MY CANADIAN JOURNAL 1872-8 PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE LONDON GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA, 1872-78 /Vom a Photograph taken at the time in Canada [frontitpiece MY CANADIAN JOURNAL 1872-8 EXTRACTS FROM MY LETTERS HOME WRITTEN WHILE LORD DUFFERIN WAS GOVERNOR-GENERAL BY THE MARCHIONESS OF DUFFERIN & AVA AUTHOR OF 'OUR VICE-REUAL LIFE IS INDIA' WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SKETCHES BY LORD DUFFERIN PORTRAITS AND MAP LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1891 TO MY CANADIAN FRIENDS THIS LITTLE BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCEIBED H. D. & A. PREFACE ENCOURAGED by the kind reception given to my Indian Journal, I have ventured to prepare this earlier one for publication ; though I am well aware that the subject is less new, and that Canada, and the life a Governor-General leads there, are much better known, and offer less novelty to most readers, than did a similar record of the Viceroy's social life in India. Both Journals were sent in the same way, as weekly letters to my mother, and the only difference between the two is this that whereas the one was published directly I returned from India, the first pages of my Canadian diary were written nearly twenty years ago, and it is more than twelve since the book was closed. In a prosperous and quick-growing country like Canada, [8] MY CANADIAN JOURNAL every year makes a difference: and I know, both from hearsay and from pictures I have seen, that places I mention as villages have become towns; that a new railway traverses the North West, with cities springing up everywhere in its wake ; that Ottawa itself has quite outgrown my memories of it ; that the contemplated im- provements, designed to keep Quebec the most beautiful | city in the world, have been accomplished ; and that in almost every part of the Dominion the hand of progress has been busy, building, adding to, and improving. My little Journal, therefore, is rather a record of the past than a description of the present ; and this I sadly feel, as I find in it the names of many who have passed away, some leaving never-to-be-filled blanks in their own homes, others mourned by a whole nation. Nothing has oppressed me more in the revision of this Journal than the sense that, from the necessity of shorten- ing it as much as possible, I have done scant justice to the kindness of many friends, and that some of those of whom we saw the most, and who added so materially to the happiness of our daily life in Canada, are scarcely men- tioned in it. The Prime Ministers, for instance, who, with their wives, were constantly associated with all we did, are only occasionally mentioned, though the warm affection we felt for Sir John and Lady Macdonald, and for Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie, are amongst the pleasantest recollec- tions of our Canadian life. And the same may be said of their colleagues, and of many others, who, if they read these pages, will, I hope, remember that they relate but a quarter of the events and the pleasures of the years we spent in Canada, and give but a few of the names of those with whom we made PREFACE [9] enduring friendships, and with whom we worked and played and enjoyed our life in the Dominion. I have also been sorry to pass so very lightly over the cordiality and the friendliness invariably shown us whenever we crossed our borders into the United States ; for whether we were travelling officially through Chicago or Detroit, or went as ordinary visitors to New York or Boston, we were always received with a kindness and a hospitality which we can never forget. I must also say one word as to the silence on all political matters maintained in this Journal. I have not attempted to record in it any part of the business of the Governor- General ; and it is only as they affected our movements, or our social arrangements, that I have, even distantly, alluded to public events, and then, I fear, in a somewhat light and irresponsible spirit. The Governor-General and his wife belong to no party ; and we met with such universal kindness from all persons with whom we came in contact in the Dominion, that I, at least, never wanted to remember that people differed from each other in their political views, and was only too glad to leave politics to those whom they necessarily concerned. HABIOT DUFFERIN AND AVA, CLANDEBOYE : August 18, 1891. CONTENTS CHAPTER I AKEIVAL IN CANADA JUNE-AUGUST 1872 The Voyage Eeception at Quebec Eiver steamers on the St. Law- renceArrival at Ottawa Eideau Hall Household arrange- ments Chaudiere Fall The LachineEapids Quebec Privileges of the Kings of France Montmorency Falls Eiviere du Loup The Dauntless Cacouna Tadousac The Saguenay Trout- fishing My first entertainment in Canada An early church Canoeing and camping on the Marguerite Eiver Our first Canadian salmon . CHAPTER II QUEBEC AUGUST-SEPTEMBEE 1872 The Citadel Setting-up house Our first dinner party A picnic ' Mr. Briggs ' Social duties The Ursuline Convent Canadian songs The local institutions Eeceptions at the Convents Ball given by Lady Belleau Universite Laval The Stadacona Hunt Ball at the Citadel Departure from Quebec . . . .18 [12] MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CHAPTER III ONTARIO SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1872 PAGE Toronto Hamilton Grand reception at Toronto Niagara The Falls Buffalo Drawing-room at Toronto Woodstock London Petrolia Schools at Toronto The York Pioneers ' Not at home ' Ball in the Parliament Buildings Sunday schools The children arrive from England 34 CHAPTER IV OTTAWA NOVEMBER 1872-JAUUARY 1873 Ottawa Eideau Hall Thanksgiving Day The first direct telegram from Australia Winter costumes Tobogganing His Excel- lency's visit to Montreal Daily routine Snow-shoeing Cana- dian celebrities Frost-bites Making a rink 22 below zero Skating Sleighing New Year's Day 44 CHAPTER V MONTREAL JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1873 Montreal Quebec Citizens' ball Drawing-room at Montreal Torch-light procession on snow-shoes The Eink The M'Gill College Ball E.G. Deaf and Dumb Institutions Fancy dress ball at the rink Winter games Ladies' skating matches . . 54 CHAPTER VI OUR FIRST PARLIAMENTARY SESSION FEBRUARY-MAY 1873 Arrangements for the season at Ottawa Cabinet dinner Opening of Parliament The Drawing-room Theatricals Parliamentary dinners Ball at Eideau Hall Prince Edward's Island joins the Dominion Birth of a daughter 65 CONTENTS [13] CHAPTER VII ON THE ST. LAWRENCE JUNE-JULY 1873 PAGE Sir George Cartier Quebec Christening of the Queen's godchild- Viceregal functions The Druid Tadousac The Godbout River The Mingan Indians in chapel One of our men drowned Fishing A day at sea Gasp< Tete-a-Ute drives Camping out on the Dartmouth Eiver On the St. John Not enough blankets ! A strange coincidence Perc6 Curing fish Paspediac Dalhousie Chatham Newcastle 76 CHAPTER VIII THE MARITIME PEOVINCES JoLY-AoGUST 1873 Prince Edward's Island Charlotte Town Ball in the Senate Chamber Pictou coal mines Louisburg Sydney Fog Landing at Halifax, N.S. Dinner at Government House Party feeling McNab's Island Lobster-spearing Lord Dufferin's speech at the Club Ball in the Parliament Buildings Ball on H.M.S. Royal A I/red Industrial homes Bay of Fundy St. John, N.B. Hotel life Torch-light procession Ball in the theatre Voyage up the St. John River Fredericton Woodstock Grand Falls Tadousac 92 CHAPTER IX THE FALL SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1873 Bathing at Tadousac Quebec Miss Florence Lees Football Con- vents Paper chase Visitors The Stadacona Races Ball at the Citadel Montreal Ottawa Debate on the address Resignation of Sir John Macdonald's cabinet Curling Mr. Mackenzie, the new Premier Christmas ... .... 113 [14] MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CHAPTER X OUR SECOND SEASON AT OTTAWA JANUARY-JUNE 1874 The New Year's reception Tableaux Only 10 of frost ! The insti- tutions of Ottawa An ice storm Concert Montreal Fancy dress ball in the rink Ottawa Curling match A winter's drive Caves Electrical experiments Opening of Parliament Charles Kingsley Laurence Oliphant Citizens' ball in the Senate Chamber Lumber mills The Queen's Birthday Excur- CHAPTER XI FISHING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE JUNE- JULY 1874 Quebec Gaspe Mr. Beynolds's camp on the York Biver Our camp on the St. John Biver Dominion Day ' The Countess's Pool A fog Tadousac Up the Saguenay Chicoutimi An Indian passenger Murray Bay The St. Anne Falls Our cook's family 143 CHAPTER XII ONTARIO AND THE LAKES JULY-SEPTEMBER 1874 Trois Bivieres Toronto Bival hotels Newmarket Barrie Lake Simcoe The Narrows Orillia Ojibbeway Indians Muskoka Lake Bracebridge Summit House Settlers Parry Sound Collingwood Owen Sound Manitoulin Indians Sault Ste. Marie Michipicoten Nipigon A portage Camping out Lake Superior Silver Islet Prince Arthur's Landing Indians at Shebandowan Kamanistiqwa Biver Lake Michigan Chicago The park The Palmer House Beception at the Exchange The boulevards The shops Detroit Sarnia Lake Huron Goderich Salt works Stratford Guelph Miss Macpherson's Home Brantford The Six Nations Mr. George Brown's farm CONTENTS [15] PAGE Woodstock London Fire at Simcoe St. Catherine's Swing bridge over the Niagara Eiver The Falls Mr. Plumb's house Toronto Lord Dufferin's speech at the club Whitby Port Hope Coburg Iron mine Belleville Dr. Palmer's Deaf and Dumb Institution Kingston Brockville Home again at Ottawa . . 156 CHAPTEE XIII WINTER AND SPRING SEPTEMBEB 1874-MAY 1875 The Dominion Rifle Match New York The theatres and parks Entertainments Drive to ' Sleepy Hollow ' Lord Dufferin goes to Washington The Normal School Night journey to Boston- Longfellow's house Club dinner A Universalist Church Eeturn to Ottawa The steeple-chase Visitors An ideal Christmas Day Children's tableaux Lord Dufferin's visit to Montreal Curl- ing Debate on Eiel Birth and christening of a son Home on short leave Delayed by ice and fog 99 CHAPTER XIV AN UNEVENTFUL SEASON OCTOBER 1875-JuLY 1876 R.M.S. Prussian Ottawa Skating A rainy Christmas Day Plays Married v. Bachelors Montreal Ottawa Opening of Parlia- ment Fancy dress balls Theatricals Ice block on the Eideau Expedition up the Le Lievre Quebec After the fire Lord Dufferin's speech Procession of Jean Baptiste Gasp6 Fishing on the York Eiver Archie's birthday His departure for school Ottawa Preparations for the Grand Tour . . . . .216 CHAPTER XV ACROSS THE CONTINENT AND ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1876 Our special train A reporter and his request Five o'clock tea Chi- cagoOmahaThe Platte Valley The Eocky Plains Cheyenne [16] MY CANADIAN JOURNAL PAGE The Alkali Plains The Eocky Mountains Ogden Cape Horn Travelling with a murderer San Francisco The Cliff House A Killyleagh friend H.M.S. Amethyst The Pacific Esquimault Victoria Party feeling Busy days Our Chinese cook and his wife Eegatta Nanaimo Bute Inlet Safety Harbour Metla- catlah Successful missionary efforts Fort Simpson Indian monuments Queen Charlotte's Islands Alert Bay Burrard's Inlet A heavy mail .236 CHAPTEE XVI BRITISH COLUMBIA, CALIFORNIA AND THE SALT LAKE CITY SEPTEMBEB-OCTOBEE 1876 A forest giant New Westminster A speech in many tongues The Fraser River Yale Hell's Gate An Indian escort Lytton Indian grave Mr. Cornwall's Kamloops A ' Pow-Pow ' Down the Thompson Eiver Perilous drive Victoria Strange servants Ball Esquimault Dry dock A busy day At sea San Fran- cisco Good-bye to H.M.S. Amethyst A 'Frisco merchant's country house A Californian ball Giving names The Chinese theatre Joss House The return journey Salt Lake City Mormon society Cheyenne Denver Hotel manners Oregon Bill St. Louis Toronto . . .270 CHAPTER XVII OUR FIFTH WINTER AND SUMMER IN CANADA OCTOBEE 1876-JuLY 1877 Toronto Lord Dufferin starts for Philadelphia Montreal Ottawa Tom Thumb Sermon before the service Christmas festivities- Toronto Speeches Ottawa Theatricals Presentation by the cabmen Procession in honour of Pope Leo XIII. Distinguished visitors Quebec In camp Fishing Tadousac .... 299 CONTENTS [17] CHAPTER XVIII THE NOETH WEST AUGUST 1877 PAGE In the Cars St. Paul Minneapolis Minnehaha Falls Across the prairie The Eed Eiver Greetings on the way The Frontier Fort Garry Winnipeg ' Silver Heights ' An Indian's idea of religion St. Boniface The Hudson's Bay store Lassoing Sioux Indians Ball at Winnipeg A Eed Eiver cart The Eock- wood Penitentiary St. Andrew's Little Stone Fort Selkirk The Indian reserve Winnipeg Camping out Mennonite settle- ment A member of the local Parliament 312 CHAPTER XIX MANITOBA AUGUST-OCTOBER 1877 Insect life on the prairie Half-breeds St. Andrew's Pitching camp On the Dawson route A 'corduroy' road The North- West Angle Lake of the Woods Canoeing on the Winnipeg Eiver The White Dog Mission Portages Eapids Fort Alexander An Indian grave Lake Winnipeg S.S. Colville The Saskatche- wanThe first railway in the North-WestFlour 51. a bag ! Stone Fort Gimla, the Icelandic settlement Winnipeg An Indian- Lodge' Lake Manitoba Duck-shooting Portage La Prairie Productive land Want of good drinking-water Silver Heights The Canadian Pacific Eailway Farewell dfy'euner and speeches at Winnipeg A happy family The Military College, Kingston Back to Ottawa , . 338 CHAPTER XX OUB LAST SEASON AT OTTAWA AND MONTEEAL OCTOBER 1877-JuNE 1878 Earthquake Christmas visitors Bad accident Tobogganing Visit to Montreal The Windsor Hotel The McKay Institution Villa Maria Convent Ball McGill College -Military display at the a [18] MY CANADIAN JOURNAL PAGE theatre Convent of the Sacred Heart Mount Royal Park Fare- well dinner The Art Association Conversazione Sickness at Ottawa Death of Mr. Ward ' Sweethearts 'A musical after- noon with the House of Commons Farewell address from both Houses of Parliament Fancy bazaar The Phonograph The General Hospital, Montreal The Queen's Birthday Review- Good-bye at Ottawa The children leave for England . . .369 CHAPTER XXI THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS, AND LAST DAYS IN CANADA JUNE-AUGUST 1878 Gasp6 ' Tinker ' Riots at Quebec Our rooms occupied by soldiers Island of Orleans Farewell address from the Quebec Parliament Visit to Boston A New England home A literary dinner party Lord Duff erin takes his degree at the Harvard University Longfellow Mr. Adams Quebec A fog on the St. Lawrence Fishing on the Metapediac Run to Campbell Town Rimouski Bic Fishing Last visit to Tadousac The 12th of July The Maine Press Association Sillery The Roman Catholic bishops Sir Edward Thornton's visit Theatricals on the Island of Orleans The Montmorency Falls Expedition to the Chaudiere Falls Danville Sherbrooke Lennoxville Lake Massiwippi Compton Stanstead Lake Memphremagog Magog Bolton Waterloo Granby St. John's Lake Champlain Lake George Juvenile coachman at Fort Henry Good-bye . . 388 LORD DUFFERIN'S LAST DAYS IN CANADA 416 INDEX . 419 ILLUSTBATIONS LOBD DUFFERIN, GovEBNOK-GENEBAL OF CANADA, 1872-78 . frontispiece (From a photograph taken at the time in Canada) INDIAN TENTS p. [7] OUK HOUSE AND THE HOTEL, TADOUSAC .... to face p. 80 GASPE ,,144 OUB HUT (ON THE ST. JOHN RIVER) p. 148 THE MOUTH OF THE RED RIVER AND LAKE WINNIPEG . to face p. 316 RAT PORTAGE p. 347 INDIAN GRAVE AT FORT ALEXANDER p. 351 LA ROCHE PERCEE to face p. 362 LADY DUFFERIN ,,392 (From a sketch by Lord Dufferin) MAP at end MY CANADIAN JOURNAL 18721878 CHAPTEE I ARRIVAL IN CANADA S.S. ' Prussian ': Friday, June 14^, 1872. Ugh ! Ugh ! horrid ! Very rough ; everybody ill except the wretched baby, Basil, who is perfectly well, but can get no one to dress him, and is handed about, unwashed, to engineers, waiters, to anyone who can stand. Monday, lyih. The ship rolling from side to side till one's back aches. Such a noise of splashing and dash- ing and falling about, and such fears lest my infants should follow the example of my toothbrush, and come flying across the room ! To add to my fears, two steerage passengers came to D. in the night, to inquire whether he thought there was any danger, and if the captain might not be asked to put into port until it became calmer. In the morning these men were found sleeping with life-belts on. }\ T /'dnesday, iQth. We are much better now, and quite enjoy our meals, which D. and I have in a cabin by our- selves. We are also able to look about, and find that there are 107 'street Arabs' on board, brought out by a saint of a woman, who, although very sick and miserable her- B 2 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. i self, sings to them, reads out loud, goes down into the steerage, sees them to bed, and performs many other trying offices in the most unselfish manner. Miss Macpherson pays her own passage and expenses. Each child costs loZ. to bring out, arid will eventually be adopted into a Canadian family, where it will have a happy home. This seems to be an excellent charity. Sunday, 23rd. A beautiful day a hot sun and a per- fectly calm sea. Our parasols and shady hats have come out for the first time, and Hermie and Basil l are being made very much of by the convalescent passengers. Prepara- tions are making for our arrival at Quebec ; and, as it has been discovered that there is no Canadian flag on board, my maid, Mrs. Dent, is busily engaged in trying to manufacture one. Nobody is quite sure what it is, but all suppose that there must be a beaver and a maple-leaf in it. I sincerely hope that no great herald will be waiting to receive us. We have attended a meeting in the steerage, where some of the Canadian passengers talked to the emigrants about the country they are going to. D. also spoke, and told them that in Canada they need never complain, as he had hea^d one of them do, ' that he had too many children,' for that there the more they had the better. An enthusi- astic young man on hearing this slapped D. on the back and said, ' That is just what I have been telling Emily.' Quebec: Tuesday, 2$th. A lovely morning. We an- chored early, but did not land till ten, when the Ministers, Lieutenant-Governor, and several other officials, came on board, and with them we went ashore. A salute was fired from the citadel as D. stepped on land, and we walked through lines of troops to a carriage- and- four, in which we drove to Spencer Wood, the Lieutenant-Governor's resi- dence. We passed through Quebec, up a very steep hill. The road was rough, and it was extremely hot and dusty. 1 Our youngest children. JUNE 1872 ARRIVAL AT QUEBEC AND OTTAWA 3 I could not see the view as we were driving away from the river, and also, I was much occupied in looking at the people who filled the streets ; but when we got to Spencer Wood we were charmed with it, and it looks right down upon the St. Lawrence. At three o'clock D. was sworn in as Governor-General of Canada, and received some addresses of welcome, but, as I remained quiet in my country retreat, I can tell you nothing of the ceremony. Our host is Sir Narcisse Belleau; his wife is a nice quiet little French- woman, and he is pleasant and kind. There was a dinner in the evening, but I don't feel that I have seen enough of any of the guests to tell you about them to-day, except that the Prime Minister, Sir John Macdonald, is the image s - of Dizzy. Wednesday, 26th. The papers give a most amusing de- scription of D., stating his apparent weight and height. I am very flatteringly described, though the ignorant male writer speaks slightingly of my dress as being a 'plain blue silk,' whereas it was in reality excessively smart, and had caused me infinite trouble and anxiety ! However, I had the satis- faction of hearing from Lady Harriet Fletcher 2 that the ladies knew better, and had appreciated it. Lady Harriet and I had a drive about the old town, and I was quite delighted with it. The views are perfectly lovely, and it would be such a charming place to live in, if only we had a house here ! In the afternoon we started for Ottawa in a magnifi- cent river steamer with four storeys and streets of cabins, and a grand table d'hote on board. We sat on deck and enjoyed ourselves immensely as we went up the St. Law- rence. I cannot tell you what a lovely voyage this was ! so . lovely that I cannot believe that we did it of necessity, and not for pleasure only. Thursday, 2?th. We arrived at Ottawa, the first view of * Daughter of the Earl of Romney, wife of Lord Dufferin's Military Secretary. n 2 4 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. i which is magnificent ; but once landed there was no time to look at anything ! There were nine addresses to be listened to, and after them we drove off to our new home ! . . . We have been so very enthusiastic about everything hitherto that the first sight of Eideau Hall did lower our spirits just a little ! The road to it is rough and ugly, the house appears to me to be at the land's end, and there is no view whatever from it, though it is near the river and we have come through hundreds of miles of splendid scenery to get to it ! Then I have never lived in a Government House before, and the inevitable bare tables and ornamentless rooms have a depressing effect : for the first time I realise that I have left my own home for many years, and this is its substitute ! Friday, 28tli. Please forget the above growl. The morning has brought more cheerful reflections. We are not intended to live here at midsummer, and I dare say that in winter this place looks lovely ! Our house is, they say, very warm and comfortable, and the Houses of Parliament which, after all, I do see from my windows are very beauti- ful. And I can cover up the tables and supply the homey look which at present is wanting so why did I grumble ? We have driven in state through the town, and have visited the Government buildings. I was delighted with the Senate, and with the Library a large, circular room. When the House is sitting I may come and listen to debates, but the Governor- General may not ! The weather is extremely hot, and we are not going to remain here. D. goes to-morrow to inspect militia at Prescott, and I meet him there two days later. ^ Monday, July ist. We went for a row on the river in the evening, which was delicious. It was very pretty ; and we had a breath of fresh air, and got out of a perspiration for the first time for a week ! We have been busy making a number of household arrangements. I have chosen my nurseries ; and it has JULY 1872 HOUSEHOLD ARRANGEMENTS 5 been decided to add a storey to the little house in the garden in which the Fletchers will live, for they have a number of children too. The non- arrival of all our heavy luggage has been an anxiety ; so far our Viceregal establish- ment possesses about six plates and as many cracked tea- cups ; and our own supply of china, plate, and linen seems to be trying to see the country, and to travel for pleasure, instead of coming and settling down here as it should. Perhaps you may wonder where my children are all this time. The three elder ones are still in Europe, trying to learn a little French, and Hermione and Basil, who came out with us, are now at Eiviere du Loup, where we have taken a house for the summer. There, also, are the Fletcher children. Colonel 3 and Lady Harriet Fletcher came out to Canada the mail before we did, and made all arrange- ments for us and for themselves. He is the Military Secretary. We have two very nice A.D.C.s at present. One of them was with Lord Lisgar, and has kindly volun- teered to stay and help us for a time. The other is Mr. Coulson, who is regularly appointed, and who will remain even after Fred comes out. Please tell the latter that I find that an A.D.C. is a charming institution. These two ask me ' if I will drive,' ' or walk,' ' or boat,' or ' if I want anything from the town ' ; and if I turn my head, they find out what I am looking for, and get it for me. So Fred need not hope to get off any of his duties through my ignorance of them ! D. is very happy, and is much taken with the country and the people ; and all here seem pleased with him. I think that I am getting on pretty well too, though I say it that should be silent in the matter; and the papers, who talk about us a good deal, lay great stress on my not being affected a negative virtue which I may mention without appearing too conceited ! My attentive A.D.C.s have taken me to see the Chau- 3 The late Colonel Fletcher, C.M.G., Scots Fusilier Guards. 6 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. I diere Fall. It is close to Ottawa, and is very beautiful. There is a mass of water which appears to fall in three different directions into the same pool, and a great smoke of foam rises from the splash ; it looks just like a big 'cauldron. Close to it is a saw-mill. The trunks of forest- trees are carried by the stream to the door of the mill, where they are caught by chains and slowly dragged into the teeth of a bundle of saws. After passing through these, the trees fall in planks, which are quickly taken up by another machine to have their sides neatly trimmed. As they pass a man marks them with a pencil according to their quality. After this we ' ran the slide,' which was very exciting. The ' slide ' is a long incline of water, divided into a series of small waterfalls, and is the artificial road by which the timber from the higher levels is brought down into the St. Lawrence. The wood is made up into rafts, and you sit upon these while they slip down the incline. It looks rather alarming to see one of these great monsters go head- long into the water at the foot of each fall ; but, although I got on board with my heart in my mouth, I liked it ex- tremely, and when I found myself safe on the calm level of the Ottawa, I would gladly have recommenced the journey had it been possible : but when one has slid down this steep hill of water to the river, one is miles away from the starting-point, and has to go home another way. The rafts and the quantities of wood lying about in all directions are the most curious sights here, but I see no really fine timber growing in this neighbourhood. Wednesday, $rd. I left Ottawa early, and met D. at Prescott. He had been inspecting volunteer camps at Kingston and Prescott, and is to see another at Laprairie to-morrow. We shot the rapids. The rapids are places where there is a tremendous stream rushing over a rocky descent. When the steamer comes to them the engine is stopped, and the current carries the vessel over the broken water JULY 1872 RUNNING THE RAPIDS 1 at a great rate. If the pilot were to make a mistake, or to lose command of the ship, she would be wrecked. The rapids look like a stormy sea, but you do not go up and down in them, and rather feel as though the vessel were being buffeted about, and as if it were striking some hard substance. The worst rapid is called the ' Lachine,' and that does look rather alarming. The rapids are all down hill, and going at such a great pace the pilot 4 appears to be steering straight upon some fearful rock, peeping above water, when just as you expect the crash, the stream takes the vessel and carries her clear of the danger. "We were met at Montreal by the Mayor and a guard of honour. Quebec : Friday, $tli. I saw a little of Montreal yester- day, but not enough to warrant a description. We went to a Ifttle country place, where we had strawberries and cream under the trees, and when I returned to the hotel I received visitors. I find Canadian society very easy to get on with : the people talk, and they are very simple and natural, and willing to be pleased ; so that receiving seventy or eighty total strangers is made a pleasant instead of an arduous task, as it might be. D. was occupied all day inspecting a camp, and in receiving addresses. We dined early, and went on board the steamer for Quebec. There were 800 passengers, most of them lying about on the floors ; but we had comfortable cabins, and slept well all night.. The only new things we saw on this journey were the fire-flies ; they were so numerous on the wooded banks of the river that their lights looked like those of a distant town. Saturday, 6th. The Governor-General has some of the privileges of the old kings of France, and one of them is that he has the right to enter the cloistered convents. In 4 The pilot on this occasion was ' Old Baptistc,' who took us down a channel he had himself first found in 1842. 8 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. i his train, therefore, we have been to the Ursulines and to the Hotel-Dieu. The Vicar-General went with us, and at each convent, after inspecting the ordinary arrangements of the house, we went into a room where the nuns were arranged in rows, and where we sat on thrones on a dais. In a clever, easy way the Vicar inaugurated a kind of general conversation about the convent, and the nuns laughed at his little jokes, and answered any questions put to them. We were greatly struck by their manners, so pleasant and cheerful, without the slightest affectation or shyness. Monday, 8th. We made an expedition to theMontmorency Falls. D. went in the Dauntless, a thirty-six ton yacht which he has bought, and we rowed in a big boat. The fall is six miles from Quebec. The day was very fine, and as we saw them from the river the shining tin roofs of the town looked beautiful in the sunshine. The first view of the fall is spoilt by the quantity of timber at its base. The bay is crammed with stacks of boards and wood, piled up in every way, and there are saw- mills hard at work ; but when you get close enough to see it, the Montmorency is really beautiful. It is 170 feet high higher than Niagara and it falls perfectly straight down into the earth, clouds of spray rising up in front of it. The water does not appear to rush on as in most waterfalls, and it is supposed that it dives into the ground, and comes out elsewhere. We had brought provisions with us, so we lighted a fire, cooked an excellent lunch, and afterwards made tea. In the cool of the evening we rowed back to Quebec, and got on board the steamer for Eiviere du Loup. This is the fashionable time for going to the seaside, so the boats are very full. Riviere du Loup : Tuesday, gth. Our house here is a nice little cottage, but it is a long way from the sea, and I don't think that we shall care to shut ourselves up in it for long. We are impatient to see more of the country and the JULY 1872 THE 'DAUNTLESS* 9 people, and if only we can find a house at Quebec we shall go there ; for the more we see of that place, the more we like it. Wednesday, loth. After getting my letters ready for the mail we set out for the yacht. The day was not very good, but there was a nice breeze, and although the Fletchers and I felt a little uncomfortable at first, we all got over it and enjoyed ourselves very much. H.E. was delighted with the Dauntless. His sailors are not very smart, but he is looking forward to the arrival of Hammond, 5 who will soon give it the air of an English yacht. The Dauntless has a well to sit in, and a large but rather low cabin. She is one of the flat yachts with a sliding keel. D. steered back into the harbour before an admiring crowd just arrived by the steamer. An American on the shore called out, 'Well, Governor, you seem to be used to this kind of work.' Thursday, nth. Dr. Campbell, of Montreal, came here to offer D. some salmon-fishing. He has accepted for two days, and goes next Wednesday, the 1 7th Colonel Fletcher with him. They will live in a camp, and be eaten by black flies and mosquitoes. The former have a sharp lance, which they insert under the skin. You do not feel the bite at the time, but it bleeds freely and inflames next day. While fishing, you keep your face and neck covered with a pre- paration which the flies dislike. Dr. Campbell gave an exciting account of the fishing, and how the fisherman runs along the banks as fast as he can, while the salmon rushes down the rapids. I think / should like to go too but ladies are not invited. Saturday, 2oth. H.E. returned in the evening. He enjoyed his trip very much, though the salmon were scarce, and he only caught five trout. Dr. Campbell, Mr. Urquhart, Colonel Fletcher, and himself, were the party. Mr. Urquhart attended to the dinner, and was ' most 5 An English sailor. 10 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL OH. i anxious ' about it, it consisted of salmon and cold beef, and was very good ; still, it does not sound as if it required immense thought and preparation. Monday, 22nd. Colonel Fletcher has gone off to see houses at Quebec. In the afternoon we drove to Cacouna, a more fashion- able watering-place than this, where there is a large hotel frequented by Americans, who amuse themselves by dress- ing four times a day. Wednesday, 24th. D. and I started in the afternoon for Tadousac. It was quite dark when we got there, after two hours in the steamer, and we could only see that we drove up a most dangerous road. It was a wooden ramp, just wide enough for the carriage, and with a little precipice on each side. It led to the hotel, which we found extremely clean and comfortable. I think they manage these things very well in Canada. There is a complete absence of pre- tence. The furniture is very plain : just a strip of carpet in one's bedroom, common-looking French beds, washing- stand and chest of drawers no curtains anywhere the only luxury being extreme cleanliness. There is a table d'hote where all dine servants at the same table as the other guests and the food is very good. We had private rooms and private meals, but no one else would think of such a thing. The same simplicity strikes me as characteristic of the people. They do not pretend to be fine or smart, or anything but what they are ; they believe every word you say, and take all polite exaggerations au pied de la lettre. They are exceedingly friendly and kind-hearted, so that their saying what they think does not lead to any uncomfort- able speeches. Tadousac is the oldest, but I should think the smallest, place in the Dominion. Not only as tourists, but as sailors, we are delighted with it. The hotel is situated in the curve of a lovely bay, with a nice sandy beach all round it. There are rocky walks of a most amusing description JULY 1872 T ADO US AC 11 for the walker, a good anchorage for the yachtsman, and as all the fishing is up the Saguenay, and this place is at its mouth, there is sport for the sportsman. There are white porpoises and seals, and occasional whales to be seen rolling and jumping about, and altogether we thought the place most attractive, and have some idea of building a house here for the summer. Thursday, 2$th. We got up at six to go out fishing, and drove down to the pier, where we found Mr. Eadford, a resident here, who had promised to chaperon us to the fish- ing-ground. It was rather too stormy, but we started nevertheless in the yacht, followed by two row-boats. We had a charming sail, a beautiful coast to look at, and white porpoises and seals appearing in the water to amuse us. When we reached the Bergeron we anchored, and went on shore to prepare our fishing-rods. 1 was just being instructed in the art of throwing the fly, and was standing up in the row- boat, lashing the water with my line, when H.E. called out from the other boat, ' Put up your rod, and come and save the ship.' The yacht had dragged her anchor, and was fast going on the rocks. We got on board as quickly as we could, fastened tow-ropes to the two row-boats, and with great difficulty got her out of the current ; her sails filled, and off we went. ' Home,' said His Excellency and in fact it had come on to blow too hard for fishing, as the trout go into deep water when the waves are too much for them. We had a very rough sail back to Tadousac, but rather enjoyed it. We reached the hotel in time for lunch, and settled with our friend to get up at five next day and try again. In the afternoon we took a walk, and were quite charmed with Tadousac. It is at the mouth of the Saguenay river, and the hotel is built close to the water, above a beautiful bay. Our walk was a climb, and yet it was not too fatiguing ; the rocks are smooth, with no sharp points, and tufts and shrubs grow in the interstices, so that there is always something to catch hold of if you slip. When we 12 MY CANADIAN JOUXNAL CH. i got home, Mr. Eadford brought two Eiee Lake canoes, / and D. tried paddling" in one, while I went out in the / other. Friday, 26th. Called at 5 A.M., with the information that the day was very favourable for fishing. We were at the wharf at six a beautiful morning. There were two row-boats ready for us, and we set off, up the Saguenay. The river is like a rift in a rocky mountain, and it was very pretty in the early morning rowing along it ; great cliffs on each side, the river every now and then spreading out into a bay, and looking like a lake, the entrance quite hidden by projecting rocks. We had a three-hours' row, and arrived at St. Etienne, a feeding-ground of the trout. I again began to throw my fly, and soon became quite expert at it. I caught sixteen, and D. nineteen, and after my arm ached Mr. Eadford took my rod and caught four ; so our bag was a pretty good one. We lunched on the rocks, and afterwards got on board and sailed nearly the whole way home till it began to rain, then the wind fell, so we took to our row-boats and got back in time for dinner. Our long day was not over yet. The young ladies of Tadousac had got up a charity concert, which we attended : it was in the hotel, and between the songs there were some pretty tableaux. When all was over I was glad to return to my dear bed which I had left so early in the morning. Saturday, 2?th. Another lovely day. We like Tadousac so much that we have actually chosen a site, and are going to build a wooden house here for next year. The air is delicious, and we feel so well and cheerful ! After breakfast we walked to an Indian hut to see a young bear they had found on the hills. He was very little and very unamiable-looking. The Indian women are very dark and ugly, and have their hair tied up in little bags on each side of their faces. D. next took me out in a canoe, and we had a talk with the authorities about our site. At JULY 1872 RIVIERE DU LOUP 13 two we got on board the steamer, and returned to Kiviere du Loup. Colonel and Lady Harriet Fletcher came down to meet us, and we hear from him that the artillery quarters at Quebec are more likely to suit us than any other house we can get this year. D. will go and see them. Monday, 29th. Directly after breakfast Lady H. and V" her governess and children came in to help me to prepare for my first Canadian entertainment ! Unfortunately, D. will not be at it, as he has gone off to Quebec. Of course we have small means here of doing anything grand no ornaments at all ; thick, white earthenware cups, lodging- house furniture, etc., and only wild flowers to be had. With them we determined to do a great deal. We got moss and ferns, wild roses and red berries ; called in soup-plates, finger-glasses, and bark canoes ; and had in the drawing- room fourteen bouquets eight on brackets round the walls, and one on each table. Then we put moss on the chimney- piece and filled it with bright flowers, and covered the board in front of the fireplace with fir-branches, etc. Opposite the drawing-room is the best bedroom. We carried out the bed, arranged the fireplace in the same way, and had tables with tea, coffee, iced milk, champagne cup and cakes there. On one side of our house we had croquet, and on the other chairs, and I received my company at four o'clock in the chair department. The arrangements took us the whole morning, and amused us very much ; the only drawback was that we had no man, not even an aide-de-camp ! Luckily, the day was splendid. We sat ourselves upon the lawn, and soon the first people came. The second carriage which arrived contained three priests with French names ! They had no cards, and Nowell, our English servant, whom I had told to be very particular about announcing the names clearly, remembering my instructions, and unable to pronounce them, stopped my 14 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. i guests outside and made them write their names on a piece of paper. One of them, a very jolly Irishman, asked, ' Are you His Excellency's aide-de-camp ? ' When all had arrived a good game of croquet was got up, and the people who did not play sat on the lawn and talked. I had over thirty, and they admired our decorations very much. The moment my party broke up, and in sight of many of the visitors, my neighbours' servants came to fetch the things they had lent me ; and it was funny to see cups and soup-plates and chairs being carried off to their lawful owners. I had asked people from four to six, and, like Cinderella, they rushed off when the hour struck. Wednesday, 31 si. We arrived at Tadousac late last night, bringing the children with us. I took them this morning to a sandy place, where they soon improvised spades and began to ' make a dirt,' as Hermie said. In the afternoon Lady H. and I went a drive the only drive here. It begins on a very sandy road, comes to a place where the horses have, every few minutes, to walk down one wall and up another, continues through the remains of a burnt forest, where the charred stumps of trees are almost buried in the luxuriant, fresh green vegetation springing up around them, and then brings you to a place which is really fearful : one side of the road is a steep precipice, the other a loose sandy hill, which is constantly slipping down and filling up the very narrow space you have to drive on. Here we got a pretty peep of the Saguenay, while heretofore we had been looking upon the St. Lawrence. D. and the Colonel went out boating. Sunday, August 4th. The day was foggy and rainy, but we walked to the little church, which D. admires, and where, he says, we see ' the first principles of architecture.' It is the first church ever built in Canada, and is made of wood, just as you would make one with a child's box of bricks ; the walls are long and short bars qf wood, piled one AUG. 1872 THE MARGUERITE RIVER 15 upon the other. It is very quaint and simple. The service at Tadousac depends upon stray clergymen, and this Sunday there was none staying in the place, so they asked an American Scripture-reader to read prayers and he gave us a very nice service. D. and I took a walk in the afternoon, and were inveigled into paying a visit. We are too grand to pay visits as a rule, but sometimes we meet a friend at his own door, and he asks us to come in. Monday, $th. We were suddenly struck with the idea of going salmon-fishing ; so we ordered a hamper of pro- visions to be ready in twenty minutes, took a comb and brush and a pocket-handkerchief in a bag, and set off, D. and I in the Imogene, which is a small yawl, Hammond following in the Dauntless. We had a lovely sail up the Saguenay to the mouth of the Marguerite river, where we arrived about four o'clock, and sent ashore for the fisherman. Then we each got into a canoe, and began to ascend the rapids ! I have already described the rapids as they appeared from a steamer, but from a canoe one sees the dangers more closely. A man stands at each end of the canoe, with a long pole in his hand ; the passenger sits in the middle, on the floor. The current is something tre- mendous, and the water dashes about the rocks in quite a fearful way. The men pole the boat along, first giving a shove on one side and then on the other, shaving rocks, and conducting her safely with wonderful skill. It is very hard work, and when I said sympathetically to our conductor, that it must be fatiguing work, he replied with very great fervour, ' Joliment fatiyuant.' This is going jj the rapids ; coming down the rush is with you, and then with equal skill the men use their paddles and ward the boat off from the rocks, stopping her in her headlong career as she appears to be rushing to destruc- tion. We went up successfully, and landed about eight o'clock at the edge of a wood, groped our way up a narrow path, and found ourselves at three small wooden 16 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL OH. I huts. The first was a dining-room and pantry, the second two bedrooms, the third a place for the men. Opposite the dining-room, but fifty yards from it, was an open shed, which I found to be the kitchen ; and as I sat at the head of the table I saw Imps dancing about the fire cooking our dinner. Opposite our encampment there is a curious geological or clayological formation : it looks as if half a high hill had been cut clean away with a knife in fact, a perfect section of a hill is exposed to view. It is quite as flat as the side of a cheese, with nothing growing upon it, but the top is crowned with trees. The side is grey clay, and it is six hundred feet high. We were very glad to retire soon to our little iron beds, and to creep under our mosquito- cur tains ; but I confess I felt a certain emotion at the idea of sleeping in such a lonely place, with no one between us and the North Pole! Tuesday, 6th. Notwithstanding the solitary feelings which oppressed me for a time last night, I slept, and was ready to get up at five. We performed a hasty 'toilette,' swallowed a cup of tea, and took to the canoes for fishing. We were both most industrious, and flogged the water with our flies, but had no bites ; then ' Peter,' the fisherman, took my rod and hooked a salmon. My rod is small, and he exclaimed, as the salmon ran off with the line, that ' the cord was too short.' Quick as possible he jumped into a canoe, and we saw a most exciting chase ; the salmon flying off with yards of line, being wound up again, giving an occasional jump into the air, and battling courageously for life. When he was getting worn out Peter landed and insisted upon my holding the rod. I found it almost too heavy for me, and I had a great deal of help in finishing the poor victim, who still made dashes to release himself. At last we got him near the shore, when a cruel gaff was stuck into him, and a cry of triumph from the men announced his death AUG. 1872 THE FIRST SALMON 17 to us, and to the listening woods. The salmon weighed fifteen pounds. At nine we went home to our breakfast. After it we sat at the kitchen fire and burnt holes in the only boots we had with us ! The day was very fine, and we walked and sat about till four o'clock, when fishing recommenced. I must tell you that we were oiled all over, face and neck and hands, with a strong-smelling stuff, to keep off the mos- quitoes. Again D. and I began to work, and soon he hooked a salmon, and I laid down my rod to see the fight. It lasted a long time, and the fish led the fisherman a good dance before he died. He weighed fourteen and a quarter pounds, and was His Lordship's first salmon ! We caught no more. Wednesday, jth. At eight o'clock we left the huts and went down the rapids, the men singing some of their wild and curious boat-songs as they paddled us along. We had arranged to fish for trout at the place where we had anchored the yachts, and then to be picked up by the steamer on its way down the Saguenay, and to go on to Biviere du Loup. However, to our astonishment, we saw our steamer going up the river. She had been detained by fog, and our plans were thus put out. There was nothing for it but to sail back to Tadousac, and await the steamer's return there. We had a couple of very disagreeable hours, and finally arrived at our destination in a fog, a thunderstorm, and a heavy shower/ As we expected the steamer's immediate return, we merely lay down upon our beds, and waited till five o'clock in the morning, when at last she arrived, and D. and I and our two sleepy children got on board. D. went straight on to Quebec, so he retired to bed; but as we were to reach Eiviere du Loup in two hours, we remained up, and got there at last very hungry and tired. IS CHAPTEE II QUEBEC The Citadel: Friday, August gih. Lady Harriet and I have joined D. at Quebec, and I am much pleased with my barrack home. All books about Canada will tell you how splendid is the situation of the Citadel ; very high, and com- manding a magnificent view of that great river the St. Law- rence. Our house ' quarters,' I should say is not yet quite ready, and workmen are still busy papering and making alterations. The old mess-room is our dining-room, and the drawing-room is above it. It is a long room, with windows at either end : those facing the river open on to an immense platform, the outer wall of which forms a balustrade. There I sit and look down hundreds of feet upon the town lying below me ; or into the ships, on to whose decks I fancy I could almost throw a stone ; or at the St. Lawrence itself, and at the blue hills far away in fact, at one of the most celebrated views of the world ! There are great black cannon also looking out from the Citadel, and the Union Jack and the Dominion Flag are flying beside me. I assure you it is very romantic ! I am rather afraid that with your little English ideas you will not understand the size of my ' platform,' but it is big enough to give a ball on, or a garden party, or a charity bazaar, or any other sort of gathering you like ! so open your mind for the consideration of it. D. and Colonel Fletcher rode, and I went for a charming drive, and was more pleased than ever with the country AUG. 1872 SETTING UP HOUSE 19 round Quebec. Everything is growing so luxuriantly now. The hedges are full of flowers and large wild maidenhair fern, and quantities of berries which all seem to be eatable ; and the crops, which, before they were fully developed, looked miserable, have suddenly swelled out and filled up all the bare places one deplored a month ago. Monday, i2th. The weather is very hot, but not oppres- sive. People here live behind green blinds, and shut the sun out of their houses : they cannot understand our liking to see it shine in, and they complain of the heat much more than we do. Tuesday, i $th. In the afternoon we went out to do some shopping. The most important part of it was choosing furniture for a little room. It was difficult to get what we wanted. They have no plain stuffed sofas or chairs every- thing is surrounded by elaborate carvings in wood, and the men are astonished that their Excellencies ' n'aiment pas la sculpture.' We are miserable over our heavy luggage, which will not arrive. We have nine dessert-plates, and no other china, no silver plate at all, no harness, and it is impossible to ' set up ' or to give dinners until these things arrive. No one travelling here should lose sight of his box for an instant. Things are never lost, but they may be months getting to their owner. I have been looking for a scullery-maid, and find women-servants very scarce. I have only seen one young lady in search of the place: she spoke with a real Irish brogue, and appeared in a smart hat and feathers. She was extremely surprised at my wishing to have a character. She had one, but had left it at home, not sup- posing I should care to see it : of course she could fetch it directly. Next morning she brought me three lines, on very common paper, which, in very bad writing, certi- fied her to be honest and ' oblidgeing.' In spite of the brogue she was Canadian, and was ' sure she didn't c 2 20 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. H know what Mama was,' when I questioned her as to her nationality. Friday, i6th. Having got my eleven letters shut up all ready for the mail, I took a complete holiday from writing, for one is always pen in hand here, and letter-writing be- comes one's normal condition. We look upon our epistles as seed sown, and are always egging each other on to write to new people, that our harvest of news may be plentiful. The weather has changed, and a gale is blowing. We hardly know our Quebec in this tempest, and long to see it in its usual sunshine again. Every afternoon we take a drive, and generally manage a little walk too. Colonel Strange * has lent us some arms, and at the top of our crimson-clothed staircase we have a magnificent arrangement of swords and spears and flags ; opposite it a star of bayonets. Our drawing-room is not yet finished, but we hope it will be ready by Monday, when we have a dinner of twenty-four people ; ' and yet I am not happy,' for glass, plate, and china are still on their travels. Eleven of our twenty-four are cricketers, who are expected to arrive to-morrow from England. Mr. Pattisson, D.'s Private Secretary, arrived from Ottawa. Monday, igth. We were busy the whole morning arrang- ing the drawing-room ; then we drove to the town to get table-covers and some finishing touches. Our efforts were crowned with success, and the room looked extremely pretty. Nearly everything had to be hired for the dining-room ; but about an hour before dinner a few cases arrived, and two or three salvers were got out to ornament the sideboard. We had thirty people eleven of them cricketers. The dinner was supposed to be at 7.30, and the Canadians arrived punctually, but the English guests were somewhat London-like in then* hours. In the evening the officers of 1 In command of B Battery, Canadian Artillery. AUG. 1872 A PICNIC 21 the B Battery, quartered in the Citadel, came in. Everyone admired ou.: new platform very much, and as a most splendid moon shone down upon the St. Lawrence for the occasion, it really was very nice. The attractions of the platform almost emptied the drawing-room. Tuesday, 2Oth. In the afternoon we drove out, Lady Harriet, Mr. Coulson, and I. First we went over an asylum part of which is for old men and old women. The first old gentleman I saw said, ' I was just coming up to see you. I come from Killyleagh.' 2 At each side of the building are orphan asylums. We went over everything thoroughly, going up to the attics and down to the kitchens, and examining both the summer and winter clothing of the boys and girls. Thursday, 22nd. The morning looked damp and un- certain, but we started on a picnic. A tandem, containing our second cook and our guide and commissariat officer, led the way. Lady H. and I followed in a barouche. D. and Colonel Fletcher rode. I must tell you that our ' guide ' is quite a character, and is of a most sanguine dis- position : he declared the distance to the lake was only twenty miles, that there we should catch fish of enormous weights, that moose and bear and cariboo would be shot by us in the bush, and, although it poured as we drove along, that the weather would be lovely ' in half an hour.' D. thought seriously of turning back, but we voted for giving the sun another chance, and things soon looked much better. When we had reached the ' twenty miles ' we found we were about half way, and we stopped at a cottage to change carriages. The rest of the road was too rough for our barouche, so we got into the waggon with the tandem, while the cook set out in a cart. We gave the horses an hour to rest, while we sat in the garden and talked to the man and his wife. She was Scotch, and he a very good specimen of an Irishman. He had bought eighty acres for 2 My old home in County Down. 22 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n zooL, but thinks a tenant in Ireland better olf, in spite of his 'rent.' They both dread the long winters, and the heat of the summer. They had such a nice dog with an extraordinary taste for putting out fires. When shown a lighted paper, he rushed at it, tried to extinguish it with his mouth, then had recourse to his paws, and, after succeeding, cooled his poor tongue with some clay or a stone. When we reached our destination, we found our three tents pitched on the borders of Lake St. Joseph, which is ten miles long, and is surrounded by hills covered with woods. At sunset it was lovely; the hills becoming purple and blue, and the water looking like molten brass. Close to our encampment was a farm-house, and a nice Irish family, all with charming manners the father a magistrate. Our guide had been beaming all day, and was radiant now that the weather looked better. He had shown us the tea-plant growing on the way, the saffron-plant, etc., and had told us a good deal about the country and the people. He sent us out with our rods to fish, while our dinner was being prepared. With us went Hammond (who had arrived before to pitch our tents), and a Mr. White, one of the afore-mentioned Irish family. We were just throwing out our first line, when Mr. White said, ' There is a great storm coming : we must get under the trees.' We jumped out of the boats, got under some bushes, and pulled a waterproof over us ; a terrific storm, with tropical rain, came on, and, in spite of all precautions, we got quite wet. When it was over, we set off for our encampment. Our guide met us on the shore. His spirits were not damped, and when Colonel Fletcher inquired anxiously if the tents had let in any water, he replied, ' Not a drop, Colonel ; not a drop.' On reaching them, however, we found every bed and blanket wet through ! They had looked so nice and comfortable when we went out, and now all our possessions AUG. 1 872 l MR. BRIGGS' 23 We lighted a fire, for which the Whites sacrificed all their nice palings, and surrounded it with the wet shawls, and beds, and bedding ; then we pulled our table close to the warm blaze, and our cook sent us soup and entrees, and roasts and pudding, and we were quite happy. As soon as the things were dry we went to bed. We had three tents. In the first we dressed ; in the second D. and I had most comfortable little beds, and we crept through a hole to get to them. I procured a pen- knife to put under my pillow, to cut my way out in case of emergency, for in a panic I never could have found the hole. There was a faint possibility of a bear peeping in at it, and a pretty good chance of a pig committing the same indiscretion. Friday, 2^rd. The fire was crackling outside my tent when I awoke, and as soon as D. had dressed, I skipped across to the dressing-tent, and got ready for breakfast. The day was lovely, and we were all full of anticipation. Our guide appeared so radiant and so exactly the image of the celebrated 'Mr. Briggs ' in 'Punch,' that he now goes by that name amongst us. There he was, with his short coat, and a great wide-awake hat, on each side of which drooped an enormous long white cock's feather ; the living picture of Mr. Briggs when he stated that 'his heart was in the Highlands.' The gentlemen were to go into the bush with him, while we ladies were to fish. We had a very pleasant day, and caught fifty bass a very good fresh-water fish, and an amusing one to catch. We came home to lunch, sat two hours in the sunshine, and went out on the lake again in the afternoon. The other party, though unsuccessful, had great fun. ' Briggs,' with his powder-flask round his neck, three or four guns, and several fishing-rods in the canoe, ordered his men to start. He recommended the gentlemen to take ten ' rounds ' of ammunition, which they did, though they 24 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n feared there would be nothing to shoot, and they only wanted to see the ' bush.' Off they went, and as they rowed along Briggs would issue short and sharp words of command to Mr. White : ' White, stop there and catch a trout.' 'White, we'll take a bass here,' which they did not do, and then went on. They landed, and Briggs was to lead them to a small lake, on the shores of which he promised cariboo. He had not gone ten yards before he cried, ' Now, Colonel, we'll take a breath,' and during the ' breath ' the poor Colonel was devoured by black flies, of which Briggs had previously declared there was not one. The walking was very severe, as there were great trunks of trees lying about, so covered with moss that the walkers did not see them until they stepped on the apparently solid ground, when they sank down between the branches of the fallen trees. Briggs' ' breath '-taking became frequent, and D. soon began to fear, not only that Mr. Briggs had no notion of his way at all, but also that he was keeping himself up by rather too many ' drops ' of brandy ; so a consultation was held and they found that if they went on until the sun set, they would lose their way, and be unable to get out of the wood, so they thought seriously of return- ing. Briggs began to give more decided orders than ever. ' White, go and get me a glass of water ; do you hear, White? go and get it directly, sir 'this when no water was to be seen anywhere ; then, White, go and find that lake go on there, and you'll find it, sir ' ; but Mr. White was afraid of being lost. Then Briggs lay down, called for his mosquito-curtain, and D. and Colonel Fletcher began to consider how they could get him home. They sent him a bottle of ginger ale (without any brandy), and soon after drinking that he pulled himself together, and they, steering by the sun, got out of the wood. They were immensely amused, but Briggs was crest- fallen, and went to bed, and has never alluded to this expedition again. Our cook had shot us some snipe and AUG. 1872 LEVEE AND PECEPTION 25 squirrels, and gave us an excellent dinner : we tasted the squirrels, but they were strong of turpentine and were very nasty. When something was said to Hammond about poor Mr. Briggs, he said, ' And he turned out all hands this morning after the roosters to get those two feathers for his hat.' Saturday, 24th. We had our breakfast down on the edge of the lake, and sat a long time enjoying the sun ; then we rowed over to the other side to see the pitcher-plant growing wild. We also saw a turtle found in the lake. At noon we started on our journey home. The views the whole way were lovely, and we stopped to lunch on the borders of the Jacques Cartier Kiver, lighted a fire, and had broiled fish, etc. During the tandem part of the drive we talked to Mr. Briggs, and he was very interesting, telling all his trade secrets. At the half-way house we were very well received, and the lady had baked us some fine plum-cakes, which she begged us to take home. Monday, 26th. D. held a levee, and was fully occupied till seven o'clock. Tuesday, 2jth. In the afternoon we went to see the lunatic asylum here. It appears to be well managed, and is very clean. In the evening we had a dinner of twenty-five people. Mr. Eussell Gurney and Mr. W. H. Smith, M.P. 3 for West- minster, and Colonel and Mrs. Fessenden, Americans, were our strangers : the rest were all Canadians. Wednesday, 28th. Mr. E. Gurney and Mr. Smith break- fasted with us, and went over the University with D. We had another dinner ; twenty people. At nine ' Her Excel- lency ' had a reception, to which all the people who had called were asked. Our platform was hung with Chinese lanterns. Society is at present my business in life, and this is 3 The Bight Honourable W. H. Smith, First Lord of the Treasury, 1891. 26 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n how my week is laid out : Monday, I remain at home to receive visitors. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we have large dinners. Friday we keep for sight-seeing, and Satur- day we have small dinners. On the big nights we have a ' drum.' Hitherto we have enjoyed our dinners and parties very much ; the people are so pleasant and chatty. There is a delightful old French lady here, Madame Duval, who thoroughly enjoys society and ' drums.' Unfor- tunately she is in mourning at present, and cannot come unless I diplomatically suggest that the invitation is a ' command.' Mourning is kept here in the strictest manner, and I believe there is a time fixed for keeping down a thick veil a time for paying mourning visits, etc., etc. I was ' at home ' to visitors, and we had a very pleasant afternoon a few people at a time, instead of the rush at an omcial gathering. After dinner we had a drum, at which nearly the whole of Quebec appeared. They were cheery, and it went off well. I tried to have some singing but there was too much talk. The band played, and, unluckily, finished its per- formance with ' God save the Queen ' : the instant the familiar bars were heard, half-finished ices were thrown down and everyone rushed away. Thursday, September $th. Lady Harriet and I called at the Ursuline Convent. We took the babies, and I was more struck with the peculiarities of convent life than when we went through the establishment before ; for, not having D. with us, we were not admitted, but had to talk to the nuns through iron bars. In was quite funny to hear them all buzzing inside their cage, laughing and talking, and handing sugar to the babies and admiring them ! Luckily, they (the babies) behaved well, and both examined the curious scene with the utmost gravity. Friday, 6th. I was writing this morning when D. called me to see eight bishops, archbishops, and grands vicaires who had particularly asked for me. I went into the drawing- SEPT. 1872 CANADIAN SONGS 27 room, and found all these ecclesiastics in full dress. Our Grand Vicar as usual put everyone at his ease, and initiated a lively conversation. Immediately after lunch we started off in a small steamer to the other side of the river. We were met by Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, who came out with us in the Prussian, and they took us to the Chaudiere Falls. We admired them very much. There is a great body of water, of a deep brown colour, which tumbles down from a good height, and the waterfall is very wide ; the cloud of white spray looks so pretty against the dark water. We also went to see a very handsome new Eoman Catholic church just built at New Liverpool. We found the priest Father Saxe a most superior old man, and very good-looking. He is proud of his church, and was pleased with our visit. He cultivates grapes and a garden, ' which are his wife and children.' Saturday, jth. In the evening we had a small dinner, and as soon as the gentlemen came up we had singing and playing. Mrs. Pemberton sang Irish melodies, and Madame Sericole French songs, and M. La Eue sang a little of every- thing, and then we had a number of Canadian boat-songs with choruses. They are very pretty, the music wild and plaintive. Our old friend, Madame Duval, was in great force, and she and her daughter dictated a song to M. La Rue which was rather amusing and pretty. She (Madame Sericole) sang, ' I will be an eel in a pond to escape from you ; ' then he, ' Si vous vous faites anguille, je me ferai pecheur pour vous prendre en pechant ; ' then she, ' Si vous vous faites pecheur pour me prendre en pechant, je devien- drai alouette,' etc. This kind of conversation goes on to any length, till finally she says she will become a nun, when he makes himself 'precheur pour vous prendre en prechant.' This fidelity she is unable to resist, and, ' Puisque tu m'aimes tant pour te faire precheur pour me prendre en prechant, I will marry you.' 28 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n Monday, gth. Mr. and Mrs. T. Brassey 4 and Miss Bobin- son dined with us. He has just come from England in his yacht, a twenty-eight days' voyage ; Mrs. Brassey came out in the steamer. Wednesday, nth. The Bishop of Quebec and Judge Stuart came to breakfast, and at eleven we started on an educational tour. At the first school separate addresses were made to each of us, and I was asked for a holiday. The boys' schools seem almost all to be under the Christian Brothers. The Cure of Quebec went with us. He, like the other priests here, is very 'jolly.' I think we went to six schools ; at each an address was read, and at each we gave a holiday. We also went to see the Houses of Parliament that is, the local Parliament. Before the seat of Govern- ment was moved it was the imperial one. It is in good taste ; the outside quite plain. After lunch we went with D. (who had not previously been there) to the lunatic asylum. We saw as much as we dared to see, and D. just escaped a cup of tea which one of the wildest of the patients threw through the holes in the door of her cell. After this we went to see some Egyptian curiosities, and I hurried home to rest for twenty minutes before my dinner. We had twenty-two people, the Brasseys among the number. Thursday, i2th. It is the experience of a very tired person you will now hear, for to-day must be added to yesterday to understand my feelings. We did not go out till two, for I was very busy all the morning; but at two we went down to the Convent of St. Eoch, where our reception was most charming. The nuns received us at the door and led us into a very large room, the walls of which were lined from floor to ceiling with little children : they each wore either a blue or a red ribbon, and they were all from three to eight years old five hundred in number. About twenty stood in the middle of the room and sang a 1 Lord and (the late) Lady Brassey. SEPT. 1872 VISITS TO CONVENTS 29 song of welcome, and whenever they came to the word ' Excellence,' or ' Milor,' they all curtseyed together. Then one came forward and made a little address, adding that this great occasion was worthy of * a double holiday.' In his reply D. said that although he had never heard of that phenomenon in nature ' a double holiday,' he was happy to grant it. Then we went upstairs to see the older pupils. I cannot tell you what a pretty ceremony it was, and how gracefully they all made their reverences together. We looked at the Church of St. Eoch, which is a large and rather gaudy building. Then we proceeded to the boys' school of the district, and heard some singing, and received an address. We had a large dinner at night. Friday, i^tli. To our duties again to-day, in spite of pouring rain. We began at ten, and visited the High School, which is a superior boys' school, and several other Protestant schools. Monday, i6th. We went to the Ursuline Convent and were received at the door by the Confessor and some other clergy, and by some of the official people in the parlour. We looked at pictures and at Montcalm's skull until all was ready, and then we went to the great door of the convent and knocked. Some nuns opened to us, and conducted us to a large room, where we found all the pupils dressed in white and with wreaths of flowers on their heads. They sang a welcome as we came in ; then two came forward, and one gave a little address in English and one in French. All the time we were there waves of curtseys kept sweeping along the line every time our names were mentioned, and as we passed down the room. It was very prettily decorated. We made a tour of the convent, and heard the pupils play a piece on five pianos and a harmonium at once. We were admitted to the cells cold and cheerless places saw the great cage in which the pupils are enclosed when they see their parents, the dining-room with its meagre furni- ture, the children's playground, and, in fact, all the sights 30 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n of the convent. The nuns themselves we found most cheerful and happy. In the evening we went to a ball given in our honour by the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Narcisse Belleau. It was held in the music-hall, a very fine room. D. danced everything, and I danced the square dances. Tuesday, ijth. In spite of our fatigues, we had to start early to visit another convent, ' Jesus Marie,' at Sillery. Here our reception was too lovely. The convent has only been built three years, and is a splendid house, with all the new improvements, and with fine grounds surrounding it. In one hall there are twelve glass boxes, each containing a piano, so that the pupils can practise simultaneously; whilst in another glass house sits the mistress, overlooking, but, happily for her, not overhearing. At the door we were met by priests, and by the Lady Superior, and we first of all paid our respects to the nuns little black ladies with white, large-bordered caps. They conducted us through passages ornamented with maple- leaves, and placed us on thrones in presence of the pupils. The children were in white, and a circle of twelve of them began a dramatic conversation, in which they consulted each other as to the best way of doing us honour. One suggested that the ' Genius of Canada ' should be asked her opinion on the subject, and, like a good fairy, she im- mediately appeared upon the scene, and settled the question by giving me a large bunch of artificial roses made in the convent, singing meanwhile a song the refrain of which was ' Ce sont des roses sans epines, Que Ton vous offre au Canada.' The Genius was a pretty, fair girl, wearing a silver wreath and a white gown ornamented with maple-leaves and roses. After all this the nuns gave us cake and sweet wine, and we hurried off to another convent. It was a very small one, only just setting itself up, but there were about SEPT. 1872 THE LA VAL UNIVERSITY 31 thirty pupils. On our way we went to look at a church, and called on Lady Belleau, and then rushed back to be ' at home ' all the afternoon. I had my room full of people from three to six, so, as you may suppose, I was pretty tired when the hour for rest came. D. and I dined alone, which is much more of an event now than a dinner-party would be. Wednesday, iSth. The day of our first ball. We were excessively busy making decorations, and attending to all the endless ball arrangements. Nevertheless, we had to go out to pay a state visit to the Universite Laval. There we were received by the Archbishop, etc., and, after seeing the young boys, D. went through the building, museum, and library, and finally into the great room, where we were received by the University proper. We sat on a dais at one end, and the hall was filled with students, priests, and guests ; the Eector and the Professors, in robes, walked in and read an address, and listened to D.'s reply. Then we went up on the roof, looked at the magnificent view, and peeped at the sun through a telescope. After this, home, where we partly rested and partly looked after the ball. Our room has light-coloured walls and a high arched roof, and we ornamented it with festoons of blue and white, fastened with great bunches of pink and white roses the ceiling the same. We had a military band outside, where there was a very good floor, and a string band in the room ; so people danced both outside and in, and they kept it up till three with great spirit. They really did enjoy themselves, which is encouraging, as we have another on Friday. Thursday, igth. Gay people that we are! To-day we had a paper-hunt. We started at eleven, D. riding, and I taking two Frenchmen who are staying here le Comte de Montebello and le Baron Brun in the carriage. It poured at first, but cleared soon. We crossed the river in a ferry, carriage and all, and were told where to place ourselves ; so we were much amused, as we saw the jumping perfectly. 32 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n When the paper was 'killed,' we met at some country barracks, had lunch, and formed a 'club,' 'the Stadacona Hunt,' with D. as president. Friday, 2Oth. At twelve o'clock I went over a Protestant home, where orphans and old women have a refuge. It seems to be very nice and comfortable. After lunch we inspected an indiarubber manufactory, and saw the material from the time it comes out of the tree till it leaves the place as goloshes. Then we proceeded to a wood-mill, where all carpentering is done by machinery, and where we saw our Tadousac house laid out. It will be made there, and transported in barges to its site. We had a second ball in the evening, and this time we had an awning on the platform, which was hung with Chinese lanterns. It looked very pretty, and it entirely prevented any crowd in the ballroom. ; in fact, it was almost the more popular place of the two. Saturday, 2ist. H.E. had suggested some athletic sports, so we went down to see them and to lunch with the Mayor. There was a very good place for the games a smooth field, surrounded by high grass banks on two sides, and with houses on the third. People sat on the banks and in the houses, and, as the day was lovely, there was an immense concourse of spectators. , The hills all round, as seen from our celebrated platform, are of the most lovely autumn colours, and, covered as they are with red and orange trees, they really look like flames in the distance, or like gigantic flower-gardens ; for our trees are quite as brilliant as your best floivers, and if you can imagine your conservatory magnified a million times, and spread over miles and miles of hill and dale, you will begin to understand how we do things in this Canada of ours. Monday, 2$rd. We left Quebec to-day, and received quite an ovation at our departure. The weather was lovely, and we started from the Citadel at three, escorted by a guard of honour. The streets, were hung with flags, and were SEPT. 1872 DEPARTURE FROM QUEBEC 33 full of people. At one corner, the boys of the Universite Laval met us, and about fifty of them each presented me with a bouquet, so that I was half buried with flowers. When we arrived at the wharf, we found almost the whole of the society waiting to say good-bye to us. The Mayor read an address, and invited us to a ball, and D. replied. Then we shook hands with everyone, and went on board. Every part of the town, right up to the Citadel, was crowded, and six steamers full of people accompanied us for ten miles. "When we got to Cap Eouge, the steamers turned back, the people on board cheering and waving their handkerchiefs. On the coast, too, at each little wharf, people were collected, and at the houses far up on the shore we saw waving flags and tablecloths. As we passed the Sillery Convent, all the children came out with flags. No wonder we like Quebec ! CHAPTER III ONTARIO Tuesday, September 24th. The train left Montreal at 8 A.M., and we were in it till 11.30 at night a very long journey. However, we had a most comfortable car, with armchairs and sofas, and managed to sleep a good deal. In spite of the lateness of the hour we were met at Toronto by crowds of people and a torchlight procession. The Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Howland, took us to his house, which was magnificently illuminated. Wednesday, 2$ih. A large dinner-party and a very pretty ball, the house and grounds being illuminated. Thursday, 26th. At eleven o'clock, we started by special train for Hamilton. It is a very prettily situated town on Lake Ontario, which looks more like the sea than a lake. All the streets are planted with trees, and there is a high hill behind the town, from which the view is magnificent. We were received at the station by the Mayor and Corpora- tion, who presented an address, and drove to the Cattle Show yard, where there was another, and D. and I walked round the grounds and looked at the animals, while the people looked at us. We examined prize horses, cows, and pigs, but found the crowd so great that we resolved to return in the morn- ing to see everything more quietly. We are staying with Mr. Mclnnes, who makes us very comfortable. Friday, 2?th. We were at the exhibition early, and went SEPT. 1872 TORONTO 35 round sewing-machines, pictures, refrigerators, stoves, vege- tables, fruit, etc. etc. After this we drove to the City Hall and received a deputation from the Six Nations. The chief ' Chief ' was finely dressed, and wore feathers in a hat, and many medals on his breast. He carried the silver pipe of peace, but also had on a scalping-knife, a tomahawk, and a dagger ; and he was enchanted when, in allusion to these weapons, D. told him that he would rather have him for a friend than an enemy. He was a fine-looking man, and had the best of manners. He read the address in English, the other Chiefs standing by in plain clothes, and when D. replied, the Chief translated into Indian each sentence of his speech. As soon as the Indians left we had a general reception, and afterwards drove out to a lovely country place belonging to Mr. Mclnnes. There we lunched, and then hurried off to the train. In an hour and a half we reached Toronto, and the grand and official reception took place. A guard of honour and the Mayor met us at the station, and we drove to the Town Hall. All the streets were crowded with people, the windows full, and the houses ornamented with flags. There were some splendid triumphal arches, and the whole way along we were cheered. We made quite a procession, fire-engines and carriages leading the way for us. Another guard of honour met us at the hall, and we went in and had two more ad- dresses. D. did not find his written replies at the station as he expected, so he had to speak extempore, and I think that pleased his audience more. After this, we again got into the carriages and drove to the hotel through crowds, where we remained as the guests of the city. In the evening twenty of the Corporation dined with us. I sat by the Mayor, Mr. Sheard a very nice man. After dinner we drove out to see the illuminations : there were some very pretty ones, and the arches looked beautiful. D 2 36 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. m Saturday, 2&th. The weather is quite splendid, and the Corporation took us for a drive. This town is one of those wonderful quick-growing places : the streets are very wide, and trees are planted on each side of them. There are some very handsome buildings and numbers of the most charming villas. On our return, we had lunch. Our health and the Mayor's health were drunk; and as the latter made frequent mention of me as D.'s ' kind lady,' I am in hopes I made an impression. At three, D. had a levee, and after this we returned to Government House. Another dinner of twenty to- night. We are thinking of spending a week at Niagara, and wrote to the hotel-keeper there to ask price of rooms, etc. He replied first to the business part, and then added, 'I should like to know how many guests His Excellency will bring with him, as I wish to give a little hop while he is here, and I have to write for the music,' etc. etc. P.S. 'The hop and the music will not be charged extra ' ! We declined the ' hop.' Monday, ^oth. We have arrived at Niagara, and I write to you in sight of the Falls. The spray rises in clouds and joins the other clouds in the sky, which has a most curious effect, and there is a brilliant rainbow in the spray, and I am not in the least disappointed with the quantity of water, or with the size of the Fall ; but I don't think the first view of it is so overpoweringly grand as I expected. The Fall is so wide that it rather takes from the height, and I imagine it is a sight the full grandeur of which will grow upon one day by day. Sir Hastings Doyle l is staying with us. Tuesday, October ist. We went to a convent, accom- panied by the Archbishop in violet. It has a beautiful 1 The late General Sir C. Hastings Doyle, Lieut. -Governor of Nova Scotia, and Commanding the Troops in Canada. OCT. 1872 NIAGARA 37 view of the Falls from its windows. After lunch we crossed the bridge and Went into the States. From that side we had fine views of the rapids and great, rushing river, and there we prepared to visit the ' Cave of the Winds.' I had no idea what the Cave really was, and was surprised to find that we were expected to array ourselves in yellow oilcloth trousers, with jackets and hoods of the same material. Thus accoutred we descended a flight of stairs, and found ourselves at the foot of a water- fall. On our feet we had soft cloth shoes, which enabled us to climb down the steepest and wettest and most slippery rocks. The spray beat in our faces, and we could only occasionally open our eyes to see the splendid rainbow in the water, and the great height above us from which the water was rushing down. We climbed in this way Over rocks and small wooden bridges until we came to the Fall, and walked behind it, in a complete shower-bath, but I enjoyed it immensely. We came out at the other side, having passed behind a portion of Niagara. We did look a funny yellow party, dripping with water. Thursday, $rd. We were joined by Sir Edward Thorn- ton, our Minister at Washington, and walked to the foot of the Horseshoe Fall, which spot, I think, gives a greater idea of the magnitude of Niagara than any other view. In the afternoon we drove to see the whirlpool and the rapids below the Falls, which are very rapid indeed. We went by train to see a great engineering work undertaken by Mr. Gzowski. 2 He is making a bridge over the Niagara, close to Buffalo ; the piers have to be built in water eighty feet deep, where the stream is rushing along twenty miles an hour. We saw the whole plan, but I will not attempt to describe anything so scientific. Colonel Fletcher put on a diver's dress and went down the eighty feet, bringing us some stones from the bottom. Mr. and Mrs. Gzowski took us for a drive through Buffalo. 2 Col. Sir Casimir S. Gzowski, K.C.M.G., Hon. A.D.C. to the Queen. 38 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL on. m There are miles of ' street ' there, arranged with the road in the middle, and on either side three rows of trees and a broad strip of grass, in the centre of which there is a stone footpath. Each house is a handsome ' villa,' with a large piece of ground round it. One gets such an impression of wealth and comfort that one is astonished, and this is a ' third-rate ' American town. Friday, tfh. Sir Hastings Doyle left us to-day. We were very sorry to part with him, he was always so cheerful and such an amusing companion. Toronto : Saturday, $th. We have hired a house at Toronto, and are settling ourselves in it to-day. There is a very bad epidemic among the horses here, and ours are suffering from it too, which is inconvenient. Tuesday, 8th. We had our first Drawing-room. There were about 1,500 people present, and, as I had to curtsey all the time, I had plenty of exercise. The room looked very handsome when thus filled with smart people. This was quite a new experiment in Canada, drawing-rooms not having been held before, and it seems to be approved. Wednesday, gth. Having recovered the fatigues of the Drawing-room, I drove in the afternoon to see a lacrosse match. It is almost the national game here, and is a sort of ideal football. The ball is caught on a racket and thrown from one side to the other. It is very pretty and amusing to watch. The game was whites versus Indians. The latter showed us their war-dance before we left. London: Thursday, loth. Our train left Toronto at 9 A.M., and on our way to London we stopped at Woodstock to receive addresses. The station at London was very prettily arranged. Immense numbers of people were present, and gave us a very warm reception. We drove to the Cattle Show yard, where there were more addresses, and where the people got over the palings and came in tre- mendous crowds all about us, so that we saw very little. After lunch at the Members' house, Lady Harriet and OCT. 1872 PETROLIA 39 I returned to the hotel, where the City entertained us, and D. went on to Helmuth College and to some oil-refineries. We dined alone, and just as we had finished a torchlight procession passed, throwing up Eoman candles and rockets. Being dressed for the ball, I was requested to show myself to the guests in the hotel, and the American mistress of the place said to me, ' Well, missis, I must compliment you very highly.' The ballroom was very fine, and His Excellency danced every dance. Friday, nth. We started at eleven, with a large party ' on board the cars,' to visit the oil-wells of ' Petrolia,' where we saw the oil as it comes up through the pump thick, black, and mixed with water. We also saw the process of looking for a well, ' sinking a shaft,' and all the machinery used. The oil leaves Petrolia free from water, but black and thick : the refining is done at London. The oil dis- trict is, of course, ugly, the ground black and swampy. Stumps of trees and wooden erections some like enormous barrels cover the whole place, but it was very interesting to see it. On our way back we were shown into a ' drawing- room ' car, where we found about twenty tables laid, each one for two people. We had an excellent hot lunch cooked on board, and got back to London at three o'clock. Here the party left us, and we returned to Toronto. Saturday, 1 2th. Lady Harriet and I inspected an orphan home, examining everything from garret to basement. On the way we passed a large house moving to some other site. It was on rollers, and was going slowly along the street. A dinner-party closed the day. Tuesday, i$th. D. and I drove to see a fine Wesleyan church. In the same building, forming part of the archi- tectural effect outside, but separate inside, there are Sunday- school and Committee rooms. Then we went on to Bishop Strachan's Church of England Ladies' School. We liked all we saw there very much. The girls played and sang 40 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. in and read to us, and as they had decorated their bedrooms we had to go into each one. Wednesday, i6ih. At eleven our duties began again, and we visited the Normal and Model Schools. These are the National Schools of Canada, and members of all denominations met us, the English clergyman introducing the E.G. Bishop. This afternoon I have been to two orphan asylums, this evening to a charity concert. Thursday, ijth. My children and my brother Fred 3 sail for Canada to-day. H.E. and I went out at the usual hour of eleven, and paid a visit to Trinity College, one of the first-fruits of disestablishment here ; it is especially a Church of England University. An address was read and answered, presentations were made, and we visited the library, which is young and small. Then we drove to the lunatic asylum and went over it. It is a very fine one, with broad corridors, widening out into comfortable recesses, in which the people sit. At each end of the passage is a covered quarter-deck, barred all round, but otherwise open to the air, where the inmates can walk, and which provides a perfect means of airing each floor. One new feature in this asylum is a paying department, which is of course cheap, although it has all the comforts of a private asylum. We had a dinner-party of twenty-four : one M.P. and his wife, two legal gentlemen, two E.G. bishops, a Volun- teer colonel, the editor of a newspaper with his pretty little wife, who sang for us, some members of the Govern- ment, and some of the Board of Trade. Friday, iSth. D. and I drove to the City Hall to receive an address from the ' York Pioneers ' Toronto used to be called ' York,' and these are the first settlers here. After lunch we went to the University, where D. gave away the prizes, and made a speech. The hall was filled with all the beauty and fashion of Toronto: they com- 3 Lieut.-Colonel F. Eowan Hamilton, late 9th Foot, who was with us as A.D.C. in Canada and India. H. D. & A. OCT. 1872 TORONTO 41 plimented me, and D. complimented them, and the pro- ceedings went off very well. This is a great place for presents a very friendly custom. I have fruit, flowers, butter, fancy bread, fish, and game sent me constantly. Nearly every day brings some offering. The Show sent me apples and pears a few of each kind, arranged so as to have some every day of the year. Saturday, igtli. In the afternoon I went for a sail with D., and in the evening we had a large party of about 1 50 people. Monday, 2ist. This morning we inspected some Boman Catholic Schools. The first place we went to was the Convent of the ' Precious Blood.' I think I told you about this order of praying nuns it is very strict, and they use corporal self-punishments. The dress of the nuns is beau- tiful a white dress, with a broad piece of blood-red coloured cashmere hanging straight down both the back and the front of it, and a black veil on the head. Their beds are boards, and they get up twice in the night to pray. They looked very well, and quite merry. The second place was a college for boys, and the third a convent school. We also went to look at the cathedral. There happened a great contretemps this afternoon. I was to be at home to receive visitors ; so Lady Harriet and I sat in state, and nobody came ! At five D. returned home, and I said to him, ' Not a single soul has come to see us.' Tea came in, and he asked, ' Has nobody called ? ' ' Oh, yes,' said the servant, ' but I said, " Not at home." ' We sent for the book, and found 104 people had been, so we had to sit down and write 104 notes to explain. I had a dinner- party in the evening, and, luckily, no one seems to have been offended, though our conduct did look rude this afternoon. We had a great deal of music after dinner. All the young ladies sing and play without their music, and are very good-natured about it. Wednesday, 2$rd. D. visited the National Schools in 42 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. n the morning, and after lunch I went with him to finish the Eoman Catholic institutions. We drove to the Loretto Abbey Convent, where the girls were dressed in white and blue. They gave us a little concert, and then all passed round, each making a curtsey to us. We were laden with bouquets, and the rooms were ornamented with ' welcomes ' and wreaths of maple. The next place was a * House of Providence,' where old, incurable, orphans, and sick, are all cared for. The third visit was to a boys' school under the Christian Brothers. Thursday, 24th. I went over the Toronto Hospital this morning a fine building and well managed, but badly off for funds. D. was engaged to inspect two fashionable young ladies' schools, and is not home yet. To-night we have an enormous ball. Friday, 2$th. Our ball last night was a great success. The Parliament buildings, in which it took place, were arranged for us by the Ontario Government. We had two ballrooms, both ornamented with a good deal of crimson drapery, arms, and shields, which lighted up very well. The supper-room was upstairs. I suppose we had about 1,200 guests. There was not a hitch in the arrangements, and people looked very nice and fresh. I danced all the square dances, and D. every dance, with a selection of celebrities. When the programme was over, ' God save the Queen ' was played, and we stood on the dais while the people passed out before us. D. had to be off to a college at eleven this morning, but I was lazy, and reserved myself till one, when we went to the Law Courts to lunch. The building, ' Osgoode Hall,' is fine, and the Courts much better than any I have seen lofty and comfortable rooms. We had our healths drunk, and D. told them the one blot he had discovered in Canadian affairs was the lowness of the judges' salaries ; this, of course, the company present were very glad to hear. Saturday, 26th. There were to have been athletic sports OCT. 1872 SUNDA Y SCHOOLS 43 to-day, special trains, etc., but there is a steady downpour and they have been put off till Monday. I received a good many farewell visits, and in the evening we went to a per- formance at the theatre for the Protestant orphans. The theatre is small, but very pretty, and ' London Assurance ' was very well given especially the part of Lady Gay Spanker, by Mrs. Morrison. She presented me with a splendid bouquet in which my monogram was made in shamrocks. Sunday, 2jih. This morning, at ten, we visited a Sunday-school. -Very great attention is paid to Sunday schools in Canada, and the children of all classes attend them. There was a separate room for infants, and the man teaching them gave his instruction orally and with a black- board, upon which he wrote: the children answered all together, and seemed bright and intelligent. They also sang hymns. The larger children were downstairs. D. made them a little address, and we heard them sing too, which they do extremely well. This was the cathedral school, and the average attendance every Sunday is 500. There is a class every week for the teachers, and the same lesson is given all over the school. Monday, 2%th. We left Toronto at nine, and a number of people came to see us off, and cheered our departing train. We had a twelve hours' journey, and were glad to reach Ottawa. Ottawa : Tuesday, 2gth. My poor children have had a very long journey: they arrived at Quebec on Monday, after a rough passage from Liverpool, and did not get here till this evening, when I devoted myself to giving them tea, putting them to bed, and hearing them chatter. Wednesday, ^oth. The weather is perfectly lovely, and the children are well and enjoying the fine day. Mr. Coulson goes on leave, so Fred at once begins his duties as A.D.C., but he comes in for a time of rest. CHAPTEE IV OTTAWA Saturday, November 2nd. The journal here will grow very dull, I fear. We are ' settling down,' and do very ,- little that is interesting. Ottawa is a small town, with incongruously beautiful buildings crowning its insignificance. A very bad road leads to Kideau, which is a long, two-storeyed villa, with a small garden on one side of it and a hedge which bounds our property on the other so that at this time of the year there is really no place to walk. When the ' road-maker,' as they call the frost, comes, and when the ground is covered with snow, we shall be independent of roads ; and the know- ledge of this makes the inhabitants careless of the state they may be in at other times of the year. The gentlemen try to ride every day, and come back covered with mud. I walked into the town one day with D., and the following paragraph appeared in the evening paper : 'Lady Dufferin. It would astonish some of our fine ladies to see Lady Dufferin walking about the town. She dresses plainly and sensibly, wears thick boots, and does I not shrink from the muddiest of our crossings.' This comes of my Irish training ! ' Monday, ^th. Directly after luncfi, Fred and I began our duties. I was 'at home,' and he announced the NOV. 1872 RIDEAU HALL 45 visitors and helped me to talk to them. We had 108. I was pleased with the society, and Ottawa itself improves on acquaintance, especially as I have discovered a nice common and wood behind the house, where the children will be very happy. Mr. Archibald, 1 Lieutenant- Governor of Manitoba, and the Pattissons dined with us. In addition to his social duties, Fred has to look after all the stable matters, expenditure included, after the invitations, the amusements, such as skating-rink, etc. etc., so he is not idle. Tuesday, $th. The little ones, Basil and Hermie, arrived from Quebec, looking well and merry. It is nice to be all together again. Saturday, gth. The weather is lovely, and I generally walk in and out of town. After lunch, games of football, stilts, hoops, etc., go on. We have five-o'clock tea, and family gatherings, the babies first, and then the old children. The house gets on very slowly : the hall door is still boarded up, the schoolroom full of workmen who do not work, the gas-pipes still innocent of gas. I suppose we shall be settled by January. The Fletchers' house will, I hope, be ready for them in a few days, and when they get into it we shall feel more settled ourselves. At present they are staying with us. Sunday, loth. We went to our very small parish church at New Edinburgh. It is very primitive, but we like the service, and it is so much nearer to us than the cathedral. Monday, 1 1 th. We took a walk to prepare for the labours of the afternoon. Between three and five I received 144 visitors; Fred, Lady Harriet, and Mrs. Pattisson helping me. Thursday, i^th. This is Thanksgiving Day, so we went to church at the cathedral, but (as the papers tell us) we did it in an ' unostentatious manner.' The first snow fell. Friday, i$th. A telegram arrived from Australia, the 1 Sir Adams George Archibald, K.C.M.G. 46 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. iv first which has been sent direct: it arrived at 9.10 this morning, having been sent at 10 to-night. Eather puzzling to think of. D. replied, ' Canada re-echoes Australia's toast our Queen and a United Empire.' Sunday, 17 ih. A beautiful, ideal winter day : the ground and trees white with snow, blue sky, and bright sun. We went to church, and the children were unable to resist some of the pleasure of a first day of snow, and tumbled about in it as though it were sand. You should see them all five in blanket coats, which are made of thick blue cloth, with red epaulets and sashes, and pointed hoods lined and piped with red. The coats are very long and straight, and the little figures in them look both funny and picturesque. They have sealskin turbans, and pull up the hoods if necessary. We all wear moccasins on our feet; they are of cloth, with indiarubber soles, and generally with a flower embroidered in colours on the toes. The only drawback to going out here is the amount of dressing one has to do to prepare for it. There are over- stockings, over-boots, over-etcs. of all descriptions to be put on ; there are fur caps with woollen clouds tied over them as becomingly as possible, fur coats, fur gloves, muffs, etc., etc. But once out it is delightful, and most exhilarating. We have been tobogganing, though the snow is not deep yet, and our present efforts are very amateurish. We sit, stand, or lie on a straight board which is curled up at one end, and slide down snow-covered hills. The children enjoy it immensely, and have splendid exercise pulling their little sleighs, or toboggans, up the hill again. The ' Black Eod,' Mr. Kimber, was one of our guests at dinner to-night. He sang us one of Figaro's songs, acting it with great spirit, and amusing us very much. He also sang some very pretty Canadian boat-songs. Another guest was Miss Griffin, a lady who acted in a play with Dickens at Montreal twenty years ago. Wednesday, 2Oth.D., Colonel Fletcher, Fred, and Mr. NOV. 1872 'MY FIRST SLEIGH DRIVE 47 Campbell (D.'s shorthand writer, and a very favourite member of the Staff), went to Montreal. Saturday, 2yd. I had a long letter from D., giving me an account of his doings. After a long journey on Wednes- day, they reached Montreal in the evening, and were con- ducted by the Mayor and Sir Hugh Allan to the latter's house. On Thursday D. unveiled the Queen's statue, and in the evening he danced all night at a ball, never flagging till four in the morning, and being pronounced ' a brick ' by the young ladies of Montreal. He had a dinner at a club on Friday, and returned here to-day, fatigued but pleased. We are both going to Montreal in January for a ' season.' Wednesday, 2jih. We are gradually settling down in our house, and are dragging from obscure packing-cases the few ornaments that have emigrated with us. I have set up a boudoir, and in it I put all my favourite things, so as to have one home-like sanctum. The state-rooms con- tinue, I fear, to have a hopelessly company look. We had a dinner-party of twenty-six, a great number of Ministers among them. There is no clock (going) in the drawing-room, so my guests fidgeted off before ten, and had to wait in the cloak-room for their carriages. When one person moves, they all go, and it is useless to say, 'Do stay.' There was snow in the afternoon, and we are getting up the double windows. Most people have not only the extra windows, but stuff cotton wool into every crevice. Their houses are very hot. Tuesday, December yd. Yesterday I went for my first drive in a sleigh. I think I shall like it very much when there is a little more snow : it is rather rough at present. I will tell you how we pass an ordinary day. We break- fast at nine, then separate to our various offices and places of business. Fred goes to the stables, and afterwards helps 48 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL OH. iv to write invitations, though Mr. Coulson manages the society at present. At eleven they all go into town. We lunch at one the children and I generally alone, the gentle- men returning when they like. After lunch we go out : in this weather it is a duty, but later, I think, we shall have great fun out of doors. On our return we have tea, and books and children ; dinner at 7.30. The Fletchers come often, and we have either one or two large dinners every week. Wednesday, /{ill. I put on snow-shoes for the first time. One's foot looks like a dot in the centre of a large racket, and I expected to trip up on my own shoes ; but I found it quite easy to walk with them, and very amusing. Without them one has to keep in the middle of the beaten track on the roads, but with them one can walk on the deepest snow. Friday, 6th. Sir John and Lady Macdonald are staying with us for two nights. In the morning I took Lady Mac- donald and Lady Harriet for a sleigh-drive, and in the afternoon we all rested for the coming dinner-party. We had twenty-eight guests. One of them, a senator and mill-owner employing 500 labourers all the year round at high wages, told me that when he came here himself he earned ten shillings a month. Mr. Tod, the librarian here, was another guest. He is the author of the best book on the British Constitution. Then there was a railway celebrity, a very nice man, who got out of a sick bed to come : he brought with him a pleasant sister-in-law and a very pretty daughter. Sir Hugh Allan also dined with us, and Sir Francis Hincks. Saturday, jih. Lady Macdonald left, and I went out to see some tobogganing. The high hill is sufficiently covered with snow now, and the children are very brave about going down it. They start at the top and go bumping and jumping all the way down, sometimes tumbling over into the snow at the bottom, and sometimes going along the DEC. 1872 FROST BITES 49 level ground for a good distance. To-day they looked so odd, all covered with snow, while the gentlemen's beards, eyelashes, and hair, had the snow frozen into them. The thermometer was 10 below zero, but the day was bright, and we did not feel the cold at all. Toiling up the hill and pulling the toboggan after one, is hard work. Monday, gth. One of my exhausting ' at home ' days. My labours began at 1.30, for I had the managers of a concert I am getting up to lunch, and went on till six a steady flow of visitors. It was a very cold day, luckily for the conversation required of me, and ninety-three varieties of ' How cold you must have found your drive ! ' did I invent. On these occasions D. comes in when all is over and asks ' what news we have heard,' and we always have to say that we have heard nothing. I generally keep Monday evening sacred to repose, but to-day we were obliged to invite travellers, and two Torontonians, the Pattissons and Fletchers making up twelve. Our tourists came to America for ten months, but have found travelling so very expensive they have to hurry home at the end of four. Their bill for ten days at a New York hotel was i sol- Tuesday, loth. D. had invited these young men to come and toboggan, and it made me freeze to look at their costume: knickerbockers, no gloves, thin boots, English hats ! when flannel, and cloth trousers, boots of cloth with indiarubber soles, fur gloves, and fur hats are necessary. I only hope they won't be laid up with ' pains.' One foolish footman of ours who came out in the carriage with cotton socks and leather boots has had a fearful attack of acute in- flammatory rheumatism, and two Sisters of Mercy are now nursing him. Yesterday, Terence, having a hole in one of his gloves, came home with his finger frost-bitten, and Nelly had two suspicious white spots in her face : they were rubbed with snow, and are all right. Wednesday, nth. I had half an hour's skating: the first time we have been able to use the rink. The weather 50 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. iv was very cold, but bright, and the snow hard and dry. I did not do much, as we had a dinner in the evening, for which it is necessary to be fresh. Saturday, i^th. This has been one of our regular Ottawa weeks. After the Wednesday's dinner a quiet night ; then a visit from a Minister and his wife, Dr. 2 and Mrs. Tupper, who remained the night ; and a visit the next night from two Ministers, and one wife, Monsieur Langevin, and Mr. and Mrs. Howe ; these latter preferred returning home to sleep, either because they liked their own stove side, or because the next day was Mr. Howe's seventieth birthday. He was a violent politician, but is less active now, and is talked of as a probable Lieutenant-Governor for Nova Scotia. We are working at our outdoor rink, and find it rather troublesome to manage. An Englishman exclaims, ' Flood it ! ' but this is just the difficulty, for the water freezes as it touches the ice, and will not ' flood it ' ; and if, by having a circle of barrels round the space and upsetting them all at the same time, we do succeed in covering it with water, and go happy to bed dreaming of beautiful ice and a capital skate, we wake in the morning to find either that it has snowed, or that the wind has blown old snow over the rink, which a ray of sunshine having partially melted, has stuck hard to our lovely ice, and there we are longing to skate and obliged to begin ' au deluge ' again. Wednesday, i8th. We had a ball. The room was well lighted and looked well, the supper (by the new cook) was very good, and I hope everyone was happy. Sir Hugh and Miss Allan arrived for it, and remain till Saturday ! Colonel Fletcher was told that ' Mr. Hamilton- will be spoilt here, people like him so much.' Friday, 2Oth. A great snowstorm. I was to have gone to a mission service in church, but I could not face the weather. D. did go, and afterwards inspected the Christian Brothers' school, received addresses, etc. 2 Sir Charles Tupper, Bart., G.C.M.G. DEC. 1872 THERMOMETER 22 BELOW ZERO 51 Monday, 2$rd. This morning we visited the Grey Sisters, and saw their school. Then I came home and arranged my concert-room with stage, etc. The Belgian Minister at Washington arrived in time for an early dinner, and is staying with us. At eight the singers arrived, and began to dress, and at 8'3O the listeners came pouring in, were cordially greeted by His Ex. and Her Ex. at the door, and were seated by obliging A.D.C.s and secretaries. The music began at nine it really was very good, and the acting admirable ! The costumes were perfect, and everyone was delighted with the two hours' amusement. I allowed the three children to be present, and they enjoyed it immensely. Terence was in fits over ' Figaro,' and in great anxiety the whole time to understand every- thing. We had supper at eleven, and the whole entertain- ment was considered a great success. Tuesday, 2^th. Oh ! this really is cold ; two ears, two faces, two knees, and one finger frozen in our family. We are 22 below zero, and are devoted to our clouds, in which we wallow. In spite of this we skate, but-we are very thank- ful to think that we are feeling the worst cold we need expect here. Christmas Day. Thermometer 20 below zero. Pro- prieties out of the question must go to church in seal- skin turbans, and must undress when we get there, as we sit near the stove ; so that when we leave, the amount of things to be put on is frightful. There is my cloak, and my cloud, fur gauntlets, and woollen cuffs; there is Archie's coat, and his cloud, and turban, and gloves. Then Fred and D. have to be clothed; happily, everyone in the church is equally busy muffling up. D., you will be surprised to hear, wears absolutely less than he used to do in May at home, and scarcely seems to feel the cold at all. Fred, too, bears it well, with the exception of his ears, about which he is decidedly nervous. He is always feeling them and 52 AfY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. iv inquiring from passers-by whether they are frozen. The children play in the snow as if it were hay, and enjoy themselves immensely. Their nurse, Mrs. Hall, dislikes the wrapping up, but has been consoled by a present of a pair of skates. Their governess is learning too ; she won't wrap up, and I really fear some accident for her : nothing but a frost-bite will make her careful. We have arranged a Christmas-tree, and this evening all the children of the family assembled for it. * They came at five, and the nine of them, with their governesses and nurses, were ushered into the room with great ceremony. Hermie rushed at a doll. ' There is my doll,' and kissed it most fervently. Of course, they all got various presents, and the big ones dined with us, and afterwards played blind man's buff, snapdragon, etc., etc. The pictures have arrived, and are a great improvement to the house. In my room I have drawings of Killyleagh and Clandeboye, and there are a few oil-portraits in the dining- room, which make it look home-like. We shall be quite sorry to go away next week , to undertake a long journey in the snow, and to be a month in hotels. Mr. Pattisson's Irish cook came to tell him that, having had her hand severely burnt and blistered by lifting a cold iron pot, she would go home by next steamer. He pretends there is not one to go in. Friday, 27th. We continue every day to practise our skating. I can get on very well with ordinary skating. D. can go backwards and do the figure of eight. Fred is beginning the outside edge, and is studying the art with great care. The children are not industrious: they find making snow houses and tobogganing much more amusing than lamely shuffling over the ice, so I think they will be long in learning. Saturday, 28th. This morning we visited the ' Congre- gation de Notre Dame,' an educational convent, where Nelly was shown a Christmas-tree, and told to choose what she DEC. 1 872 SKATING AND SLEIGHING 53 liked best on it. In spite of my nudges, truth would out, and she took a very pretty doll instead of the insignificant present I was trying to suggest to her. Directly after lunch I went down to the rink to receive my skating-party. It went off extremely well. Some of the young people skated most beautifully, Miss Patrick and Miss Kingsford, two very pretty girls, being the best performers. Skating is so very graceful when well done, and the scene on the rink is so gay ; everyone moving about so fast on the ice, and knots of people tobogganing down the hill behind. I had on my skates, but did not feel equal to skating before such experts. When it became cold, we came into the house, drank tea and mulled claret, and danced for an hour. We intend to repeat these parties once a week. The dancing was quite a surprise this time, but of course it will be expected now, and parcels of shoes and various decorations will be brought next Saturday, which were dispensed with on this occasion. Monday, ^oth. I think the pleasures of sleighing are exaggerated : it appears to me much the same as driving in a cart. You have no springs, and the snow gets into hard, rough ruts. This is treason ! one ought to be enthusiastic over its delights. The bells and the red plumes on the horses' backs are the best of it, I think. Wednesday, January ist, 1873. New Year's Day is kept here as a visiting-day. All the ladies stay at home, and all the gentlemen visit. D. and I were ' at home ' from three to five and received 293 men. It was a most lovely day, warm and bright, with only ten degrees of frost, which seems to us quite like a thaw ! With the exception of a few days at Christmas, we have been perfectly comfortable : the , house is so warm, and we are so well wrapped up when we go out, that we cannot feel cold. 54 CHAPTEK V MONTREAL St. Lawrence Hall : Sitnday, January $th. We left Eideau yesterday, had dinner at Prescott, and reached Montreal at night. A very successful winter journey, for had the snow been troublesome we might have been days en route. The Mayor met us, and we drove to this hotel, where we have taken rooms for a month. Our own cooks and servants arrive early in the week and arrange every- thing, while we go down to Quebec for a ball. The rooms we have here are very clean, but very hotel-like, stiff and starch, and I shall not feel much at home when I receive my guests in them. Monday, 6th. We went early to the Kink, which we were curious to see. It is a great place, 250 feet long, of smooth, dull-looking ice, which reminds one of wax, and which is covered with scrapings cut off by the skates ; there is a raised walk round the ice for non- skaters, and a gallery at one end. The roof is arched. Most of the skaters were children of four years old and upwards, going backwards and forwards, Dutch rolling, making eights looking as if they had been born on skates. There was only one young lady there, very pretty and a splendid performer. Her skating is the most beautiful, graceful thing one can see. Skating is particularly pretty for ladies, as the dress hides the machinery which is visible when men skate. An in- JAN. 1873 QUEBEC 55 door rink is dull, however, I think, compared to skating out of doors. We went down to the station at 1 1 P.M. D. and I had two good bedrooms, and the others had beds in a Pullman car. Mrs. Dent had a sofa in the sitting-room, and His Ex.'s shorthand writer, finding he was expected to occupy a couch opposite to my fair maid, shyly jumped into it with his hat on, which I suppose he considered gave an air of respectability to the proceeding. Dent was giggling at him under her rug, and was still more amused when, later, the hat of propriety rolled off, and the little man pulled his clothes right over his head. Tuesday, jih. We awoke in time to have a cup of tea at a passing station, and arrived at Quebec at twelve. The morning was lovely, and the Citadel, the river, and Quebec looked so picturesque, with the sun shining on the snow. We crossed in the steamer, cutting through ice, and were accompanied by the Mayor. We drove up to the hotel over the most bumpy roads the snow is in great mounds, and the jump from one hill to another is quite amusing : it is like hunting on wheels. The warm recep- tion we met with was very pleasant. We went to the Eink after breakfast. The band was playing, and there was some very good skating, but too many children, who get in the way and make beginners nervous. Wednesday, 8th. This morning we again went to the Eink, where D. is practising hard, aided by all the young ladies of Quebec, who give him lessons in turn. In the afternoon we opened a poultry show, and I examined each scrubby fowl, and made the most of my home experience. This place in winter is not suited to poultry, and their plumage shows that they are shut up in stables. The Citizens' Ball took place to-night. It is one given for us by the city, and for which we were invited to return when we left in the autumn. It was a splendid entertain- 56 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. v ment. The room was decorated with our colours, and with wreaths of roses, and there was a large reception com- mittee, who took great care of me all the evening. Thursday, gth. An excursion to Montmorency was arranged for to-day, but I did not go. At noon, forty-two sleighs, each driving a tandem, came to the door, and D. got into the first in a snowstorm. The weather cleared later, and they drove twelve miles, had lunch, visited the Fall, and were back by dusk. They enjoyed it very much, though they came in very cold. D. and I dined alone, and then went off to a skating ball. The Eink was lighted up, and hung with flags and lanterns, and there were regular dancing programmes. It was a very pretty sight. I can't conceive anything more graceful than the lancers skated ; waltzing also is pretty, but few people, even here, can do it. I had a very com- fortable seat, and sat there with a never-ceasing stream of figures passing before me. D. skated a good deal at the ball, and Fred took some turns with the young ladies hand-in-hand round the place, but they did not dance. I went round twice, but am not a good enough skater for these public demonstra- tions. Friday, loth. After some skating, I proceeded to the grating at the Ursuline Convent to thank the nuns for some lovely specimens of their work, which they sent me as a New Year's gift. Then I came home and ' received' farewell visits. All at Quebec, both in ' society ' and in the streets, are so nice to us they are very home-like. We left the hotel in the evening, crossed the river, and had our special car, in which we first had tea and whist, and then we went to bed, while Fred and Mr. Coulson attended ' a party ' in the next carriage. Saturday, nth. We arrived at Montreal in time for breakfast, skated, and had interviews with the Mayor and various officials, but our work only begins on Monday. JAN. 1873 SNOW-SHOEING AT MONTREAL 57 Monday, i^th. D. visited a hospital, the Law Courts, and some churches after lunch. In the evening we had a Drawing-room. There were about 1,000 people at it. Tuesday, i^th. We skated and visited a school in the morning, and at night had our first dinner here twenty- eight people : Bishop Oxenden and his wife, the Mayor and his wife, and others. Our drawing-room is small for so many, but they left early, as we were going to a ball at a Mons. Papineau's the first private entertainment I have been to in Canada. His wife must have been handsome, with brown eyes, and white hair powdered. They have a pretty house, and the ball was pleasant. Wednesday, i$th. This evening we attended a snow- shoe torchlight procession given in our honour. At eight o'clock the president of the society came for us, and we drove out until we met the ' snow-shoes.' They wore white blanket coats, tight leggings, and red caps, and the sight really was very picturesque and very Canadian: the bright night, the snow-covered ground, hundreds of sleighs and thousands of tinkling bells, the torches, and the gaiety of the whole scene, were delightful. The procession walked up the mountain, and we drove round it, watching the fiery serpent winding among the trees. The roads were excellent, and it was the first sleigh-drive I have really enjoyed. In about an hour we arrived at a house where supper was prepared, and where we had a very amusing evening. There was a long list of toasts, and a song with a chorus was sung after each. There was the usual amount of compliments to the country, to us, to the Mayor, to every- body. Canada was the finest country, the Canadians the finest people, His Excellency worthy to be a Canadian, Her Excellency most excellent, the Mayor admirable, the Mayoress most hospitable, our hosts . . . words failed ! When the Mayor got up to return thanks, he said that ' As Canadians, we have one fault we are too fond of praising ourselves ; but in this case it is sincere.' When all 58 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. v was over, we got into our sleigh again, and the fresh air was delightful! The snow-shoers were by this time 'jolly good fellows,' and I found them rather alarming to our horses and to me ; so we begged them not to accompany us home, and I think they were not sorry to return to the supper-room. Thursday, i6fh. I may tell you, once for all, that we spend the morning in the Eink. This afternoon we visited a Catholic commercial school really a well-arranged building. The boys have a very good string band, and betwixt addresses we had some music. We had a large dinner in the evening : Sir Francis and Miss Hincks were of the party. I fear it was not lively, but what can one do in a small room with thirty strangers ? Saturday, iSth. After our morning skate we came home in a snowstorm, and then out again to a bene- volent institution where old women and orphan children are lodged, and the latter educated. We had tea with the Bishop and Mrs. Oxenden. They have a very nice house, and they had collected a little party to meet us ; but we had rather to hurry away, as it was snowing hard, and we had to dress for a dinner-party. It was to have been a small one, but stretched out to twenty-four, and was, I thought, the pleasantest we have had here. Monday, 2oth. This was rather a hard day. Sir Hugh Allan and M. Delfosse came to breakfast at nine, and D. went off to be photographed for a paper dollar immediately after. At eleven we proceeded to the Eink, and only returned for His Ex. to receive an address from the Board of Trade. When that deputation was dismissed, we drove to a Pro- testant deaf-and-dumb institution, which was a very good one ; but it was the wrong one as far as I was concerned, as that I wished to see was the Catholic establishment, where the deaf-mutes are taught to speak. JAN. 1873 MONTREAL 59 A refuge for old people was the next institution on our list, and we only ' got home for a short rest before a big dinner. I enjoyed the evening, and some nice people dined with us. Tuesday, 21 si. Miss Allan came to lunch with me, and D. and I drove in state to M'Gill College. Here our horses were taken out by the students, and we were dragged up to the door. Speeches were made, and we were shown everything of interest ; but while D. was taken to the dissecting-room, I went to have tea with the ladies. D. afterwards visited the Normal School by himself. We dined with the Mayor, and as we stepped out in the snow to get into a great, lumbering, covered sleigh, we greatly rejoiced that the most of our Canadian gaieties are hi our own home. The Mayor has a nice house, and there was a splendid display of flowers on his table ; in fact, I believe he had bought every flower in Montreal for the occasion. Wednesday, 22nd. I stayed at home the whole day, and disappointed the Jesuits, whom His Ex. went to see, and who sent me magnificent bouquets. They have a fine church and college here, and are celebrated for their music. We had (of course) a dinner-party. D. took in a bride, and I had a senator and a judge on either side of me. Thursday, 2$rd. At ten D. went to a military school, and had the rest of the day for amusing himself with skating and curling. We had another large dinner : 1 30 people will have dined with us this week, most of whom are quite new acquaintances. Friday, 24th. There was a tremendous snowstorm to- day, but we had an appointment to visit ' Monklands,' a large educational convent some distance from the town, so we had to make the best of our way there, and really ex- perienced something of a snowdrift : in places it was quite difficult for the horses to drag the sleigh along, and they 60 MY CANADIAN JOURNAL CH. v were ' floundering ' about, while the coachman was shading his eyes from the snow, and we all had to cover our faces and take as much care of ourselves as was possible. ' Monklands ' used to be the Governor- General's house when the Government was at Montreal. I believe the situation is fine, but it must have been too far from the town for a Government House. It has been enlarged, and now contains 22 nuns and 1 50 pupils. After seeing the nuns and the household arrangements, we were ushered into the 'theatre,' or schoolroom, where a stage presented itself to our view, upon which the 1 50 young ladies, dressed in white, were curtseying, and whence pro- ceeded sounds of harps, pianos and harmoniums. The usual pretty little entertainment followed, and D. and I both answered addresses. When this was over, poor ' His Ex.' had to visit a college ; but, in mercy to myself, the horses, and the men- servants, I came straight home. We had a small dinner, and were tolerably merry. One of our young ladies turned out to be a ' blue- stocking,' and amused us much by laying down the law to the company. Saturday, 2$th. I took a drive along the river to pre- pare for the labours of the afternoon, being ' at home.' We began to receive at three, and had a stream of visitors till 5.30. I had not much time except for shaking hands, and all my conversation was ' How do you do ? ' ' How cold you must be ! ' ' Good-bye ! ' A funny little American woman, travelling alone with her maid, came and looked in at the door to see me ; then she thought she would come in, so she went home and changed her hat for her bonnet and returned. She asked for ' my husband,' and invited us both to Philadelphia. She looked small and thin enough to blow away, and Fred found her after