The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-27

Htsessner Corsicdn,
RIVER ST.. LAWRENCE, +,
AuCrssf 9Th 1874


Steamer Corsicdn,
RIVER ST. LAWRENCE,
August 5th 1874.
THE following letter was written by Mr.
Hurd who was in this county last fall,
and was handed US for publication. Ii
will undoubtedly be interesting to the
general reader
DEAR MOTHER. We left home
Monday July 9th as we expected, stop
ped over q train at Ann Arbor, got to
Detroit at $50 and had to wait till six
next morning as the boat was late II
gave Us chance to See the scenery of
Detroit River which was very fine. Lake
Erie was very rough. The boat was so
crowded that We stopped over at Cleve
land till the next day. 1t was the time of
the races and the city was full, SO we
went out to Berea and stayed. The boat
next day was less crowded and better
kept, SO that We were lucky in stopping,
and it so happened that we got into Mon
t-eal by the same boat that we would, had
we not stopped We got into the lock. Of
Welland Canal at nine o'clock Thursday
morning and took hack. for the Falls
We went under the Falls and stayed
some time, getting some damp, but en-
ioying ii very much. We went TO the
whirlpool but did not think it very much
from where we saw it. We got back to
the boat before all the locks were passed
and had chance to see the prettiest part
Of the country along the canal, some of
which was very fine. We entered Lake
Ontario about midnight and got to Cape
Vincent, \. Y. tnear the end Of the lake.
about four o'clock the next afternoon.
We passed nearly all OF the Thousand
Isles by daylight. The scenery here was
perfectly magnificent, really the finest we
have seen. There are about 800 of them
in all. We reached Ogdensburg \. Y.
about ten o'clock Friday night. As the
boat was at the end of its trip that way,
We had TO cross next morning by ferry
to Prescott where we took another boat
for Montreal We took the Bohemian
here which was so much larger and nicer
than the Lake Propeller which had TO 90
through the canal This boat took us
down the Rapids OF the St Lawrence and
it was grand sport, though hardly as ex-
citing as had expected from what was
said about it. They had four men at the
wheel to guide the boat and two at the
tiller whatever that isl | am inclined
to think that less number could have
done it, and these were put there for eff
feet, and because they had so advertised
We got to Montreal about seven O'Clock
Saturday night and concluded to stay
over Sunday during which time we visi-
ted the English Cathedral, Church of the
,Iesuits, Notre Dame Cathedral and
St. Andrews, a Scotch Presbyterian
Church. The Jesuits Church is most
splendidly frescoed, probably the finest
in America, and as we did not get
there till after the morning service we
spent about two hours with the help Of
guide book, looking At the wall and affairs
In the afternoon We went 10 Vespers at
Notre Dame Mrs p and Ina felt some
compunctions Of conscience and after
going 10 one of the churches in the eve
ming and finding ourselves late, we step
ped into they NJ G. A Rooms. where they
were holding promise meeting" Mon
day We got a cab and went around the cisv
and then around the mountain Coming
back we went into the Gray Nunnery and
were shown through and waited for the
the sisters to come III for prayer which
sounded like nest Of humble bees well
stirred up. We just went into St Bridrets
Church at seven p. m. We took the
steamer Quebec for Quebec and arrived
next morning at seven o'clock We first
visited the Notifications and then took
a carriage and Mr. and Mrs Smith a
calash, u have forgotten to mention that
at Cleveland we fell in with Rev Moses
Smith and wife of Jackson. Mich. who
took IF. w .Becchcr's place there and
visited the plains of Abraham and then
went out about seven miles TO the falls
Montmorenci This well paid us as
the scenery was wild and the falls them
selves were grand being 240 feet high.
We also saw a different style of living
from anything we ever saw before and
everything reminded Us Of the picture of
the old cities of Europe. 1t seemed like
another and entirely different world The
streets Of Quebec are very narrow and
crooked and the buildings very compact
and for the most part very old.
We came back TO Montreal on the
same boat that we went up on, getting in
about six O'Clock this morning. We went
10 see the Bon Secours Market and some
of the party went on one Of the ocean
steamers. went 10 the post-offlce for
them and did not get back TO 90 inside,
but saw the vessel The boat left Non
treal at nine this morning and we are now
going part of the way by river and part
By canal Where the Rapids occur a
boat cannot go up and ha. 10 go around
il by canal We have all enjoyed our
trip hugely and will be almost sorry TO
have ii over We cannot tell when we
shall get through, but may have to spend
Sunday in Welland Canal. am getting
some tired writing and &C will wait till l
get home for the narrative of the rest Of
our trip. FRED.
Kirk wood on Stone.