of the southern seas in the same way as the Gulf Stream has heightened the salubrity of the British Islands. It has been said that the weather of Vancouver Island is milder and steadier than that of the South of England, the summer longer and finer, and the winter shorter and less rigorous ; and this is saying a great deal. The climate of this Island must be almost perfection. It is its oldest inhabi- tant who should be the most free from disease. There is one recorded fact to establish the salu- brity of the general climate of British Columbia. I refer to the miners, who suffered great hardship It 1 ■■ ' ( 350 BRITISH COLUMBIA. I I n and exposure, toiling in cold, rapid streams, camp- ing on damp ground, constantly wet from the rain, wading in water of low temperature, and even sufFerin"' from insufficiencv of food. Nevertheless, no sickness, no epidemic was experienced by them. It was the saying at the time that many increased in weight, and it was the boast of not a few that they were never so robust. This circumstance was brought into strong prominence by a recollec- tion of the contrary results which had been expe- rienced in California when the conditions of min- ing operations were much the same, and where there remained a painful record of broken health and shattered constitutions. To a far greater extent is this condition experienced in Vancouver Island, described as one of the gardens of the world. The residents of Victoria speak of the delight which Her Eoyal Highness the Princess Louise experienced in this healthy locality, the more so as she could, unrestrained and without annoyance, follow the simple habits she prefers. Many anecdotes are still told of Her Royal High- ness during her residence, and twelve months have elapsed since she left. Medical men prophesy that the lower lands of Vancouver Island will be constantly visited by many w^hose health exacts absence from latitudes marked by severe temperature. Such as now visit Colorado will find a more salubrious and genial retreat on the waters of the Pacific. Vancouver FOREST WEALTH. 351 camp- )e rain, 1 even heless, ' them, creased w that istauce icollec- 1 expe- f mill- where health g'reater couver of the of the U'iiicess y, the ithout )refei*s. High- Is have ids of by Ltudes visit genial louver Island promises not simply to furnish coal and to be a site of many a manufa-^tory of iron, but equally, to otter to the invalid a home and a sojourn where he may hope for renewed health. The timber of British Columbia, drawn from its majesti«.' forests, might supply the markets of the world for years without a perceptible diminution of its extent. In many localities trees, tall and straight, stand so close together as to be a marvel. Its wealth in the pine or cone-bearing family is very great. It consists of the celebrated Douglas pine, white pine, hemlock, spruce and balsam. The cedars, I may say, are of fabulous size. I have measured them and found the diameter not less than twelve feet. At the saw-mills where the Douglas ]}me is manufactured, it is strange to have to relate it, no log of greater diameter than eight feet is received, for the trees of larger diameter are unmanageable. There are localities of prairie destitute of trees, but the growth on the river Hats is abundant and varied. Birch, oak, ash, yew and maple are found in some localities, and in the swamps alder, cotton wood and Balm of Grilead. The wild fruits and berries 3eem inexhaustible. With iish they furnish the diet of the Indian in his native state. They consist of the wild plum, the cherry, the crab-apple, prickly pear, the raspberry, blueberry, scarlet currant, gooseberry, bearberry, and on low ground the cranberry. 352 B RI TISII COL UMBIA . i ii U i^liil !i^ |1 n 1! »',[ The game is most varied and plentiful, as every one who has li"*'ed at Victoria ean bear witness. I have counted lil'teen deer hanu'insj in a butcher's shop. The mountain sh(^ep, when full grown, weighs several hundred pounds It is covered with long hair resembling coarse wool, with enor- mous horns. There is a tradition that when escaping pursuit the animal leaps over precipices to a lower level, and it is upon these horns it throws itself. The flesh is equal to that of the domestic sheep, but they are rarely caught as they keep up in the mountains until forced down by the snow in search of food. The fisheries have already become a prolific source of wealth and yet they are in their infancy. The British CQlumbia salmon is well known, even in the English market, in which it has been introduced preserved, and has been favourably received. Herrings abound around the islands, and many kinds of fish are caught oflf the coast. The development of the fisheries naturally will create other industries, such as are connected with their own recpiirements, with fish oil and isinglass. The mineral deposits are coal, iron and copper, with the precious metals. More or less gold is found in every stream. There are immense iron ore deposits at Texada Island, in the Grulf of G-eorgia. Bituminous coal is found on Vancouver Island at several points ;' at Nanaimo the mines are profitably v/orked. Anthracite coal is obtainable ,J SCENERY. 353 il, as every witness. I 1 butcher's ill grown, is covered with enor- hat w^hen precipices i horns it ^at of the 'ht as they down by a prolific r infancy. )W^n, even has been vourably islands, he coast, illy will ted with singlass. copper, gold is |iise iron kilf of [icouver ines are lainable on Queen Charlotte Island. The proximity ot iron and coal cannot fail to have a large iniiuence on the fortunes of the Province, especially as manu- factured articles wall find an outlet to the east by rail equally as by water in the opposite direction. It remains only to allude to the scenery, of which it would be impossible to omit mention, for it is in every respect remarkable. It presents the most marked contrasts. Gigantic mountains, themselves overcapped by snow-covered peaks, quiet prairie, foaming cascades, striking waterfalls, the most rapid of running waters, river reaches with scarcely a ripple. Everywhere it is bold and even its occasional sylvan quietude is impressive, sometimes reaching a grandeur as majestic as it is wald. The canyons are clefts in the mountains which ascend almost perpendicularly from the rivers and in some spots incline inwards, while a torrent fiercely rushes through the fissure. On some sections of the Fraser terraces are seen to rise in regular gradations and to extend far back, each change of level shewing angles and slopes as defined as if formed by art. The peaks, in clear weather, are seen standing out in bold relief, receding by gradations until the last outline can with difiiculty be traced. Among all these bewil- dering spectacles are seen waterfalls descending hundreds of feet of perpendicular height. The fiords indenting the whole line of coast run into the Cascade Range. Their shores rise perpen- 23 354 BlUTISH COLUMBIA. dicularly to peaks, often a perpendicular mile from the water's edge, while the water is so sheltered as to be without a ripple and lies dark and fathomless at their base. . Travellers relate how, in the solitude of the wilderness, sounds have come upon them as of muffled thunder. It is the descent of an avalanche from a glacier, miles away from them ; or one of those mountain slides of earth and trees which occur in the summer heat in the lands at hiofh elevation. These spectacles are among the most wonderful movement of the earth's forces. I have siioken of some of these phenomena as traces of them passed under my notice. It would be difficult to lind in any one of the four continents more majestic or more varied scenery, marked by more of Nature's fertility of resource in grouping together scenes of astonishing grandeur. I do not except Switzerland, with which no comparison can be made, for British Columbia has a character of its own. It must be seen to be appreciated. aile from altered as thomless 3 of the sm as of ralauche r one of s which at high he most I have traces of le of the f varied tility of )iiishiug d, with British nust be 3 CHAPTER XXII. HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. Piiget Sound — The Columbia — Portland — Oregon and San Juan Disputes — Arid Country — Mountain Summits — The Yellow- stone — The ]Missouri — The Red River — Chicago — Standard Time Meeting- -Tlie British Association — Home. The fog had becon.> less dense on the early Monday morning v^- ---^re leaving Victoria to cross to Puget Sor x to proceed thence to Port- land, in Oregon. We had now entered on October. It was the first of the month. My object in taking this route was to pass over the Northern Pacific Eailway. It seemed to me in every way desirable, that correct information should be ©btained of the nature of the country through which that line passes, and I had already travelled over the Central Pacific line from San Francisco. The last spike had been driven when we were in the Yalley of the Ille-celle- waet, and the opening ceremonies had been celebrated on an unusually large scale, three weeks back, before we had finished our journey across the Selkirk Range. "We had crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 1 1' i\\ t 1 1 1 H « 356 IIOMf-: BY THE NORTHERN rAClFlC. We had i^assed over the four ranges of mountaius by a hitherto partly unsurveyed route, and I had satisfied myself as to the po.ssi])ility of establishing* the railway on the line we had traversed. The journey we made was the first of its kind, and no limited j^ortion of the distance had proved exeeed- ing'ly trying. In a few years the railway connec- tion will be completed, and what a held for travel will then be op)ened to those who desire to visit the boldest and most majestic of Nature's scenes which the traveller will be able to visit with very little effort. The Northern Pacific Eailway extends from the western end of Lake Superior to Portland, in Ore- gon, where it will have a connection with a branch line to Puget's Sound. To the east it is at present connected with St. Paul and Minneapolis, and is accordingly brought into relationship with the whole railway system of the continent. Its charter dates from 1864, so it has taken twenty years to complete the line. The enterprise has passed through many vicissitudes. No real progress in its construction was made until Messrs. Jay Cooke & Co., of Philadelphia, arranged in 18*70-^1 to float thirty million dollars of its bonds, by which means the line was constructed from Lake Superior to Bismarck, on the Missouri. The misfortunes of that firm in 18V3, involved the railway in the common ruin. The line was thrown into bankruptcy. The company was re-organized, the bonds transferred PUGETS SOl'NI). 35*7 into preferred stock, and the l)uildinii- of the rail- way commenced at the we& tern end. The Mis- souri division followed. Several presidents end(\a- voured to carry the line to completion. Finally a first mortgage loan was negotiated. At this pcn'iod the credit of the company was estal)lish(>d, money was obtained, and the track was pushed on equally from east and west and the rails finally connected. The steamer North Pacific crossed the San Juan de Fuca Straits to Admiralty Inlet and ascended Puget's Sound. The day was wet and cloudy. Neither at Victoria nor Uic Straits were we able to obtain a glimpse of Mount Baker. I well remem- ber the first view of the majestic outline of this mountain, reaching far above snow-line. I was then at sea at a point eighty or one hundred miles distant. Its appearance is as familiar to the British Columbian as the less elevated " Fujisan " to the Japanese. Nor could we see the striking Olympic Range, which in clear weather in so marked a way strikes the the eye ou the southern coast of Vancouver Island. The steamer called at one or two places before reaching Seattle, the principal port of Puget's Sound, itself a place of considerable importance as the locality whence the product of the coal mines is shipped. Tacoma, however, was our destination, which we reached after dark. It has an excellent harbor, and is the terminus of the railway. It was so dark on our arrival that we proceeded to the nearest hotel, a % ■I V I III! lii 1 m _ i k r 1 \ \ 1 ;,i IR BQ 358 IfOMF BY THE NORTJIFRN PACIFIC. few yards distant. In the evening, to obtain some exercise we indulged in the proverbial "sailor's walk " up and down the platform in front of the building. "We rose early next morning, for the train left at seven. The rain had ceased, but the sky was dull, and there was no view of Mount Tacoma to the east of us. The railway line ascends rapidly from the level of the Sound, and continues through a partially settled country, much of it prairie, with here and there groves of pine. The soil is generally of gravel except in the flats of the Kalama River. The appearance of the homesteads differs little from the backwoods settlements of Ontario. I saw no example of good husbandly, nor could I trace any signs of productiveness in the country through which we passed. We arrived at Kalama about noon, striking the Columbia for the third time. First, when we descended by the Kicking-Horse pass ; again, when we came by the Ille-celle-waet. From the latter point the river has flowed some six hundred and fifty miles, four hundred of \v hich are through the United States territory on a course southerly and thence westerly. It now makes a slight deflection to the north previous to discharg- ing into the ocean at Astoria. At Kalama we v/aited for the steamer which ascends the river to Portland, that portion of the railway being yet incomplete. We also took din- ii THE COLUMBIA. 359 >taiii some " sailor's lit of the train left ) sky was 'acoma to the level partially here and srally of a River, ttle from saw no 'ace any through a about d time. ^-Horse ■waet. d some Vv hich course lakes a charg- which of the k din- ner at the one hotel, near the station. The fare was bad, the charges exorbitant. It seemed to me that there was much uncalled for delay in moving on board a small quantity of lumber. Incident- ally, it may be remarked that there is a tone of thought, a course of action with the people on the Pacific slope by no means in accord with eastern energy. There is no appearanc^e of the bustle and rush you see nearer the Atlantic. The steamer is propelled by a stern wheel. She is of some size and is a regular river boat, with tiers of state-rooms above the main deck. The river is about half a mile wide and is navigable for sea- going vessels to Portland, and for some distance above that city for vessels of less draught. Our trip is limited only to the thirty miles between Kalama and Portland. We passed places with ambitious names but of little promise. The cities of St. Helen and Columbia, so called, neither of which is half so large as the new town of Brandon. Each may be described as the site of a saw-mill, with dwelling houses for the owner and workmen. We ascended the Columbia until we reached a branch, the Williamette, which we followed to Portland. We were now thirty miles south of Kalama. The River Columbia is the boundary between the State of Oregon and Washington Territory. Portland, on the Williamette, is in Oregon. It is a commercial centre of such territory on the Pacific ii> ^': IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) MA 1.0 I.I 1.25 111= 1-4 11.6 V] <^ /}. ^>>V f /# w 2 >^;"*: sssa n ' I •If' 4r 360 HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. slope as San Francisco has uot made tributary. The construction of the Northern Paciiic has exer- cised great inliuence on its growth, for in twelve years it has increased in population from 11,000 to 35,000. This city, like Montreal, is som.e distance from the coast, being one hundred and twenty-five miles from the ocean. But, unlike Montreal, it is not easily approachable by a very large class of ocean going vessels. The wharves, however, pre- sent some animation from the ships moored there. On this occasion there were one iron steamer and six sailing vessels The railway accommodation for the transfer of freight is on an extensive scale, and its promise of a prosperous future seems well assured. We went to the hotel, which we were told both at Victoria and on our way up the river, was the best. If such be the case, Portland must be one of the v/orst provided cities, in this respect, in the United States. Our rooms were small. One had no window to admit light. Not one of them had a fire-place to assist in ventilation, which was especially needed, for the passages were filled with a nauseating stench i:>roceeding from the filthy offices immediately below. The beds were without clean linen ; the towels seemed scarcely washed, certainly they had not been ironed nor been passed through the mangle. The supply of water was insufficient, and when more was asked for it was refused. To crown all, we were hurried off from ARID COUNTRY. 3G1 the hotel at half-past five without breakfast, to cross the river to wait until seven when the train started. The night previous we sec^ured tickets for Chi- cago and paid for a Pullman drawing-room, but there was no Pullman on the train on starting, nor a restaurant car where we could get breakfast. From Portland the railway runs easterly two hun- dred and twenty-eight miles, to Ainsworth. Our first view of the Columbia is striking. It is the locality where it flows through the Cascade Moun- tains The line runs along the base of bold, rocky bluffs, twisting and curving a few feet above the water line. The fog and smoky atmosphere con- ceal the mountains, but I should judge, when vis- ible, that the view is picturesque. For eighty miles from Portland the flora indi- cates a somewhat moist climate, but on passing •east of the Cascade Range everything is as dry as iit Kamloops. We are informed that no rain has fallen for four months. "We see bunch grass on the hills. The rocks are balsaltic, and the indications suggest that the geology of the Thompson extends to this locality. One of the most characteristic features of the landscape are the basaltic columns which stand out prominently on both sides of the river. Before twelve we reach the Dalles at the eighty- seventh mile. I have kindly recollections of this place, for we broke our fast here. It was dinner ■'1 c I i, t If* 1 1 ; 1 1 ,1 1 l^k fl i! \ !■ 1 j 1 1 1 1 m Iw 1 9 1 I n H' ' it m |m 1 1 ij B :. 382 HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. hour for the passengers, and what was served was very good. Our hostess was an Ontario woman from Kingston, and the landlord one of those genial, imperturbable geniuses whom our neighbours so often produce, who have been everywhere and learned much. In his wanderings he had been in Canada, whence he had carried away his wife. He had so much to tell us of the Dominion that we looked upon him as a countryman. Dalles, in Indian phraseology, we learn from him, means " swift water," or rapids. We continue the ascent of the southern bank of the Columbia. The valley is generally from two to three miles wide, in the centre of which the stream flows in its placid course. The banks are hilly and appear broken frequently by trap and balsaltic rock. For miles not a tree is to be seen. The light, dry sand is drifted with the wind, like snow in winter, and sand is often formed during storms into mounds and banks, which are more troublesome to the company than snow itself. We were told that the trains were often seriously delayed by it. From the car windows we could see the "dunes" which have accumulated in many places. An occasional house is visible, with the sand half concealing the windows ; sometimes cast up to the very eaves. Persevering efforts have been made to arrest its progress by planting trees, and to prevent the saplings from being blown away the roots have been covered with paving DESERTED GOLD-DIGGINGS. 363 red was woman 5 genial, ours so jre and been in ife. He ;liat we lies, in means bank of om two lich the inks are •ap and be seen, nd, like during 'e more If. We jriously e could n many nth. the nes cast ts have g trees, blown paving stones. At other places the surface is shingled with boards to hold down the sand, so that it will not be blown on the railway track. The landscape has a dreary and forlorn look, which even the river fails fully to relieve. About one hundred and fifty miles from Port- land the high river banks have disappeared. We run through a flat, level, barren country covered with sage brush, and we are probably less than three hundred feet above tide water. Umatilla, one hundred and ninety miles from Portland, is the ghost of a once flourishing centre, which existed when gold digging in the Blue Mountains was actively followed. To-day it is a picture of desolation, with deserted streets, with dilapidated wooden buildings surrounded by a desert of sage brush. There is one marked memo- rial of its prosperity : a graveyard, where many a poor miner lies in his last home. The fence which encloses it is maintained, and what makes it more remarkable, it is the only fence to be seen for many a mile. At Wallula Junction we have supper. There is at this place a branch to Walla- Walla, thirty- one miles distant. On the side track there is an excursion train full of " Oregon pioneers " travel- ling towards St. Paul. They left Portland seven- teen hours before us and had been detained by an obstruction. As a regular train we take prece- dence and arrived at Snake Eiver about seven, a '' 1 6 ( |i /■ " [ I i I '( ■ I |iS 364 nOJfE BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. littli^ way above its juiictiou with the Columbia at Ainsworth. Snake Kiver is one of the chief tributaries of the Columbia ; it takes its rise five hundred miles to the south-east. It is as yet unbridged, and we cross to the opposite shore by a ferry ; passengers, mails and baggage being trans- ferred to the train, attached to which, for the first time, we find the Pullman. We have followed the valley of the Eiver •Columbia from Kalama to this point, generally •on an easterly course, south of the 4(3 th parallel, ascending its great current flowing westerly. It runs in a southerly course directly from 49' lat. to this place ; and now we leave this magnificent river to see it no more on our journey. The railway has followed the south or Oregon bank of the Columbia from Portland. As a Cana- dian I could not but feel a deep interest in looking across on the opposite bank to Washington Terri- tory. I reverted to the settlement by treaty of the Oregon question in 1846. Grreat Britain most justly claimed the whole territory north of the 42° IDarallel. The claims of the United States as set forth by them were only limited by Alaska. At that date the fact is undoubted that there was not a single citizen of the United States established north of the Columbia River. The country was occupied only by the Hudson's^Bay Company. The Columbia was the thoroughfare of that Company to the Boat Encampment, already alluded to, at CAPITULATION ON THE PACIFIC. 365 )luinbia le chief rise five as yet liore by o' traus- the first ! Eiver 3nerally parallel, )rly. It 49^ lat. ••niftceut Oregon a C ana- looking' )n Terri- y of the n most the 42° s as set ka. At was not iblished ry was ly. The )nipany to, at the extreme north of the Selkirk Itange. This river wonld have made a good natnral boundary line, and in itself wonld have been a compromise most favonral)le to the United States. It would have given them Astoria and all the discovin'ies of Lewis and Clark, but the treaty of 1840 was simply a capitulation even more inglorious than the Ash- burton Treaty of four years earlier date, and will so live in history. Six degrees of latitude by three degrees of longitude of British Territory were deliberately abandoned by the Imperial diploma- tists, and what is more remarkable the settlement was so ill-defined as, some years afterwards, to cause the San Juan difficulty, which raised great trouble and much ill-feeling. At six next morning we arrive at Spokane Falls, a well built town with a population of fifteen hundred. The soil is light and gravelly, with groves of pine. We reach Rathdrum, thirty miles distant, described in the guide book as an agricul- tural centre in the best portion of the valley. The train remains here twenty minutes. We learn that no rain has fallen since early in May, and that the crops are almost a failure. All the soil we have looked upon for three hundred miles is sandy and gi'avelly, and without rain good croj^s can scarcely be looked for. At nine we reach Sand Point, four hundred and forty-five miles from Portland. From Ainsworth we have been running in a north-easterly direction ut\i ■ U li f :J :'l V t !i < ■ 1 1 !! 366 HOME BY TEE liORTIIERN PACIFIC. and we are now fifty miles south of the Boundary Line. The mouth of the Kicking-Horse River is two hundred miles from us, nearly due north. I looked on Sand Point with some interest, for if we had been driven at the Ille-celle-waet to abandon our journey through the Eagle Pass, it was at this spot we would have reached the Northern Pacific Railway on our descent by the Columbia past Fort Colville. We have passed the northern part of Idaho and are entering Montana. At Heron, thirty-eight miles from Sand Point, a few drops fall from the cloudy sky, we are told the only rain since spring ! "We are following Clark's Fork Valley towards the Rocky Mountains. We come upon open prairie with good soil and bunch grass pasture, with patches of good sized forest trees. The valley varies in width from one to five miles, and is not wanting in natural beauty. It resembles some- what Bow River, above Calgarry ; but at Bow River the mountains are higher and bolder in out- line than on the Northern Pacific, and at this spot the heights are wooded to the summit and are unmarked by bold, rocky, lofty peaks. We have rain during the afternoon. If it be acceptable to the arid soil it is equally welcome to the traveller as an accessory to comfort. Hitherto the dust has followed us like a cloud, but the rain dispels it. It is getting dark. My intention had been to stay up to observe, as best I could, the THE DESCENT. 367 mouutaiu " divide," but as it was hopeless to look for moonlight I turned in before twelve. I slept an hour when I again rose. It was still dark and drizzly, but the glare from the engines working their full power up the ascent was reflected by the hanging clouds, and near objects were dimly visible. I was desirous of seeing what I could of the country, for we were approaching the divide of the water How of the continent; the one turning to the Pacific, the other to the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. As morning advanced the sky became clear and the features of the country visible. A tunnel two-thirds of a mile long, the Mullan tunnel, is in x^rogress through the summit. At present the rails are connected over the mountain by a surface line, four miles in length, with steep grades. The train was drawn up by two engines and we crept up at a slow pace. On reaching the highest point we came to a stand to admit of an examination of the couplings and of the whole machinery of the locomotive and train. We had now to face the serious work of descent. The heaviest grade is confined to a mile. The inclination, evidently '^eat, was shown by the angle formed by the hanging articles in the Pull- man, with the vei ""J lines of its panels. I ex- temporize* plummet and line with the silk cord of my git: -s, and according to my calculation the gradients we passed over for some distance exceeded two hundred and sixty feet to th© mile ; •I ' iM II ';t II n I ij -s: I! 368 JIOM/-J BY THE NOR Til h'RN PACIFIC. in Olio spot thoy reached uearly three hundred feet : 5.7 feet to the hundred feet. "We k^ft the temporary line and followed the permanent track, the s^radient of which I was told is one hundred and sixteen feet to the mile. In our passai^e over the summit no mountains were visible. The hills through which we passed were but a few hundred feet higher than the track. We crossed the "divide" by a narrow depression, as far as we can judge, of no great depth. The exact length of the completed Mullan tunnel will be 3,850 feet, its height 5,547 feet above sea level. "VVe have rea(.'hed Helena. We are now in the valley of the Missouri. The second summit, be- tween the Missouri and the Yellowstone Ivivers, is about one hundred and forty miles distant from the main summit. Before reaching it I take the opportunity to get some sleep. Seventy miles from Helena we come to Grallatin. At this spot the Missouri may be said to com- mence. It is fed by three important tributaries, the Jefferson, the Madison and the Grallatin, all rising within the x^eriphery of a semi-circle of mountains visible to the south and east of us. We passed through the fertile plain of Bozze- man, where we obtained a fine view of the E-ocky Mountains, south of us. Their lofty peaks, tipped with snow, are probably eighty miles distant. It could not have been very far from this neighbour- hood that the sons of De la Yerendrye first looked YELLOW STOXK RIVER. 3G9 uiidred ^ed the nis told ile. Ill lis were ed were ,ck. We jsiou, as- [le exact will be evel. N in the unit, be- tivers, is pit from ake the iji-allatin. to oom- 3utaries, atin, all ircle of ns. Bozze- Rocky 5, tipped lant. It [ghbour- looked upon the mountain heights as they ascended a branch of the Missouri. At Bozzemaii \^» pre- pared for another ascent and pass over a temporary tra<*k until the Bozzemaii tunnel is completed. It will be 4,500 feet long and 5,572 feet above tide level. There is a marked contrast in the character of the heights at Bozzeman to those of Mullan. The latter are wooded, whereas the former are bare, with only a few small bushes. The Bozzeman tunnel, although only through a spur of the Rocky Mountain chain, is a few yards more elevated than the Mullan tunnel through the main divide. At Livingstone we are in the Yellowstone Valley, eight hundred and eighty miles from Portland. We followed the Yellowstone for three hundred and forty miles. Yellowstone park is sixty miles to the south, and a railway leads to it from this point. We can see the mountains of the National park in the distance, grand, lofty and striking, recalling some portion of the Selkirk range. I saw nothing on the Northern Pacific Railway except this distant view, to equal the mountains on our Canadian line. We cross the Yellowstone River, about one hun- dred and fifty feet wide, and which takes its rise in Yellowstone Lake, one hundred miles south of us. At Livingstone we enter a prairie country which we follow in our journey eastward for twenty degrees of longitude. As we pass over the two 24 3t0 HOME nv Tin: xortiierx pacific. water sheds, 1)otwooii five and six thousand feet above the sea, we form th(» impression that there is a])nndance of moisture at this elevation. We are now, however in '-omparatively low ground, and the district generally is evidently dry, if not to some extent rainless. Possibly the mountains intercept the vapour-bearing clouds, or drive them into tne higher regions. The maps show that there are spurs of the Rocky Mountains continuing to the north and south of the Yellowstone Valley for a long distance east of the main range, but all of them are too distant from our point of vision or too low to appear above the horizon. The railway follows the general direction of the river, sometimes along its banks, and at no place at any great distance from it. The soil on the bot- tom lands is loam or clay with a gravelly sub-soil. The grass is dry and thin, but preparations for irrigation on a co7\siderable scale have been under- taken west of Billings' station, one hundred and fifteen miles east of Livingstone. By this means the lowlands adjacent to the river will be brought Tinder cultivation. Beyond the immediate valley itself, in which irrigation is practicable the ground must remain much as it now is. East of Billings we meet the same arid country, with scanty her- bage and a few scattered trees of small size along the river's edge. We are now in the territory which for so many years was the scene of frequent Indian wars. Fort CUSTER'S DEFEAT. 371 Ciistor is to the south of us, and to the oust Fort Keog'h. At Custer station an ollicer entered the train on his way to Fort KeoQ'h. Lik(^ most olTicers of the United States army, he was aorreeabU> and full of conversation. He had had iifteen years' experience of the country, and consequently had many anecdotes to tell of the wars. He showed us a rusty revolver which, a few days previously, he had picked up from the iii»ld where Custer's whole command was destroyed in the last suc(^ess- ful etlbrt of the lied man on a large scale. We can recollect the extraordinary excitement the news caused on this continent. I must frankly say that, making all allowance for Custer's known gallan- try, my sympathies have always been with the men who rode after him, rather than with their leader. Custer himself, it is true, paid the penalty of his rashness. The record is simple. He, with his command, some six hundred sabres, rode up the valley of the Rosebud. Not one returned to tell the tale of their extermination. The criticism of the day was not favorable to Custer's general- ship. He had turned into an attack what was intended as a reconnaisance. His critics accuse him of endeavoring to attract public attention by some bold dashing movement, the one justification of which would have been its success. Every reader of the Indian wars knows that the strategy of the Red man is that of surprise and ambuscade, and that failure in observing caution in an ad- S12 HOME BY THE NORTHERN PACIFIC, ''II vaiK'o, incurs the danger of defeat and loss. The snare into which Custer fell is one of the most remarkable in its results that not a man escaped. Its parallel in misfortune, however, was not long after witnessed at Tsandula, when not one man of the two hundred in the ranks oK the Imperial second 24th regiment survived the Zulu attack on the unfortified camp. During the night we left the Yellowstone at Glendive. We have passed over the Mauvaise Terre which I had wished to see ; but it was not possible, as it was dark when we came through it. Our restaurant car no longer accompanies us. The fact is brought to our mind by a bad and expensive breakfast at Kichardson, in Dacota. Between Glendive and Bismarck the soil is good ; the grass, however, is brown, but of better growth than to the West. At Sims, coal mining has been com- menced with bome success. This place is scarcely a year old, but it contains a number of brick buildings. The site of the town is on an eminence, and altogether it looks more promising than any spot we have seen since we left Portland. We are now in the hundred and second meridian of longitude. Improvement advances as we proceed easterly ; the towns are more numerous and better built, and are marked by more bustle. The land is of a higher character and better cultivated, and we see a superior class of station buildings. 3. The e most scaped. ot long man of inperial tack on tone at ise Terre )ossible, t. Our s. The [pensive [between le grass, than to Liii com- 'ontains le town is more Lnce we 'ed and asterly ; lilt, and is of a we see ni^\ luCK. 373 We reached Mandane o the Missouri. Bismarck is on the eastern bank, o\ osite. These two places are the creation of a few years, and the progress they have made is marvellous. Thi^y are connected by a high level iron bridge. The three centre si)ans are each four hundred feet, on stone piers. The height from the bottom of thii deepest founda- tion to the top chord is one hundred and seventy feet, the height of the truss is fifty feet. It is approached by timber trestling at one part sixty feet in height. It is a bold pie(?e of engineering, and the cost is named at one million dollars. The bridge was finished in May of last year. The land near Bismarck is very good. Already the country is well settled ; but night came on and cut off further observation. We passed over an important but scarcely perceptible water-shed, about one hundred and fifty miles east of Bismarck. The ehn^ation above the general level cannot be distinguished, and we have prairie around us on all sides. Near the small station of Sanbon we leave the basin of the Grulf of Mexi<'0, and with- out visible signs of change pass to that of the Hudson's Bay. From the Eocky Mountains to this point the drainage has been by the Missouri. The rainfall passes now to the Red River and Lake Winnipeg to the north. We are in the upper part of the Red River Plain, an extension of that dis- trict in Canada so unequalled for fertility. At eleven at night we reach Fargo, where the i ■ i il 1 V ■ 1 i:r r.{ r t 'is nil' iV-:S- 1 1 Im 1 1;' K I 374 /70J/£' i?r THE NORTHERN PACIFIC. line crosses the Eed River. Fargo, like Winnipeg, is the wonderful creation of a few years. The Station is illuminated by electric lights, and even at the late hour the place has the appearance of an important commercial centre. Moorhead is on the eastern bank of the river, opposite Fargo. G-lyn- don. ten miles further east, is 1,626 from Portland and 2^4 miles from St. Paul. It is a place of importance, in so far that a connection is made with the railway from St. Paul for Winnipeg, but .^s not otherwise remarkable. I was sorry to separate from my old friend and fellow traveller, Dr. Grant, who left the train for Winnij)eg. We had been together for six weeks through the adventures which 1 have recorded. At midnight we shook hands ; Dr. Grant to go northward, and myself and my son to find ourselves at St. Paul on the next forenoon. At St. Paul we are on known ground. Twenty- four hours brings us to Chicago and another twenty-four hours to Toronto. There are many Canadian interests in St. Paul, and this picturesque city on the banks of the Mississippi has been often visited and described. We are now thoroughly within all the influences of busy life, and the meagerest of newspaper readers turns to the jour- nals of the day to learn what has happened and is to be looked for. I am gratified to learn that the next meeting of the British Association will be held in Canada, and STANDARD TIME. 3*75 inipeg, The (1 even e of an on the G-lyn- )rtland lace of 5 made eg, but )rry to iveller, r. We ^h the idnight I'd, and ^anl on wenty- nother many resque 1 often 3iighly id the e jonr- 2d and ing of ia, and I read that in a couple of days there is to be a gathering in Chicago of railway managers from the United States and Canada in special conven- tion to determine what steps are to be taken to establish the standards for the regulation of time. Twenty years ago, personally, I had felt that in connection with the railways of Canada in the future, extending over several degrees of longi- tude, difficulties would arise in the comi)utation of time. To my mind it was evident that, in place of the rude mode followed, some more scientific system was called for. When I became Engineer of the Intercolonial Railway from Nova Scotia to Quebec, and of the Canadian Pacific Railway from Ontario to the far West, my views were confirmed, and, as I devoted time and study to the problem, I became more than ever impressed with the import- ance of the c[uestion, not only to Canada or to this continent, but to the world generally. Reasoning on the subject d priori from the admit- ted necessity of a change of system it struck me forcibly that it could only be effected on principles which would meet every objection and generally commend themselves as well founded Moreover, the subject appeared to me of unusual interest, and as such I thought it my duty specially to bring it under the notice of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. I formed the opinion that this Association, having been established for promoting the general welfare, was the body above J TB • 1, ESdU ' I 3^6 iiomf: by the northern pacific. all others to which any proposition having so universal an application should be submitted. I was in London in 18 Y8, and addressed the perma- nent officers of the Association on the subject, expressing my wish to bring it forward. I com- plied with all the regulations, and gave notice of my intention to introduce its consideration before the forty-eigth meeting to be held in Dublin the following August. I prepared a paper and sub- mitted an outline of it. I was informed by letter from the Secretary that it would be brought before Section A, " Mathematics and Physical Science." I arrived in Dublin the first day of the meeting, the 14th August, and lost no time in addressing the Secretary, personally, and informing him that I was prepared to read my paper when called upon. He answered that I should receive a reply in due course. Not receiving any communication for three days, I saw the Secretary and was then informed by him that the Committee had decided that my paper should be read on the 21st. It turned out that on that day there would be no meeting. The last meeting was on the 20th. My paper was put down at the end of the list : it was the twelfth. I attended the Section until the meeting closed, but no opportunity was given me to introduce it. There was still another day, so I approached the Secretary and endeavoured to make some arrangement for its being read in the morn- I was curtly told that Section A would not mg THE BRlTISn ASSOCIATION. S11 lllg SO ted. I perma- abject, I com- tice of before in the d sub- letter before ice." I ig, the iig the that I upon, in due )n for then 3cided t. It be no My was 1 the n me , so I make norn- d not meet again, as all the pai:>ers but mine had been disposed of, and he took upon himself to add that the reading of my paper was of little consequence. I deemed it my duty, without delay, to bring the circumstance under the notice of the President of the Association, but my letter did not receive the slightest attention. "What could I do ? The letter of the Secretary received in London distinctly informed me that my paper would be considered, and consequently I had travelled to Dublin and waited from day to day until the last meeting, but all to no purpose. I was unknown. I was from the other side of the Atlantic, and in those days there was no High Commissioner to obtain common justice for the Canadian. I had simply experienced one of those acts of official insolence or indifference so mischievious in their influence and so offensive in their character, which I fear, in years gone by, too many from the Outer Empire experienced. T assume that the secretary represented the Committee, and that the Committee had the right to form their own opinion as to the importance of the subjects jiroposed to be brought before the Association, and reject such as to them seemed unworthy of attention. But they were not justified in saying one thing in London and acting as they did in Dublin. I will take upon myself to remind the officers of the British Asso- ciation that since that date the subject I proposed to bring before the Dublin meeting has not been ! Mi III ",, •! Ik , li 1^ 378 JJOMK BY THE NORrilERN PACIFIC. considered beneath the notice of many scientific societies on both sides of the Atlantic, that it has been earnestly discussed at International Con- gresses in Venice and Rome, and it has led to the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States passing a joint resolution requesting the President to invite the attention of all civilized nations to the question. It struck me as a singular coincidence that among the first things that I read in the Chicago newspapers was the notice of the important meet- ing of Railway Managers^^ to take definite action on the subject of regulating time, so unpleasantly disposed of in Dublin by the British Association, and that the Association itself was coming to Canada to learn that the managers of one hundred thousand miles of railway, travelled over by fifty millions of people on this cont-nent, had taken the first important step in ihe scheme of Cosmopolitan Time Reckoning, which, as an Association, it offici- ally and offensively refused to entertain ; and, fur- ther, to learn that on the 1st October, after their visit to Canada, an International Conference will be held in Washington, on the invitation of the President of the United States, to take another step in its establishment, and to recommend to the *This meeting was held on October 11th. As a result the Standard Hour system went into force throughout North America on the 18th November following. HOME AGAIX. 379 ientiiic that it al Con- to the of the nesting ivilized 36 that vhicago t meet- i action asantly nation, ing to Lindred >y fifty en the >olitan offici- d, fur- their e will of the lother to the world such further action regarding it as may be deemed expedient. I venture to say that members of the British Association visiting the Dominion next summer will be received with cordiality and hospitality, and some may recross the ocean with new ideas of the busy world outside of England. Possibly their visit to Canada and the warm recei^tion which, I am sure, they will receive, will engender new feelings ; less insular, perhaps, and more kindly, more symimthetic, towards their fellow subjects whose homes are to be found in the territory of the Empire which lies beyond the four seas. From Chicago I followed the usual route to Ottawa. I paid my respects to His Excellency Lord Lome and Her Royal Highness, so soon to leave Canada. Lord Lome was in a few days to proceed to Quebec to meet Lord Lansdowne. I went on my way to Halifax, where I arrived on Saturday, 13th October, exactly seventeen weeks since I left for England, on the 17th of June. lit the merica CHAriER XXIII. THE INDIANS. il * Indian Population — Tho Government Policy — Indian Instincts — Tho Hudson's Bay Company — Fidelity and Truthfulness of Indians — Aptitude for Certain Pursuits — Tho Future of the Rod Man. In the foregoing chapters I have alluded more than once to the Indian population scattered over the Dominion and more especially remarkable in the North- West and British Columbia. It is a subject to command attention when the future of Canada is at all considered. Fortunately it is one concerning vv^hich little anxiety need be felt. The Grovernment on one side recognizes its obligations to the lied man, and is desirous of doing him jus- tice. The Indian is satisfied that there is a desire to treat him fairly. The land formerly held by them and now owned by the Dominion has not been ruthlessly seized, arbitrarily held in posses- sion b> oquatters and remorseless traders. It has been obtained by treaty on principles of right and justice, and has been ceded to the commonwealth ii! DECREASE IN NUMBERS. 381 Instincts \ilness of re of the i more ^d over ible in t is a ture of is one The Lit ions jus- desire Id by s not osses- t has t and ealth for an agreed equivalent ; av hen the settler enters upon possession, he simply takes his holding- on Government land. The dec '^ase of the Indian population has stead- ily advanced since the settlement of the east coast by the first Anglo-8axon in the seventeenth cen- tury. The number of the native race at that date must be always a matter of conjecture, Catlin estimated it at that time to have been fourteen millions, and half a century ago he described it as reduced to two millions. All the early writers of rianada describe the populous condition of the Indian tribes. That they no longer present this character ^s undoubted. General Lefroy, in a paper read before the Canadian Institute, of Toronto, in 1853, estimated the total number of Indians in North America at 250,000. Even without inter- course with the white man, their desolating wars, the frequent scarcity of food and the want of knowledge of the means by which life can be pre- served, all had their influence. As the country became more occupied and under the control of the European, their territory became narrowed, and hence the greater cause of quarrel arose. Then the Indians of the Mohawk and those of Lake Huron became mixed up in the wars of the English and French. During the revolutionary war with the United States and the war of 1812 the tribes took opposite sides, while there were whole races who lived in open hostility to the white man. i M y ,1 1 1 1 If]' 882 TffK INDIANS. Except in the North-West, they have almost passed out of miud. In Ontario they are seldom thought of, but in the neighbourhood where they are seen, nevertheless their number amounts to 18,000. In Quebec they attract greater attention ; their number, however is only 12,000. In the Maritime Provinces they number 4,000. At present the estimated number of Indians east of the Kocky Mountains is 51,500 ; in British Columbia x:>roi>er there are nearly 3(3,500 ; in the more northern Hudson's Bay Territories, Labrador and the Arctic coast, 9,000. In the North-West, at no late date, there was much to unsettle confidence, in view of the rapid strides with which settlement was advancing, and in view also of the difficulty which appeal^ inherently to attend the solution of this important problem in i:)olitical economy ; more especially when we consider the constant turmoil and difficulty experienced in the United States. But the solution has been found, as much else in life, by following the very simple principle of justice and honesty. There are now in the North- West under the immediate care of the Grovernment 10,000 Indians. The proximate cost of beef and flonr furnished them is twelve cents per head per day. It may confidently be affirmed that the present satisfactory condition of our North- West Indian relations is entirely owing to the admirable gov- ernment of the Hudson's Bay Company. One CANADIAN POLICY 383 almost seldom 3re they unts to tontioii ; 111 the ; i:)resoiit .e Rocky I j)roper lortherii le Arctic ite date, in view eiit was iy which of this ; more urmoil States, else in iple of der the Indians, rnished present Indian lie gov- One principle observed was never to allow the Indian to sulfer from starvation. Provisions under condi- tions of privation were given to those in need; l)ut the recipients were made clearly to understand that it was an advance of goods to ])e repaid in the futnre. Those receiving assistance when in want, or to enable them to start for the hunting ground ? were held to give back the value of what was then given, when the recipient was in a condition to do so. A principle was accordingly established, which the Dominion Grovernment is endeavouring to enforce : that the Indian should never re^'ard himself as an object of charity, specially to be provided for. He is by these means taught that to beg is discreditable, and to receive Government rations as alms is personally dishonourable to him- self. He is taught self-reliance, for he is made to understand that the rations, or clothing, or powder must be repai.I by work or otherwise as he can satisfy the claim. The duty has accordingly been imposed on those able to work to make some return for what they have received. Such as these labour under the eye of the farm instructor on each reserve. If there be no work there will be no food, a principle per- fectly within Indian comprehension and sense of justice. Moreover, what labour they give redounds to their own personal advantage. The strides to civilization may not be immediate, but they are per- ceptible, and progress is in that direction. Above V T 384 T//h' IXDIANS. « i( :( IHII: ' ^'^^. all thiiiiis, the Iiuliau is satisfiod, for ho Ibols that he is tri'ati'd with justiiv. "We must, on our sido, be reasonable in our expeetations. AVe must remember that the Indiivn has never bi^en habituated to steady labour, and it should not be a matter oi' bewilderment if he is vaeillating and irregular in accepting that condi- tion. For countless generations his life has been nomadic. He has l)een lord of the soil, bred a warrior, and the white men who has been the cause of the change in his condition should bear with him and be patient, and extcMid him help ^nd aid. It is not only the Indian who iinds it hard to accept the life of monotonous employment, day out, day in. Many of our race who, at a some- what advanced period in their career are set down to patient efibrt, Hnd it no little of a trial. The hand of little employment hath the daintier sense, and we must look to two or three generations passing away before the Indian will take his place in the family of civilized man. He has much of his former life to unlearn ; he has to struggle against the instincts of his blood ; he has to accept the great truth that labour is honourable. Those human lilies of the valley who toil not, neither do they spin, do not hold the same high grade in human estimation which they obtained a century back. No doctrine is more recognized than that every right is co-existent with a duty. The Indian has to reach the condition of understanding that LXDIA N A r Tl 77 D KS. cls that ill our > Indiim [', and it if ho is ,t coudi- las been , bred a loeii Iho lid bear lelp ^ud «; it hard eut, day , a some- t down The r sense, rations s place nnch of :ruggle ) accept Those neither ado in entury n that Indian Ig that 885 he ran only hold hi.s place by the side ol' the white man ))y luliilling the obligations attendant on the position he claims. The white man engaged in the ellbrt to elevate the Indian, must not be discouraged if the attempt made on his part does not at once lead to little more than ii»*rc<'ptible results, lie must look for- ward to much patient perseverance for inanv years, and he must guard against discouragement. If he has difhculties to meet there is also much in the Indian character by which they are iitted for peculiar employment ; as guardians of rivers, as herdsmen, as boatmen ; and they have extra- ordinary aptitude for any calling which exacts readiness of resoiTrc and quickness of perception. Moreover, the Indian in many ways displays much artistic skill. The Indians of the Pacilic coast especially are noted for their taste. This is exem- plified in the really fine models of ship architecture seen in their large sea-going canoes. They are also distinguished for carving in wood and their work in metals. Thuy are capable ^f taking part in many profit- able occupations. In British Columbia they are preferred as labourers to the Chinamen. The Indian has proved himself to be an excellent assistant on a farm. He is useful in a saw-mill, and in siich manufactures as he can undertake. He can be relied upon as an overseer of rivers and to protect fisheries He can be trained to look 386 THE INDIANS. i)!', I ( after forests aud to prevent the wholesale destruc- tion of timber, so often the result of carelessness and imprudence. As forester and guardian of the observance of the game laws he would be invaluable ; and it is only by strict observance of our regulations with regard to the season in which fish and game can be hunted and killed that its preservation can be assured. Who more fit for this duty ? The Indians have already some minor industries, by which they show strong commercial instincts. They si)lit cedar logs by means of yew wedges, which they sell to the northern tribes for seal or whale oil, blankets and dried fish. The seal fisheries which they carry on are of great extent. The annual value is named at $200,000. Speaking generally of them in British Columbia, they are in no way held in this western part of the Dominion, where they are well known, to be the unimpres- sibL animals many assert them to be. I can myself trace many strong indications of progress, and I do not think that many years will pass before this fact has been clearly established. Many are now receiving instruction in agri- culture. They are furnished with the necessary implements and seed. Cattle have also been given them. If in some instances there have been fail- ures, the majority of those to whom these advan- tages have been extended have fairly profited by them. THE SIOUX. 38*7 istruc- (ssness iaii of lid be Lnce of which that its fit for ustries, istiiicts. wredges, seal or he seal extent, peaking y are in minion, mpres- I can rogress, 111 pass i. agri- m ftcessary \\ given ien fail- advan- lited by On many of the reserves much interest has been shewn in agriculture, with the important result that the grain raised has reduced the number of rations issued. It is proposed to introduce on their farms pigs to breed from. It is held that many will understand that they are not at once to be killed and eaten. If successful, it will prove a step of importance ; on one side inculcating thrift, on the other being a provision against want. Even the Blackfeet, who a few years back were continu- ally on the war-path, have settled down to peace- able pursuits. Most families have a small farm or garden in place of the wigwam. An attempt is to be made to establish industrial schools. But the Indians do not willingly see their children separ- ated from them. The Sioux, who were driven out of the United States twelve years back, came to Manitoba with the stigma of the atrocities they were charged with ; into these I will not enter. They asked a home. They prayed to be allowed to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. No special privilege was claimed by them. The desire was granted ; and they have never violated the hospitality ex- tended to them. Their career has been one of patient labour. The Hudson Bay Company obtained control over the Indian, by its inflexible regard to its obliga- tions. They never falsified their word. The love of truth in the Indian in his natural condition is ^f 888 TEE INDIANS. I one of the marked features of his character. It is a virtue he respects in others, for he himself prac- tices it. It has been said that such was the confi- dence in every officer of the Company, hence in every white man, that an Indian would accept a few pencil words which he could not understand, on a sheet of paper, from a stranger, telling him to present it as a certificate at a certain post in payment for provisions or skins or any service rendered. The fidelity of the Indian to his engagements is best known by those who have intercourse with him. However the fact may be disputed by mere petulant abuse, it is uncontradictable. A proof of the strongest character can be adduced, even at this hour, by the agents of the Hudson's Bay Com- pany. There are many localities where the busi- ness is not sufficient to siipport a resident store- keeper, where there are none but Indians. At the same time there are requirements of traffic which cannot be ignored. This condition is met by an arrangement of a simple character, but it is only possible when unvarying good faith and hon- esty are observed. The Hudson's Bay Company erect a store, generally a large log shanty ; glass being difficult to obtain, generally the windows are made of parchment. The door is only secured against the intrusion of wild animals, that is to say, it is securely fastened from the outside by a latch or bar. So any one can enter it at any time. Here are stored such supplies as the Indian may It is ' prac- confi- Qce in 'cept a •stand, liim to yment •ed. ents is e with Y mere )roof of ven at y Com- e busi- store- s. At traffic is met t it is hon- pany glass idows icnred is to by a time, may INDIAN' HONES rr. 389 need : blankets, clothing, arms, powder, shot and such articles as are used by the Ked man. When an Indian in the district requires any article from the store, he enters and takes what he wants, leaving behind the requisite number of skins in barter, denoting by some mark the individuality of the deposit. A tariff of equivalents has been established, and the Indian knows precisely what he has to leave behind for the value of that which he takes away. This arrangement has existed for many years. I have never heard an instance of the store having been fraudulently visited, or of the least dishonesty on the part of the Indian. In the regular periodical visit to these localities, in some cases not oftener than twice a 3''ear, the agents have invariably found everything in order and satisfactory. In these visits the stock is replenished and the furs deposited taken possession of The system still prevails, and until fraud has been learned from intercourse with the white man it will continue in the remote districts. It is difficult amid civilized commerce to find a parallel to the confidence on one side and to the honesty shewn on the other. If all the chronicles related of the days of Alfred be true, the national honesty may then have partaken of the reliability and trustworthiness of the Indian. But no other record of this character is to be found in any page of history. It can onlj'' exist, indeed, in a simple state of society in which the dominant I I ':, I,; ''-' I 390 THE INDIANS. class is marked by the strictest honesty and fidelity to a promise made. It is this tone of personal honour which the Ked man both appreciates and in his own conduct observes, until it is lost in the vices and misfortunes of a civilization which generally he has experienced to his ruin, subsequently to be developed to untiring calumny of his race. Whatever the feelings and weak- nesses of the Indian in his natural condition, in other respects truth and honesty are his marked characteristics. There is a special difficulty in British Columbia, found in no other part of Canada, the custom of holding " pot-laohes " : feasts spread over much time, when extravagant gifts are made. A procla- mation was issued by Lord Lome forbidding these meetings. It is now proposed to make them a misdemeanor by statute. In some parts of this Province liquor has been introduced among the Indians by the Chinese and others, and in some tribes the spirit of gambling is springing ip. In one agency, however, they have been induced to burn their cards. A more important proceeding is the introduction into the House of Commons of a measure to give some of the old tribes self-government. What is specially required is to make the Indian self-reliant and self-respecting. If he have to live by the side of whites he can only be taught a sense of equality with them by removing every remnant INDIAN WRONGS. 391 fidelity :>ersonal ites and is lost lization is ruin, alumny [ weak- ition, in marked )lnmbia, custom er much procla- g these them a of this )ng the n some tp. In iced to luction o give hat is reliant y the nse of nant of patronizing protection. Even communities not Indian, not subject to effort, from whom little exertion is called for, easily drop into habits of indulgence and indolence. The true policy to- wards the Indian is that of extending to him pro- tection from being robbed and abused, but at the same time teaching him to feel how much of his happiness depends on his own conduct, and that his future depends largely on himself. There are a class of men who reason themselves into the theory that the best civilization for the Indian is to civilize him off the face of the coun- try. Such as these seem to forget that the worst faults of the Eed man are those which he has learned from our race. From the davs of Colum- bus and Cortez until modern times, the white man has looked upon the Indians as a class of beings to whom he was bound by no tie of honour. By the wrongs he himself has committed he awakened feelings of revenge, and one policy only was known, coercion and force. In modern times, happily, one duty has been recognized, the enforced abstinence of the Indian from liquor. Throughout the Dominion, but especially in the North- West, on Canadian soil, the strongest precautions are taken against the introduction of spirituous liquors. No alcohol is admitted into Indian territory. Were the contrary course allowed, the Red man would soon degenerate into the lowest depths of misery and crime. It is not to be denied that our own ««l.^^ m ill* 1(1}' ■ I ' 392 THE INDIANA race shew many examples of dishouesty and fraud ; but crime with the Indian is found in its most marked form when in contact with the white man. The experience of all who know them is that they have great tt^nacity of purpose, and will endure hardship and privation uncomplainingly. The advance of events has changed their whole lives, and in the proportion that governments have recog- nized this fact and have endeavoured to adapt the tribes to the new relations in which they have to live, so are they found to be willing to accept what lies before them and to be grateful for the consideration which they receive. The Canadian Government is acting on this principle. Those who study the question hopefully look forward to the day wheii the Indian population of the North- West will turn to pastoral and agricultural pursuits and constant labour to obtain their bread. The present peaceable character of the Indian is sufficiently established by the fact that the mounted police, which consists of five hundred men, is sufficiently strong to exercise the neccessary control over the fifty thousand of Indian population east of the Rocky Mountains. All authorities agree in stating that they are under perfect subjection to law, and that the police are competent to keep out the mischievous whiskey trader, whose progre^ j through the land is a blight and a curse where it passes. It is true that the days of adventure and indi- 1 FUTURE OF THE RACE. 393 fraud ; s most e man. it they 3iidure The 3 lives, > recog- Lpt the .aye to accept for the uadian Those )rward of the iiltural bread, iiau is Duuted leii, is control )n east ^ree in ion to lep out [•ogrei -J here it vidual prowess have passed av^ay, but their energy and power of almost untiring effort remain. All that is needed is a healthful, well-considered, just policy to turn these good qualities into the right direction. d indi- n ■ ' :; f CHAPTEE XXIY. THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. Rapid Construction — Travelling — Old and New — Beginning of Pacific Railway — Difficulties — Party Warfare — The Line North of Lake Superior — The United States Government — Mountain I'asses— Soil and Climate — National Parks — Pacific Terminus. Any one who, with the least attention, has fol- lowed the writer in his journey cannot fail to have observed the ease with which long distances on this continent in modern times are passed over. Within the last quarter of a century the whole system of travel has changed. With efficient rail- way carriages, possessing sleeping accommodation and accessories to personal comfort and with a res- taurant car, making allowance for time and dis- tance, the traveller may pass over half a continent with no greater difficulty than he meets in going from London to Liverpool. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company has shewn extraordinary energy in the construction of the work. The progress seems fabulous Four hundred and fifty miles of main line, independently of collateral branches in LAKE SUPERIOR SECTION. 395 rinning of Line North -Mountain Terminus . has fol- io have inces on ed oyer. e whole ent rail- lodation th a res- and dis- ontinent in going L Pacific ^ energy progress miles oi nches in the North-West, aggregating one hundred and forty- miles, which they have completed in one summer. The railway now extends westerly from Port Arthur, Lake Superior, to the first range of the Rocky Mountain zone, thirteen hundred and ninety miles. It has practically reached the eastern boun- dary of British Columbia, in itself identical with the mountain crest forming the continental water- shed. The Canadian Oovernment, in accordance with the contract, retained in its hands the con- struction of the line from Kamloops to Port Moody, 215 miles. The intervening distance of 300 miles remains to be constructed to complete the connec- tion between Lake Superior and the Pacific. North of Lake Superior the line is under con- struction easterly. During the present winter a force of 10,000 workmen have been continually engaged in the task of establishing the line be- tween Port Arthur and Callander, 650 miles, at which last named point connection has been made with the railway systems of Ontario and Quebec. By degrees these gaps will be closed, and in two or three years it is estimated that trains starting on the eastern seaboard will run on an unbroken line to the Pacific w^aters. Literally a new conti- nent will be opened to the traveller ; the tourist of other lands will be tempted to visit Canada by the care bestowed on his comfort and convenience, and by the moderate expense at which the journey can be accomplished. n m m ! iH {■' 't 111'' .1 'I • f'^ "i i ; 1 iii ' I a^B i \t i^.. J i_ . 39(3 C.1AM£>ALV PACIFIC RAILWAY. During tho last century travelling was the pre- rogative of the wealthy alone. The spirit of enter- prise which leads to the examination of the insti- tutions and the inner life of foreign countries was not general. The journey itself was marked with so much discomfort that it required no little love of advejiture to face the ordeal. There was also the insular prejudice against the continent and what is still called foreign manners. Men of ancient families and of large ancestral acres fre- quently, during a long life, were known not to have extended their visits beyond the county town of their shire. The grand tour of the continent, it is true, was a portion of the education of the sons of noblemen and of men of large fortune, but it was enjoyed by few others. It was not simply a matter of money which imposed a limit to the number. Leisure was equally necessary for its enjoyment, and men in busy life could not give the time required. To pass from one locality to another, separated by long distances, even in Eng- land itself, was a matter of expense ; and, although in their day the mail coach and the post chaise achieved wonders in the then standard of rapid movement, it was only the possessors of assured and ample means who could use those conveyances to any extent for a pleasure tour. The wide influences which steam applied to motion, exercised upon life in ail its forms was rapidly felt. When we consider the shortness of rKAVKLLIXG IN OLD DAYS. 397 -s the pre- t of euter- the iiisti- Ltries was 'ked with ittle love was also ueiit aud Men of acres fre- ^u not to uty town tiueut, it the sons ne, but it simply a to the y for its not give )cality to in Eng- ilthough st chaise of rapid assured ^eyances plied to rms was 'tness of the period within which these changes have arisen, we recognise additional groimd for astonishment, that in so limited a period so much has been done to mould us to a new condition of being. All the important departures from our old theories and habits have taken place within this century. It was but a few years beyond this limit when John- son expressed the belief that one of the happinesses of life was to be whirled rapidly along in a post chaise. Only a few years previously, in 1702, Brindley commenced his first canals which, if they did not admit of speed, permitted intercom- munication along their line, until the very traffic which they created led to the establishment of railways, in one sense, to supplant them. The success of the locomotive and the rapidity of movement which it created, with the decreased cost of travel, were early suggestive of the modifi- cations which would arise in thought, in manners, in the form of life and the political aspirations of modern times. The opening of railw^ays in the early stages of the system established that the new mode of conveyance was one attended with less risk and danger than the old stage and mail coach, and by the control obtained over it applicable to all our wants. Moreover, it was of common utility from the extreme lowness of the charge which it exacted from those using it. It is no exaggeration to say that with the highest class of minds profound emotion was experienced in the changes which 308 CAN AD I AX PACIFIC RAILWAY. i -Y' i w they saw would follow in thc^ introduction of this new awak«Miini»' of thought. It was to them an entirely new depart un» from old traditions. The ordinary mass of men saw but little beyond the excitement of the hour. Not a few feared trouble in its democratic developments, that something portentous and inevitable had come into being, the consequem^es of whi(!h (^ould not be foreseen. It was felt that life henceforth would be turned into a new rack. Men traced an analogy of feeling to that experienced ])y their fathers when America was discovered, when printing became a power, when th(> Keformation established liberty of thought and ^nadt? inward conscience the guide of conduct. It was felt that new relations of life, new comforts, joys and sorrows had come upon us ; that the institution of the railway seemed almost a special dispensation, the ends of which were inscrutable, and that the very form and c^olour of our being had been changed. There are numer- ous passages in modern literature to prove that in no way I exaggerate the anticipations which were formed, and doubtless which many can well remember. As we look back to 1839, when the " Rocket " ran the first trip, we have but a few years of inter- val beyond half a century within which every department of human life has been exi)anded, enlarged and widened. Much as successive addi- tions, adaptations and developments have made REVOLUTION IN TRAVIX. 300 on or this them uii MIS. The 'yoiid the (I trouble ^luethiu": )eiiig, the seen. It e turned lalogy of ars when became a d liberty he guide IS of life, upon us ; d almost ch were 3olour of numer- ove that s which an well Rocket " of inter- h every [jDanded, ve addi- e made the locomotive in its chararter, weight, power and capabilities, wonderfully in advance of the primi- tive machine of that date — in itself, be it said, in every respect remarkable, containing many ele- ments of what was to follow — so our lives, by its inllueme hav<', step by step, assumed a totally dis- tinct and diti'erent character to that which marked the early days of the century. Few of those who are stiUggling in the business and pleasures of the day stop to consider that the world was ever diti'erent to what it now is. The positive results and advantages which we now enjoy have come to us gradually. They are ac- cepted by our children as if they had always existed. It must, however, be evident to all who for a moment think, that to the creation of the rail- way system we owe mu(?h. If the railway has revolutionized many parts of Europe, I cannot but think that the history of the United States would have been very ditterent but for its introduction. Certainly the lines of travel would have been by no means so extended, and what iniluence a restricted field of settlement might have exercised on the fortunes of the E-epublic no mere speculation can define. It is obvious that without the new agency the successful settlement of the great North- West of Canada would have been impossible. We have only to compare the condition of the Selkirk settle- ment of a few years back and the limited progress made during half a century to the sudden and 400 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. m \\\ ::;.'[; extraordinary bound which it took when the first few miles oi" rail way were pnt in operation. It is now twenty years since I was first publicly called upon, as a delegate on behalf of the Selkirk settlement, to give my attention to the question of opening up British North America by the estab- lishment of a line of communication from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I was then called upon to submit my views on the subject to the Imperial and Canadian G-ovcrnments. Those views were recorded in the parliamentary documents of that year, 1863,^ and since that year have frequently been referred to in debate. British Columbia became connected with Canada in 1871, and one of the conditions of union was the construct 'on of the Canadian Pacific Railway. I was appointed Engineer-in-chief of the undertak- ing. What the condition of the country was at that period may be seen in the many volumes published by the Government. I shall quote but one passage from the report for 1873, of the De- partment of Public Works, issued by the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, then Premier : " It is no exaggeration to speak of the extent of territory to be explored as immense." I undertook the duty with all the zeal I could command, and moreover, I did so with a strong feeling of sympathy with the work as a great national undertaking, and as * Vide Sessional Paj)e.rs, Province of Canada. THE PROBLEM SOLVED. 401 he first ►ublicly Selkirk fuestion e estab- om the •upon to mperial rs were of that quently Canada on was ailway. dertak- was at olumes ote but the De- e Hon. t is no tory to e duty reover, with and as one which, I believed, would in the future com- mand more than an equivalent for all the moneys expended ujion it, in its bearing on our history and the advantages it would extend. In the tenth year of my labour in connection with this gigantic undertaking political or rather party exigencies compelled me to sever all official con- nection with it. I do not wish in any way, directly or indirectly, to allude to my retirement from the position I held. The subject can be of no inter- est to the general reader, but I may say that before I retired, in 1880, the problem of the prac- ticability of the Railway had been grappled with and solved. The formidable natural barriers which lay before us had been penetrated. Construction had been commenced at several points between British Cohimbia and Lake Superior, within a range of two thousand miles ; and, further, the completion of a length of railway of eight hundred miles, embracing some of the most difficult sec- tions of the work, was assured within a very short period of time. The latter in the west piercing to the heart of British Columbia from the Pacific, and in the east opening up a way through Cana- dian territory for the influx of settlers to the fertile lirairies of the North-West. As I am writing, the subject of the Canadian Pacific Puailway is again before Parliament. Four years ago the Ministry entrusted the construction of the railway to a Con^pany. The measure was 26 I ' ' ) r 402 CAA^ADIAy PACIFIC RAILWAV. carried by larg*e majorities in both Houses. If I understaud the argument advanced for this policy, it was advocated on the ground that a Company could carry on the work more efficiently and more economically than a Department of the Govern- ment. The facts disclosed in the recent discussions in the House of Commons establish that a Company cannot find money at less than double the cost at which it is obtainable by the Canadian Govern- ment. The Company has been raising capital at more than nine per cent. The Government can lind money at four per cent, or less. That a Com- pany can carry out a national undertaking more efficiently and, economically than a government, if the argument be not a fallacy, most certainly implies that there is some defect in the system of government itself The difficulty with our present system lies in the fact that the interests of party must be con- su.lted, whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice. Party takes precedence of every other consideration. Party seems to cloud the judgments of men who, in many instances, are irreproachable in private life. Public men seem to act on the principle that there is one creed and language for the hustings, the press and parliament, and another for social intercourse. The Canadian Pacific Railway has been consid- ered a political question during three administra- s. If I ; policy, jmpany 1(1 more Groveni- sioiis in ompany > cost at Govern- ipital at Lent can t a Com- iig more ?rnment, certainly ^stem of lies in be con- acrifice. ieration. en who, private pie that ustings, r social consid- linistra- PARTY STRUG OLES. 403 tious, and has played an important part in party warfare. Every year, since 1871, motion after motion has been made in Parliament relating to engineering operations and the mode of conducting the work. Seldom have there been such acrimoni- ous discussions. Frequently the whole debate was dictated by the party results supposed to be obtainable. Committee followed Committee, year after year, in the Senate and Hoiise of Commons, nominally to investigate matters, in reality to create party capital. AYho now can point out the slightest result from all these efforts? Two Royal Commissions of special enquiry were appointed. The first made no rej)ort ; the second prolonged its sittings for two years, at a cost of some $40,000 to the country. What remains of the labours of those Commissions beyond the items of their cost in the public accounts ? The report of the second Com- mission was contained in two bulky volumes. The record of an attempt for party ends to blast the reputation of men who had given the best years of their lives to the performance of public duty. "When this report was considered it was held to be so valueless that it has never been circulated. In Canada we enjoy a liberal constitution, and it may be affirmed that it is the only principle of authority which, as a people, we would tolerate. It cannot, however, be said that in its present form our system of government is an unmixed blessing. 1 V.V I 3f ! ' lil !|t if ' :\i r-4 lu 404 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. "We may ask if representative government is ever to be inseparable from the defects w^hich form the most striking feature in its application and administration, especially on this continent. Must a country constitutionally governed be inevitably ranged into two hostile camps? One side denoun- cing their opponents and defaming the leading public men of the other, not hesitating even to decry and misrepresent the very resources of the community and to throw obstacles in the way of its advancement. Never was partyism more abject or remorseless. Its exigencies are unblushingly proclaimed to admit the most unscrupulous tactics and the most reprehensible proceedings. Is there no escape from influences so degrading to public life and so hurtful to national honour ? It is evident that the evils which we endure are, day by day, extending a despotism totally at variance with the theory and principles of good government. Possibly Canada may be passing through a phase in the earlier stage of her political freedom. Can we cheer ourselves by the hope that institutions inherently good will clear them- selves from the slough into which they unfortu- nately may be immersed ? May not the evils of partyism at last become so intensified that their climax will produce a remedy. As by natural laws a liquid in the process of fermentation puri- fies itself by throwing off the scum and casting the dregs to the bottom, so may we be encouraged nent is L'h form on and Must ^vitably lenonn- leading even to ; of the way of e abject shingly s tactics Is there ) public endure •tally at |of good [passing •olitical .e hope them- nfortu- ivils of X their Inatural 11 puri- icasting juraged ITS NECESSITV. 405 to believe that we are approaching the turning period in the political system we have fallen into, and that year by year Parliament will become less and less a convention of contending party men and be elevated to its true position in the machinery of representative government. Publii; life will then be<'ome more ennobling ; it will, indeed, be an object of ambition for men of honour and character to fill phices in the Councils of the Nation, when rectitude of purpose and patriotism and truth will be demanded in all and })y all who aspire to positions of national trust and dignity. From the earliest days of my connection with the Pacific Railway I felt convinced of its national necessity. If the North- West country was to become a part of the Dominion vigorous eftbrts for its settlement were necessary. Among the facilities to be given to the immigrant one of the most important was that of obtaining a means of ingress and a market for his produce. Taking the geographical central position of the country it was not enough to have completed a connection in one direction. If, in due time, a market was open to the Atlantic, it appeared equally essential that an outlet to the Pacific should be obtained. It was clearly foreseen that the only true principle on which the line could be constructed was to form a connection equally with the valley of the St. Lawrence and with the Pacific Ocean. This view was not generally entertained. There i n — 406 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. . '■! '■■ f ' S-. were many who readily admitted that the Railway should be carried across from Red River to Lake Superior, to find an outlet to the East by the St. Lawrence. For without such a ^v«^-i ;-. i .H^I.-H .Xf:W QUESTIOXS. 423 • Country, [1 that the ible them ay. It is tnent was Ltures be- 1 rational The only on those .1 bearing. House of g its own he heart- er absent rol. The years not Qg much tie settle- ch as the 1 the ad- t enabled its ener- lic works ommuni- rernment s adopted ed to the European the full- est liberty of self-government, entailing upon them the wise observance of their political duties. As a consequence a totally new character has been given to Provincial aspirations. The principle, even with enlarged powers, has been extended to the Confederated Provinces of the Dominion. Many prominent men have advocated an extension of the system. They claim that the Dominion should be represented in the Imperial Parliament. The difficulty must always exist that the Canadian, as a representative of his own (country, cannot with propriety interfere with questions affecting the domestic and political condition of the people of the British Isles. Their internal affairs can only be constitutionally controlled by their own repre- sentatives in parliament at Westminster. The Canadian's interests are assured by his own insti- tutions. It is the Parliament at Ottawa which controls the laws of the Dominion. Those who dwell in the United Kingdom might equally claim to interfere in the legislation of this country as the Canadian to vote on laws in the working of which he has no direct interest. It woiild be at variance with all right for a representative from this side of the Atlantic to cast a vote on questions of taxation and expenditure to which the Dominion in no way contributed. It is only step by step that human institutions adapt themsehes to political exigencies. The ad- vance of opinion is slow. All change is pertina- f1 I ■ I '■ H ■ I I I ' • I. I*! im ' I ! 424 CONCLUSfOy. ciouslv n^sisted. The British Constitution has grown and be«Mi dtn'olopod from the First century of its existen<'e. It may not always have kept pace with the progr^.'ss of events, but the advance has been steadily in the direction of good govern- m(3nt. Why should it cease to adapt itself to human requirements ? As the world moves on- wards it will doubtless continue to expand and to improve, and a!5 circumstanmmon centre ddress i office . He letters i may itional lation, racter Tiff: ftlOff COMMfSSlONKR. 42t he is on the spot where its })earings can best be learned. If he has les^itimate claims to be brought into official relations with some Depart- mental Head the High Commissioner is pr«'sent to obtain for him an audience. The days are gone when a Canadian of credit and slut us was placed in a position inferior to that of a visitor from a foreign nation. There are many ways in which the High Com- missioner can assist the views of those visiting England. He can intervene even in the courtesies of life. Cabinet Ministers in London have but twenty-four hours in a day, like other folk, and, similar to the Governor General, no one of them can hold himself at the beck of the first comer asking for an interview. But there are many duties in life performed from self respect and not through the prospect of profit. Few men of any position in Canada visit Ottawa without leaving their names in the visitors' book of the Governor General, even wjien it is impossible that the least attention can be extended to them. So in London it would be a courtesy to inscribe your name in the book of the Minister in whom Colonial inter- ests centre. On the other hand, it could not be but agreeable to him to receive this act of homage from a Transatlantic British subject. To all of us with any right feeling it is no little of a pleasure to testify our respect even in this unpretending manner. yli f :i ; i' t 1 < • i; i _1 '^ II i i^ I \ \ 3 428 conclusion: I have thought that it would be by uo meaus without advantage if, during the sitting of Par- liament, and periodically when in London, the Colonial Minister held an occasional levee, where colonists could be presented by some responsible personage. With us the High Commissioner would be held to introduce any one entitled to the distinc- tion. The presentation would be itself sufficient guarantee of respectability everywhere exacted. The reception might be monthly, and no Minister of the Crown could devote a few hours in a twelve months to a more important xmrpose. The proceeding would be simple and without cost, and it would be productive of good. It would establish the fact that there exists a strong ground of sympathy which unites the members of a com- mon Empire. There is no feeling so paralyzing as that which makes us think we are held in indif- ference. Turning back no great number of years in the history of Canada, a feeling had crept on many of us that the Mother Country had become completely (^areless whether we remained within the fold of her Empire or passed out of it. Owing largely however to the social and statesmanlike qualities of the two last Grovernors-Greneral that feeling has passed away. We do not now view ourselves in that dreary and disheartening condi- tion. It may be said that there is much of senti- ment in all this ; but sentiment plays a stronger part in national feeling than the mere doctrinaire ■^xmm. LORD LORN IPS VIEWS. 429 will admit. No true statesman will ignore the fact. There are few who possess the slightest knowledge of history but must recognize the pre- sence and strength of sentiment in national life. In Canada we feel that from England have sprung all true theories of liberty and personal freedom which have so much advanced the world. Not even the Roman citizen in the best days of the Empire could feel greater pride than any one of us in the possession of the right of declaring himself a British subject. The sentence itself is, as it were, the aegis under which he is protected and by which he is included in the first rank ^f national honour. All that can be said respecting the degree of rela- tionship between Canada and the Mother Country applies with equal force to the connection between every British possession and the Imperial centre. Lord Lome, in his address before the Royal Col- onial Institute, has dwelt upon this subject with much power. "These islands have thirty-five millions of people, Can- ada has no,7 about five millions, Australia will soon have four millions. Britain has, for the small area she pos- sesses, great resources in coal and other wealth, but it may be well for her to remember how little of the earth's surface she possesses in comparison with her children. The ...ea of Canada and of the Australian States is so vast, the fertility of the soil is so remarkable, the health- fulness of their climate is so well proved, and the rapid 1 ' 1 i t ■•'] ■ t ■] 1 430 CONCLUSION. Ilillji V-\ i r ! i^^; increa8e of their white population i.s so certain that within the lifetime of the children of gentlemen here present their numbers will equal our own. In another century they must be greatly superior to us in men and material of wealth. How foolish, therefore, will our successors in England deem us to have been if we do not meet to the fullest degiee possible the wishes of those growing States. They have a tilial att'ection for their Fatherland. They will retain a brother's feeling for us if we are friendly to them in the critical time of their coming manhood. Days may arrive when we shall im- plore their assistance, and when the alliance of those Powers, grown into maturity and strength, and under very possible circumstances the strong arbitei's of our own destinies, shall be ours througli the wisdom we may show to-day." That a closer union between the difterent outly- ing members rf the Emp)ire and the parent land is desirable, has passed beyond the stage of argu- ment. The basis on which the relationship will rest is certain and known. It is that of affection and common interest. It may, however, be diffi- cult to define the precise arrangement by which its accomplishment can be attained. The unity of the Empire is one of the leading considerations of the day. Its dismemberment cannot be thought of. Even in those more general interests which are common to the whole human race, it is desirable that this vast Empire, marked by progress and humanity of purpose, should be maintained in its integrity ; an Empire world-wide in its extent. if ain tluit lien here another men and will our 'e do not of those br their g for us of their ihali im- 3f those 1 under i of our we may outly- laud. is :' argu- ip will lection e diffi- lich its of the of the ^ht of ch are drable 5S and in its ixtent. LORD LORN EPS VIEWS. 431 with a population of three hundred millions of souls. All the difhculties which naturally lie in the way of inter-communication between these scat- tered possessions have been removed by science. The ocean is the common link of intercourse, and because it is so constituted Grreat Britain must remain its mistress to safeguard it. If it be a marked feeling of this common nation- ality that a firm union should knit together into one whole the several separated communities, to each one there must be assigned special duties and functions, which may be diificult but yet must be quite possible to determine when all are animated by one dominant sentiment. Lord Lome conceives that a legislative union would be impracticable. At the same time he ftivours an organization in which the Mother Country and each division of the li]mpire would meet as a collective body. Each self-governing colony or group of colonies might be represented by their High Commissioner or by members ap- pointed on some established principle. Li allusion to this consideration Lord Lome adds :— "Your diplomacy in commercial matters must take into account the va.stness of rmperial sway, and it must be thoi-ouo])ly representative, not of this little island only, but of the great continents or parts of continents which are content to be under the same flag with you foi- the sake of mutual advantage. It must be an Impeiial, IV' 432 CONCLUSION. . ! -i- - r l! ''J 1 i i 1 III \i 1 i w — » not alone a British, Commission which discusses trade arrangements. The confederation of the Empire, which has been spoken of as possible in the future, must be ex])ressed by no central and unwieldy parliament, repre- senting lands separate I from each other b}^ the width of the world ; but it must be represented by a council of envoys, who, by working together for each part, may consummate tj'caties and enforce agreements. Xo coun- try like Canada would now allow the out-voting of her representatives which would take place in a parliament in London." It has been remarked that the Empire must maintain its naval supremacy, and in this policy the Dominion, with her recognized nursery for seamen can render important service. =^ The great importance of this principle rises into special prominence when we bear in mind that the opening of the Railway to the Pacific will lead to a great increase of British mercantile marine in these waters. The construction of a system of submarine telegraphs will also follow at an early day. They will be established across the ocean to Japan and connect with China. They will be extended to India, to Australia and New Zealand. G-reat Britain may then be in close relations with her possessions in every quarter of the globe by lines of communication under the protection of her flag without passing through an acre of foreign soil. *The fisheries, only in their infancy, already employ 00,000 men and boys. rarFwmmmmmnnmm 6SCS trade ire, which !, must be mi, repre- Q width of council of part, may Xo conn- ing of her larliameat ire must is policy rsery for 'ises into ind that will lead aarine in ^stem of au early he ocean f will be Zealand. 3ns with ^lobe by action of •f foreign ploy 60,000 ^'EW ROUTE TO TUF EAST. 433 Egypt, owing to its geographical relationship with India and Australia, is constantly a source of anxiety. Lord Wolseley gave as his opinion that the destruction of the Suez canal could be effected by the means of a few old canal boats loaded with stone or one effective torpedo exploded in a well selected spot. Notes of warning in other forms have frequently been given. Three years ago an insurrection in Egypt, out of the fold of Imperial policy, but claiming consideration from the aspect it assumed with regard to Indian interests exacted British interference. Two-thirds of the available naval power of Great Britain was called into ser- vice to keep open the canal. Given then the pos- sibility that the canal may at any hour be rendered unnavigable and the telegraph destroyed, what other conclusion can there be than the words of Lord Wolseley, that it is suicidal to depend on the route through Egypt as the means of communica- tion with the East. The Imperial character which this consideration gives to the lines of communication now beino- constructed by Canada is indisputable. They offer a constant reliable communication with the Eastern possessions of Great Britain when European com- plications shall assume a threatening attitude, or when Egyptian difficulties have led to the stoppage of the navigation of the Suez Canal. Canada wFll consequently add greatly to the common safety by the completion of her national Railway from the 28 •■;i ; r I' ' ]^ I (pi I III 434 CONCLUSION. Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard. Its two termini have the common excellence of possessing within command inexhaustible coal deposits, where ships may be supplied and naval arsenals may be estab- lished on any scale. The Railway itself passes through a territory a great part of which east of the Rocky Mountains is not surpassed in fertility by any soil in the world, while immediately north of the line the fertile belt presents a field for immi- gration for centuries, where bread and butchers' meat will be plentifully produced to meet the most extended requirements which the future may create. I have described the changes which have taken place in a few months, qvqm under my own eyes, along the line. What districts of population and cultivation a few years of prosperity may create is beyond calculation. We are taught by history that some four cen- turies back Columbus discovered this western land. But Cabot, of English birth, and under the English flag, was absolutely the first to land on the continent. We owe to another nation the early knowledge we possess of a large extent of Canada. The French were the first to penetrate the valley of the Saint Lawrence to the limit it is naturally navigable. All nations are influenced by the eve^ ':s which *Cabot landed on the coast of Labrador 24th June, 1497. Columbus did not see this continent till tlie following year. He discovered the West India Islands in 1492-3-4. termini ^ within sre ships 36 estab- f passes L east of fertility sly north ■or immi- butchers' tneet the ture may ich have my own Dpulatiou Hty may bur cen- ern land. English ontinent. edge we e French the Saint able. ■ s which THE FRENCH IN CANADA. 435 g^ kuie, 1407. year. He they experience, and no people were more moulued into a new development than the Anglo-Sax u race in the Eleventh century, when the Norman crossed the channel and wrung the sovereignty of the country from the reigning monarch. Traces of customs, 'f laws, of thought, of language, of feeling, of the character of those earlier centuries still remain. But in a few tnierations the descen- dants of those who fought in the battle near Hast- ings had no sentiment but for English soil. They had ceased to be Norman, and it was by the chil- dren of the conquering race that the liberties of the country were affirmed in the Grreat Charter. In the Province of Quebec there yet remains the unmistakeable impress of its early settlement : of those Normans and Bretons who settled on the shores of the St. Lawrence and in Acadia, and of those who claim ancestry with the nol)le race which, south and east c f the Loire, extending to Kochelle, 60 constantly battled for freedom of thought. One hundred and twenty years have passed since the last remnant of the power of France disappeared from the northern part of the continent. Grreat changes have taken place within this period. It w^as only step by step, in confusion and difficulty, that the present system of self-government became established : a truth evolved out of much compli- cation and from want of the comprehension of Imperial and Colonial relations. The effi^ct has been of imperfect accomplishment in much. This 436 CONCLUSION. positive good has, however, been achieved, even if in other respects the consummation has been in- complete. The whole of the inhabitants of the several Provinces are united by the one feeling of advancing the common prosperity, and the French Canadian is found in the advanced ranks when the progress of the whole Dominion is in any way concerned. Of the five great colonial empires which arose in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Spain, Portugal, France. Holland and (ircat Britain, the British Empire is the only one w^hich survives. The remaining powers possess but a few rem- nants of their once outstanding colonies. No one oi them retains the character of its former strength. The loss of the thirteen colonies of North America a century back by Great Britain was a wound to the national greatness which it was feared by many would never be healed. It was a serious and painful separation w^hich prudence and good government might have averted. It is often no little of a benefit to each of us to pass through tribulation. Equallv so with communities. The Mother Country in this strug- gle had much to unlearn before her possessions were wisely governed. It took nearly seventy years before the lesson bore fruit. But thoughtful men, step by step, w^on adherence to their sound policy. We have its result in the present prosper- ous condition of the Outer Empire, which now, m\ wmmm tup: amerfgan rkvolutfon: 43t even if jeen in- of the eling of French s when iny way ch arose s, Spain, tain, the inrvives. ew r em- No one strength. America ound to ared by serious md good each of so with is strug- sessions seventy ughtful lir sonnd prosper- h now, apart from India, contains ten millions of the Euro- pean race, little less than the population of the British Isles at the period of the American war. In the last century powerful antagonistic^ forces were in operation : religious disabilities, commercial restri(?tions, a narrow franchise, an imperfect parlia- mentary representation, unwise trade regulations. Discontent followed. It was the interference w4th the commerce of Massachusetts with the "West Indies which was one of the first causes of the sev- erance of good feeling, so soon to be transformed into bitterness and hate. That these grievances no longer exist and that the several British Provinces enjoy free institutions, which it is to be hoped they will learn wisely to work; all this dates from that terrible struggle. Probably the lesson was only the better remembered that it was taught in blood and suffering. No such repelling forces now exist. The causes of dissension have passed into oblivion. Commerce, science and increased intelligence have relieved the problem from the features which disfigured it. The Atlantic has ceased to be a cause of separation. It is a pertinent query, had these new conditions prevailed a century back, whether the Declaration of Independence would ever have been written. The American revolution divided the history of the English speaking race into two streams. What will be their future course ? They cannot flow in opposite directions. Are there any influences 438 CONCLUSION. m i ■\ ■ III' :,...v i ^1 '} f Hi which will lead them insensibly to gravitate one to the other, until in process of years the waters will blend ? We may assert thns ftir, that however we may be unable to forecast the irture, we can trace at this date an assimilation of thought in much, which a few yo ? ^ back could meet on no common ground. Such a result is visible on many occa- sions and in a thousand ways. In the words of Commodore Tattnall, who went to our rescue at the Pei-ho forts, "Blood is thicker than water." On all sides the movement is convergent. The diffusion of the English race and the Eng- lish language over the face of the globe is a res;ilt without' a parallel. When Columbus and Cabot crossed the Atlantic the number of the English people equalled proximately half the present popu- lation of Canada. When Elizabeth ascended the throne it was about five millions. At the time of the American revolution the English j)opulation in the British Isles and in North America together numbered fifteen millions. The English-speaking population in all parts of the globe has now increased to a hundred millions, nearly equally divided between England, her Colonies and the United States. The progress and well-being of the world is largely dependent on the prosperity and harmony of this rapidly increasing branch of the human family. That any of its elements should disinte- J • <«t). High Commissioner of Canada, advantages of his presence in London, 424, 42 (J. Hill, Mr., 228. Hill, Mr. A. J., 331. Hill, Mrs, 332. Hillsdale, 228. Holte, Mr., 194. Hopson, Governor, 114. Horses on tlie route, 241 ; their names, 243 ; unable to pro- ceed further, 274. Hudson's Bay Co., 45, 167, 183 ; a(bniral)le treatment of In- dians, 382 ; special arrange- ment of supply, 388. Hudson's Bay Territory, French attempt upon, 184. Hunter, Mr. Joseph, 30(3, 315. Hurd, Major, 215, 249. Ir.LE-CELLE-WAET, valley of, 272; passage throuijh on foot, 276- 278; painful advance of party, 283 ; Lower Canyon, 285. Indian population : its decrease, 381 ; estimated present popu- lation of the Provinces of tlie Dominion, 382; cost of sup- port by Government, 382 ; dithcalties in way of civiliza- tion, 384, 391 ; aptitude for many positions, 385 ; those of British Columbia in many respects skilful, 385; their love of truth, 387 ; fidelity to engagement, 388 ; measure to be introduced in House of Commons, 390. Indians, Blackfoot Crosaing,218. Indians, Micmac, New Bruns- wick, 19. Indians, Swift Current, 211. Intercolonial Railway: Chief Engineer, 12 ; national work, 135, Irving, Mr. Henry, 64. Jackass Mountaix, 318. Jam of Timber, 287. James I. at Maidenhead, 78. Jesus Hospital, 76. Jogues, 168. Joliet, 163. Kalama, 358. wm^mmmm 1G7, 183 ; it of III- arrange- y, French )i], 315. (V of, 272; ■oot, 276- of party, , 285. decrease, Mit popu- ;es of the t of sup- nt, 382 ; civiliza- itude for those of n many 5 ; their ieiity to ?asure to [ouse of 3ing,218. r Bruns- 211. : Chief a I work, INDEX. 445 ,78. V Kaminiptiqnia River, Kif), 180. Kainloof.s, 311. Kamlooos Indians, 304. Kanaka' Brid^re, '^2C). i^ane'.s ilhiei^s, 231. Keefor, Mr. (Jeorge, 317, 310. Kennedy, Governor, 3-jr). Kicking Horse Pass., 287, 3G(;. Kingston, ll,"). Kirke's expeijition against Que- bec, 105. La Cokxe's Fort, 115. La Jonquiere, 114. Lake Geurge, 159. Lake Ilurdu, storm, 157. Lake St. PMer, l;;i. Lake of the Woods, 174. Lake Steamer accommodation, 155. Land's End, 5G. Land, character of. West of Winnipeg, 411. La Salle, 1G3. Lawrence, 108. i^awrie, Major-General, recom- mends Burrard Irdet as site for dry dock, 418. La Verendrye, his discoveries, 181, 209, 308. Leigli Dove, 235, 334. Lefroy, General, 381. Leopold, H. R. H. Prince, 20. Lepage, Madame, 20. Lepage, Mr., jun., 100. Lery, De, 102. Levee suggested : to be lield by imperial Colonial Minister, Light, Mr., 122. Liverpool, 33, 40. Livingstone, .309. Location circuitous, 124. Locomotives, changes effected by, 397. London, its attractions, 44- hotel life, 48 ; its heat, 01. ' Longueuil, Biron de, 212. Lome, Lord, 143,379; his vie\v8 as to the High Commissioner, 425 ; address Colonial Insti- tute, 42!>; his views as to the Lnperial connection, 431. Louise, II.R.H. Princess, 20, 144; at British Cohimbia, 350. 379. * Louisbourg taken, 112; 2nd conqiu'st, li;!; its destruc- tion, 115. Lowell, Mrs., 75. Litton, ;;io. Macdon'au), 189. Macdonell, Capt. Miles, 189. McDougall, 290. McDougall, David, 225. Mackenzie, Hon. A., keir, 172. Naxaimo, its coal fields, 419. Naval supremacy of England, intiuence of Canadian Pacilic upon it, 416. Narrows, 334. Neebish Rapids, 458. Neilson, Mr., 234. Neilson, Hon. John, 134. Nepigon Fort, 180. Newfoundland, 1. New Westminster, 328, 337. New York in London, 75. Naxouat, 107. Niagara, 149. Necomeu Slough, 325. North Pacilic fe.S., 35 '^T Northwest Company, 168-186. Northwest settlement, 379. Northwest trade, early records, 18.'. Northern Pacific Railway, rea sons for returning l)y 355; its history, 356 ; height of passes, 613. Nova Scotia, first colonization, 103 ; held by Cromwell, 105 ; demanded by French, 106; route or British province, 118. OCEAX VOYAGES PAST AND PRE- SENT, 2 ; Polynesian, 84 ; present comfort, 85. Ogilvie, Senator, 225. Old Wives Lakes, 210. Onderdonk, Mr., 320. Oregon Pioneers, 3t).3. Oregon Question, 1846, 364. Ottawa, 143. Otter, Col., 64. Owen Sound, 152. Pacific Slope, people defi- cient in Eastern energy, 359. Pack train, 235. Paduiore, 226. Parisian S.S., 22, 97. Park:^, national establishment recommended, 415. Parliamentary discussions as to the (/anadian Pacific Rail- way, 401. Partv, its unfortunate inHuence, 402. Passamaquoddv Bay, 104. Penob-'cot, 101." Pie a Pot, 210. Jt^ iL.iAumuiimijmmmmmnm l^JACVAUj\\\f^/UU LYDEX. )n, 75. 25. 857. V, 1G8-186. 'it, ;i7'J. ,rly records, aihvav, rea by .So5 ; its lit of passes, oloiiization, mwell, 105 ; •ench, 10() ; I province. !T A\U PRE- esiaii, 84 ; !5. 5. 10. D. V.\. 546, 364. >eople defi- ?tiergy, 35'J. tal)]i.«hment 5. issioiis as to acific Rail- te inrtiience, y, 104. e- Pipon, Major, 122. Point (ie ^lenron, 170. Polynesian S.S., 83. Pond Peter, 1S5. Pontgrave, 104. Port Artlinr, Uo. Port Moody, Hurrard Inlet, 330, Port Royal, capture of, 107, 108. Portage la Prairie, assemhiv of force there, 193, 204. Portland, Oregon, 350 ; its ba.l Jiotel, 300. Poutrincoiirt, 104. Potlach, 300, 390. Provisions non-arrival, 205. Provisions ob ained, 305. Pullman car, its comfort, 16. Quebec, City of, 127; its TRADE, 134; .supports North fehore Railway, 135. Quebec, Province of, duty n gardmg North Shore Rai way, 135. Quebec, late Government of ])olicy, sale of North Shore Railway, 137. Railway, appearance of ox THE prairie, 217. Railway delays, 100. Railway mail train, 14. Railway travel. Mr. L. D., 52 ; Its comfort, 90; ease of modern travel, 394. Railways, their social aii4 political influence, 396. Rapids, St. Lawrence, 139. Rat Portage, 173; its bad fare, 17o. Rathdrum, 305. Raymbault, l(iS. lied h\yj\), Henley, 03. Red Kiver plain, 373. Red River settlement, 189; Governor's proclamation, 196; 447 settlers called upon to aban- uoii it, 192 ; broken up, 194. vernment, its Regina, 2 OS. Representative Go abuses, 404. Repre.^entation in Imperial Par- liament by Colonies imnrac- ticable, 423. Richard.soii, \\12. Robinson, Major, 122. Robertson, Collin, 192. Roche de la. Marquis, 102. Rocky Mountain, first view, 218 Kogers, R, C. Archbishop of Chatham, 92, 99 100. Roirers, Major, 222, 230, f. 19, 254; discovers pass, 268, 2/7 Rogers' Camp, 250. Rogers. Mr. Albert, 254, 277 Ross, Mr. James, 222. Route, uncertainty as to, 229. Royal Academy, 64. Royal Commissions, their im- portance, 401. Royal William, pioneer steamer across Atlantic, 24. Rus.sell, Lord Alexatuler, 120. Ry .MVick, peace of, 107. Sacrifice of British Terri- tory, 305. Sao;e, Mr. Dean, 21. Sailors' Or])han Concert, 29. Salisbury, Marquis of, Speech at Kings College, 59. Sanbon Water's lied, 373. San't7. Sea Sickness, 23, 88. Sea Voyage, '2M; Sunday ser- vice, 24; impatience of pas- sengers, 29 ; Section A, 171. '' B, 172. «' 15,175. Self-Government to Colonies, its concession the removal of dif- ticultv, 422. Selkirk", 17G. Selkirk Uanhe( I G u I f of Mexico and Hudson's liav, 373. Wattevillc regi'ment, 195. West of England, its llora, 81. Uestnims er, treaty of, 106. VVhist often a penaltv, 25. Hliite fish, 159. WiM fruit on Selkirks, 269,280. VViliIerness, eiitrv into, 277. VViJliamette Kiver, 359 Wilniot, Mr., 325. Wilson, George, 230. Wnidsor, visit near, 75 ; forest, Winnipeg station, 177. Winnipeg, 179; its low level, 198; unprofitable land, 204, VVolselev, Lord, his views of Suez Canal, 433. Wright, Mr. Charles, 217 Wright, Mr. S. E., 308. Wright, Mrs,, 308. Yale, 321 ; Yellow Head Pass, its advan- tages, 409. Yellowstone River, 363 ; park, 008. Young, Hon. John, 132. Note. ^^^h:aTpll^U^l Collingwood, which has been been referrecf toile 14,1 jI •^.;v^'s"5s''''r^ '" 1851, should have the ineetin.r took nlaoeuW tP' 1 .• "^ ''■^'' ^^ ^'^'"^ ^'^^e that from the t.or h bv a ?ew i hn, «' "^'^ r^ '? ^"'■^^'^»'^' P^'^^tected the "Hen a d Chicken^' w^ fr^^^'" shore, then known as the Sheriff of the S'Wsimcr''^' ""'"' ^^''-S-ood by J9