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NOVA SCOTIA.-ICE & GOLD.

His delight at wigwams was

ROM St. John I went to Nova Scotia. The steamer left the harbour with the tide at 10 p.m. It was a lovely evening,—the sky appeared ablaze with stars, and the "northern lights" were seen shooting in graceful curves. A party of four of us gathered on deck to enjoy a pleasant chat. The trio were tourists from the United States; I, who completed the quartet, was believed to be a young traveller, whose early years had been passed in a Scotch manse. I was inwardly amused at this guess which they made, but did not undeceive them for awhile. I have mentioned Mr. Jenness before. He was a fair specimen of the bold, fearless American. visiting the Indians in their huts and much more enthusiastic than my own. He is rich, and he has given the reins to his desire for travel. Europe has passed in review before him. He has wandered up and down in Norway and Sweden, comparing and contrasting the present of those countries with the description contained in the Sagas. He has diligently studied Bohn's edition of the Sagas, and says the perusal of these ancient records has afforded him much pleasure. Dipping still deeper into that species of lore which lies on the border-land of the unreal, he has read Sales' translation of the Koran, and portions of the Talmud. He has a curious turn for history. Now he is off on an expedition to Annapolis, ninety miles south-west of

All

Windsor, Nova Scotia, to inspect the forts and other remains of the early French-settlements there. He offers to pay all the expenses of our little party in posting down there, if we will accompany him; but we are obliged to decline his invitation.

In the middle of the night our steamer comes to a stand, and for some time our rest is disturbed by the clink of bolts and the clang of hammers. Then progress is resumed. I begin to find out that constant travelling by sea and land, with its attendant anxieties, and frequent loss of sound, regular sleep has a wearying effect upon mind and body. Still all this is necessary if you would see the world.

In the morning I am up and on deck at day-break. Sunshine gladdens every part of Minas Basin and surrounding shores. Here was laid the "embarkation scene" of Longfellow's "Evangeline." The place has an interest for me on this account. It is said that Moore wrote his beautiful poem of "Lalla Rookh" without ever visiting Cashmere; as a parallel instance of imaginative power-I am told that the author of "Evangeline" has not seen the land of Acadie. From the ocean rise two or three rugged islands. To-day they are green with pines, but there is about them an isolation, a loneliness, that seems to say that they have been bound in icy, flinty bands since the beginning of the world. Cape Blomidon guards the mainland. Under and round it are flat shores dotted with houses and barns. Hay-making is going on, and the corn is still green in the fields. Church-spires peep through the trees, and altogether there is much to remind us of an English scene. The tide in Windsorhaven rises fifty feet. Our steamer disembarks her passengers and immediately takes on board those for the return voyage, so that she may go out with the tide;

otherwise she would be left aground. The village of Grand Pré is twelve miles from Windsor. Memorials of its French founders still remain in the dikes which they raised to keep out the floods of Fundy. The orchards and meadows are fruitful and green as ever-the cornlands yield golden harvests as of yore; but the "fruit of the vintage" is for others. Scotch shepherds and farmers have taken the place of Normandy peasants; now in the homes of the Acadians

Dwell another race, with other customs and language.

Our friend of the Sagas and Talmud leaves us at this point, he to the south, we to the east. At Windsor we take the cars for Halifax. The iron-way consists of a single-line, but it is well made, the rails being laid upon the durable English plan. Engine and cars are built "a l'Americaine." I am astonished at the choice woods used in the construction of railway-carriages. Beautiful white-oak, maple, beech, ash and mahogany are always used for the internal fittings. No imitation, but the real, solid wood, finely polished. The interior of Nova Scotia through which the train passes, is stony, bare and desolate. Probably its treasures lie beneath in mineral. The first growth of timber has long been cut off. At Windsor-junction we look upon a scene of sterility not to be out-done,

All is rocks at random thrown.

The Fundy-side of the province is more fertile; nature has done more for it. Near Halifax is an inland-basin having an area of ten miles. It would hold without crowding, all the navies of the nations. It is hardly likely however that they will ever rendezvous in any port so far to the North.

The city of Halifax is very picturesquely situated. It is built on a hill-side, the houses and streets rising

terrace above terrace from the water's edge. The harbour is one of the largest and best in the world. George-Island below the city is strongly fortified, and the citadel works are mounted with Armstrong guns. Two regiments of British Infantry, the 30th and 47th; some engineers and a troop of artillerymen compose the garrison at present. Mr. Austin, an American gentleman was with me when I visited the navy store-yard. Pointing to the piles of shot and shell he said in his droll way, "these are intended for us, are they not"? "Not unless you come for them," was my reply.

The city contains 40,000 people, and there is an English tone and a style of manners in Halifax "society," which you do not find elsewhere in America. Mr. A. expresses himself much pleased with the appearances of prosperity and active life which pervade the place. Like many of his countrymen he had been a great traveller and was therefore able to form impartial opinions. He thinks that when the Intercolonial Railroad is opened, Halifax will become the greatest port in British North America. Without any prejudice he gave the palm to New York, which must in the natural order of events become the largest city in the world. From this gentleman's conversation I derived much pleasure and instruction. He was of Dutch descent, and sprung from Albany, a lawyer by profession, but now retired from active duties. He had a taste for literature, and I found that he regularly read our best English Reviews. We parted hoping to meet again in

New York at the Fifth-Avenue Hotel.

On Sunday evening there was service at the garrisonchapel. In came the infantry-soldiers, the engineers, the artillerymen, the sailors of the navy, and the soldiers' and sailors' friends. The preacher takes for his text a passage about the great ivory-house of the King of

Israel; a real soldiers' sermon.. The men and boys of the regimental bands sit in the centre, by the harmonium and lead the singing. The tunes and hymns used are "Ancient and Modern," and we have to-night two that are favourites in England, "Nearer to Thee" and "Sun of my Soul."

Halifax has one drawback-the rigour of its winters. For seven months in the year the snow-king is monarch here. Then carriages and roads alike disappear, and sledges take their place. I noticed a picture representing the harbour as frozen over, and the Cunard Mail Steamer working its way through with ice-saws and shields. An old custom is still in vogue, obliging every man on board a ship, which enters Halifax-harbour to sing something, if only a single stave.

The sixty miles between Halifax and Truro is now traversed by rail. I stood on the outer platform of the cars and scanned the country attentively as we passed through it. Truro is a pretty town, standing in a hillenclosed plain, which is watered by two rivers. Mr. Smith took me up to the roof of his store, from which vantage ground I had an excellent view of the country. He smiled as I asked him questions which must have displayed ignorance on my part, saying, "some of you English have it in your minds that we are only half civilised out here." In Truro there is not only civilization but comfort. The people are very much like the English, and all seem well to do in the world. Labour is plentiful, a farmer-man receives 4s. or 4s. 2d. per day. (In New Brunswick similar labour will value at 5s. per day.) The horses and cattle are good, the latter pasture with bells on their necks. Land for farming, that has been cultivated, sells for £25 per acre, uncleared land for a very small sum. Oats and barley grow well, but wheat is

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