Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-08-30

There are no DOUBT, many places ol |
interest in New Brunswick beside the |
city of st. John. A ride on the cars, TO |
Shedia, situated on the Gulf Of the st. |
Lawrence, distance OF over hundred |
miles, or trip by boat to Fredericton,
the capitol of the Province, on st. John
river a hundred miles up, would afford
real pleasure tothe tourist, as well as
interesting objects OF observation. But
as my business or mission did not call
me to any other place than St. John, l
crossed from that city TO the opposite
place in Nova Scotia. The bay of Fundy
here is about forty miles wide, and 1T
takes four hours in the steamer Empress
to reach Digby, little town on the An
napolis Basin.
When we neared land. we observed
an opening, less than a mile wide, the
sides of which were nearly perpendcu-
lar, and as we entered it, we found our
selves in basin, somewhat oval, twelve
miles long and in some places six miles
wide. 1t is q beautiful sheet of water,
surrounded by hills gradually rising and
in some place reaching the height of
mountains, such for instance as the
20 North Mountain" This opening
which is very peculiar, is called st.
Georges channel, but more generally
known by sailors as Digby Gut. 1t is
quite imposing and seems to have been
formed by some violent effort Of ma
ture.
The scenery all around is beautiful,
and the little town or rather village of
Digby is a lovely spot. The air here is
remarkably salubrious, and the place is
rendered particularly agreeable in sum-
mer by a cool sea breeze. 1t is a place
of resort for the people of New Bruins
wick. 1t lacks one thing, howeveri
American life and thrift. 1t does not
seem more than half awake
1 was very much interested in the.
scenery all around for l naturally recalled
some of the soul-stirring events which
took place on the shores o! this basin.
l remembered how pleased were the
| French, the first discoveries, when they
| entered this sure and well protected har
| Dor. and decided to establish on these
shores their first settlement, in the PENN
sula, which they called by the poetical
name of L'Acadie. 1t is at the head of
| ha Do NJ hni1t port
ROYAL, which was the capital OF the
country during the whole time it was
held by the French and for several years
after it was definitely conquered by the
British.
The whole history of the French in
that region is present to my mind,
Their long series of misfortunes and
their final expulsion from their happy
shores, occupy my thoughts as l gaze
upon these sloping hills, covered with
rich harvestS, adorned with beautiful
forests, and with low lands protected by
the dykes "built by labor incessant
which yet remain TO testify to the active
and intelligent industry Of the first set
tiers.
Port Royal still exists under the name
of Annapolis. 1t is called town, but
it is only a small village, The steamer
from st. John does not 60 any further
Here the principal object OF interest, il
the old French Qualifications, which wer,
considerably improved by the British
a century ago, bat are now in very di
lapidated state Judging, however, from
what remains, We can see that in theiI
day they must have been quite respecta
BILE. The ground on which they are built
contains twenty eight acres Of land, with
in which Place there are barracks anC
quarters for officers. a magazine, stOr
houses &c, all OF which are now in
state Of decay.
The Notifications are entirely aban
: doned at present, couple Of soldiers
; not too military looking, being the onl,
guardians occasionally seen near tn
gate, whose principal occupation seem
to consist in watching dozen COW
grazing about these ruins. Since Hall
} fax has been made the capital Of Nov
, Scotia, in 1850, England has left thes
Notifications to take care Of themselves
, and now decay meets the traveller a
. every step.
/, Close by the trenches, is found an oil
burying ground, which no doubt is owe
+ two centuries old. / noticed sewers
stones over hundred years old, an
many of the graves are those of person
q who occupied important positions in tn
Colonial Government. You see at ono
that this cemetery is not a common on
- although now neglected and abandoned
It In visiting this place, the traveller n
Il ceives a mournful impression, such
l. nature if not in degree as Is received /