New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-24

Of ahips Beyond this point We ontofoS mo
hArbor. which curved around South side I'M, en-
tending inland for nearly n mile IL has plenty Of
water every " here, with excellent holding ground,
and 10 completely sheltered BY the high hills OF the
coast The town is built on the western side,
facing the entrance It's old fashioned houses of
brick and weather beaten wood line the shore for
the distance Of mile, climbing the steep side OF &
hill which is crowned BY the Roman Catholic Ca
thtdral. the Colonial Buildings, the Government
House and two small fortihcatious. Beyond il,
other hills, partly cultivated, and dotted with small
white country houses, rise inland A crowd OF
schooners and small craft lay at the wharves, and
fishing. boats were moving hther and thlther over
the harbor. All around the shores, wherever
space could be found, were the " fakes OF the
fsbermeu-Echt wooden platforms supported by
poles, and covered with sailed Goldfish in all stages
of driving. These picturesque fakes, not unlike
the grape. arbors Of Italy, and powerful fsby
smell in the atmosphere, proclaim at once to the
stranger the principal business Of St Johns.
We moved slowly up the barbor and came 10 an
cbor before the warehouse of Nessrs Barron 4
Fraser near its western extremity The arrival
of the James Adger produced much more deci-
ded sensation than at Halifax. Notwithstanding
the early hour there was a crowd gathered upon
the wharf and some Of US who landed for stroll
before breakfast were stared at by all the men We
met and followed BY most Of the boys. The princ-
pal business street in the town is near the water,
running along the western side of the harbor. The
houses are mostly two-story dwellings Of brick or
stone with heavy .lste roofs, and more remarkable
for soli6ity than beauty. This part of the town
has all been rebuilt since the great c0nlagration
in June. 1886. from the effects OF which ST Johns
has but recently recovered. At that time aspace of
$50 acres was burned over, and 300 buildings con-
sumed Twelve thousand people were made home
tho mt Of
WAS destroyed. Those districts which escaped
still retain the diney old wooden houses of which
the town was originally built. The population of
St Johns at present is estimated at 2O,0O0.
In the course OF the morning visited all OF the
principal sights OF the place, under the guidance
of Mr.. Winton. editor of The Public Ledger. The
most prominent building is the Catholic cathedral,
which has Just been completed, and will be conse-
Grated some time during the coming month. 1t
occupies a commanding position on the crest Of
the bill, and being built Of gray stone, with tall
square towers. bears some resemblance to the
Cathedral Of Montreal, which it equals in dimen-
sions The interior, however. does not bear out its
exterior promise. The nave is low, and therefore
does not produce the effect which might be eI-
pected from its length and breadth the architect
ural ornaments are tawdry and inharmonlous.
The palace Of Bishop Mullock stands beside the
Cathedral with a little garden in front. On this
part OF the hill ia an earthwOrk called Fort Fred
erick, which contains but small garrison at pres
ent. In fact the entire number OF troops stationed
at ST. Johns. including those in Fort William,
Chain Rock Battery, and upon Signal Hill
amounts only to about two hundred men, who be-
long 10 what is called the ROYAL Newfoundland
Company, and are not transferred to other sta
lions. | never saw more healthy and vigorous
body of men. There are in England no ruddier
faces, no clearer eyes, no more sappy and we'll
conditioned bodies / looked with great admira-
ton at one of the sentreS on duty at Fort vii
liam. Tall, straight lance, with firmly CHS
eled halfGrecian features a thick, soft mus
tache and a classical chin, he had a complexion
like that of ripe peach, mellow, ruddiy golden
flush, which showed the nOblest painting of air and
sunshine, and was worthy of the Titanic pencil Of
Page.
Cap. BOwlin c0urteOusly conducted US over Fort
Frederick, where the most interesting thing saw
was the library and reading room OF the soldiers
neat little apartment, containing $50 well-se-
lected volumes and number of newspapers and
periodicals. I am not aware that so profitable an
institution as this has ever been attached to any
Of our own garrisons The Notifications are all
small, and seem to me quite insufficient for the de-
tense of so important place. The Government
House, on the contrary, is built on scale of need
less magni6cence, having cost 100000 on an esti
mate of $4,000 1t is q long, heavy-loOking man
sion, of dark gray stone, on the ridge OF the HILL
and surrounded by ali enclosure planted with trees,
which appear to grow very slowly on the thin soil
In the outskirts OF the town, toward the north
and west. there are several neat private residences
with gardens attached, where the more hardy va
rieties of fruit rpen and even apples, with proper
protection. are made to bear but strawberries,
(which are just Disappearing goose berries, cur
rants, and cherries, are the only certain fruits.
The Colonial Building, with its Grecian portico,
stands near the Government House. The Council
Chambers were closed, but saw the Library, and
the puceus of q museum of the natural history OF
Newfoundland, which promises TO be valuable.
There were seals Of al sizes and ages, wolves,
foxes, partridges, grouse, hawks, owls, the heads
and horns of the caribou, or reindeer, beaver,
otter hares and various other animals, some OF
which seem to be peculiar to the island. The carl
bou is said to be almost identical with the Lapp
reindeer. whence some have cOnjectured that 1t
was first introduced by the Norsemen, who, it ia
well known. first discovered Newfoundland, which
they named Heliuidnd, or The Land of broad.
flat stones In the hall of the building there is
vacant niche, which ought TO be filled with statue
of the gallant old Admiral, Sir Humphrey Gilbert,
who in the year 1853 founded ST. Johns.
The Episcopal Cathedral stands on the slope of
the hill. below lie Catholic rival Only the chancel
has been erected, which is of dark stone of plain
but pleasing form of the Gothic style. From its
imposing dimensions, the building. when completed,
will surpass the Catholic Cathedral in size, as the
latter surpasses it in position The luminosity be-
tw een the two sects is very bitter, and since all
independent Colonial Government has been given
70 Newfoundland, il enters into politics, and is the
source of endless chickering's There are several