The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-10-10
Our Canada cetr.spo.dsnes.

, waters OF Lake Ontario, On voyags 70 this grsa
B commercial metropolis OF British North America
The day was okar and autumn.liks, and ID,
water calm and smooth a. n II had been com
manded TO stand IT'LL.
The fresh, bracins air Of these northern re
. gions suggested the propriety Of throwing on al
ovsrcoat to keep up the proper temperature Of
TINS mortal COLI and thus We were quite com
Portable vhiis on deck viewing the sails OF YES
sells far away, and watching the sky and watel
meet a. the last glimpse Of land faded away In
the distance.
We hsd . motley collection Of passengers
among whom wsts tourists from the South and
west ofhcsu Of the British army In glittorina
uniforms priests 10 long black OF socks, young
"bloodsp with white carleton wound in roll
around their hats, . party Of travellers from Epg.
land, and several haJitans, who're peculiar COS.
} In the provinces
The vessel was literally alive with people, but
all were provided for In good style, and seemed
to enjoy thsmsslvss finely In their floating home
on the roaring dep.
The jolly comuahdsr, Capt Farrell, is q first.
rate officer, and b an old Voyageuy Of the st..
Lawrence fsAm Of sunshine always plays
experiences and capacity. It Is to be regretted
that such good ALLOWS cannot be found more
frequently In charge Of steamers and railway
trains. Af-
The sunset was magnificent, and many Of the
passengers were N raptures over this beautiful
fn16 Of the day. II picture Of rare beauty
asd grandeur, md must be soon to be appre.
| ciated.
Next morning d daylight We rounded into the
harbor OF the city o. Kingston, q charming place
at tho foot Of ~ lake, and were supplied with
| morning pspert ior which We shelled out the
coin, as the boyssA5fs nothing else.
with an an rsssI 70 the groves Of Or on On.
tario,s shore, our elegant craft cut loose her
moorings, and ghded swiftly down amongst the
picturesque soenSy Of the river St. Lawrence.
The Thousand Glands" now begin, and extend
over sixty miles They number about eighteen
hundred, howevsr As some sauan has taken the
pains TO count nem, and arc OF all sizes and
shapes, from little gem Of the ses," only
large enough for lighthouse, TO body OF land
containing nearlf two thousand acres, and stud
the river here nr there like apples Of gold In
pictures Of silvet
| Nova asher4an's hut rises up solitary and
| alone on littlel oasis In this waste Of water;
then we behold q another isolated tract the res |
idence OF lighthouse keeper, who with his |
family appear DO living like hermits In q
sparssly populate country: Some Of these min. |
iature continenti nave highly cultivated farms, |
hne houte,, orchtrds, and the other elements and |
accessories Of rufal life.
Around and fnong these islands our vessel |
glided through Pc channel with the same speed |
as upon the bfom Of the deep smooth lake, |
sometimes almoit touching the fringed rocks on |
the beach, but the next moment quite out of
the way Of thes little dots and dashcs Of crea.
tion.
An interestint feature Of this great river
consists In Its rapids, which arc easily passed by
steamers in daylight and in the absence Of fog, |
but sailing vessfs cannot make the rifle" un.
der any circumstances. No steamer attempts to
go over them without special pilot, who is per.
fectly familiar with the channel and all the
points OF dangef. The rapids occur at intervals
and extend ovei one hundred miles, and in pass.
ing over them destruction stares US In the face,
but with our experienced pilot We felt secure,
The Long sa,lt Rapids twelve miles in length,
are the most Important, and the steamer plungss
through them 2 railroad speed, going at the rate
OF thirty milssan hour, and sometimes appears
to DO almost on end.
The forwarddeck 10 jammed full Of passengers
whirlpools, and tho turbulent waters running
every directions
The steamer plunges against the breakers and
the shock Is like an earthquake; the crowd
sways to and no, when q heavy wave gives her
motion In smother direction, and they are
knocked about en- masas. quite into pi the
women shriek, lhe men laugh, and all are in
ing that tnsy ,pset It out on that line. though
the waves dash 4Pon the deck and the frightful
rocks show themselves in the water.
but we arc nov In Lake st. Francis, several
mies wide ana Wer 20 miles long, and all are
eager ior more ripids, which, In two short hours,
wlh maze nag. theif appearance. The Coteau du
LAG, epht KOCH, Cr'cade and Cedar Rapids have
descent OF 81 bet In IL miles; but the most
dangerous and dihicult OF navigation are the
Lachlne Rapids, but they are obviated by . ship
canal miles In hngth, overcoming a descent Of
nearly oo ieet
Night overlook Us at the old French village Of
Lachine, when gu the passengers were trans
TERED to the Gland Trunk Railway, and in
another hour we were snugly esconced In our
hotel in Montreal
There Is great deal of travel up this way this
season, and the h,tels are crowded to their utmost
capacity. The city Is large and beautiful, claim
ing population of $50, 900. The elegant stone
wharves and piers extend nearly miles In front
OF the city, and there Is nothing like them short
Of Liverpool. The docks present quite forest
Of vessels from various quarters Of the globe, so
that the commerce of the place is q matter Of
Importance.
The Victoria Bridge spanning the river Is 2
miles long, constructed entirely Of iron, at a
cost of ST. 900, 00O and is the greatest structure
of the kind in the world. It belongs to the
Grand Trunk Railway, of Canada, and was one
Of the schemes Sir Morton Peto. This city Ia
the headquarters of tho railway which own,
about | 90 miles of rond