The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-09
Letter from Nova Scotia.
WHAT A TOURIST SEES IN HIS TRAVELS.
For theivALLEY v1RGINIAN.
ANNAPOLIS. Nova SCOTIA,
I1llu ORth 1899 /

y
to layinglbefore your readers letter frol
this province, even if written by ba
correspondent, take the liberty of askin
place.
My wife and left Baltimore July lit
on the steamer Hibernian for Halifax
where we arrived after sea-sick voyag
on Sunday morning following. The Gus
tom officer who took charge of our trunks
asked us if we were ''towerests." replies
yes. He put some hieroglyphics in chall
on the baggage without opening and CAV
us in charge of hackman who drove Il
to a pleasant hotel, the Halifax" Oh
the morning we left Baltimore, the decl
of the steamer was crowded with tn,
Friends of the passengers, and when thu
bell sounded to pull in the gangway sucl
kissing, handshaking, crying and hugging
made a poor backwoodsman like your hum
isble servant sigh for the "old folks, a
home." wanted some one to kiss 8nt
leave behind, but fate decreed it other
wise, and / just sat still with my wife be
side me as we floated down the beautiful
Chesapeake out on the broad Atlantic
We had about seventy or eighty passengers
for Halifax and some for Europe. 1t was
a gay party. The first day all were promptly
at table for lunch and at O'Clock dinner
but at breakfast next morning tie table
was not so full by at least half, and at oul
last dinner on Saturday evening you could
have counted the company visible on your
two hands. The mighty, the brave, the
beautiful, had all fallen and the places at
the table which once knew them, then
knew them no more. Were you ever sea
sick, Major? If not, try it. Under its
powerful influence you can heartily for
gice every wrong you ever did anybody.
You only hope is to throw up your boots
and die. One incident was reported. A
lank yankee was leaning over the guards
emptying his dinner into the ocean. A
Baltimorean asked him in a sympathetic
manner, Are you sick 20 and between
times the yankee looked at him and said
s'D-n it, do you think am doing this for
fun 2" The Baltimorean advised him to
suck q lemon Or drink champagne and
passed on.
The Halifax hotel reached, we got good
breakfast and in company with several
friends we looked about us and found we
were in a fortified town belonging to the
domain of Her Royal Highness, Queen
Victoria. The relocated soldier was met
on every walk the big guns frowned from
the citadel on the peaceful city Of 10000
inhabitants +; the church bells and beautiful
chimes were pealing over the quiet city
peace and good will, but an American
could not be misled by the pretense. He
saw through the thin veil and all this was
only way station to recruit for the deadly
strife and dread destruction of war There
are, as nearly as | could learn, about $500
soldiers garrisoned here. The 1t. Gov
ernor of the Province lives here. The
Parliament House is here. There is also
a fairly good museum, public library and a
fine postoflice building There are some
fine oil portraits of distinguished English
&C., &C., in the public build
ings. | was shown and was mitch inter-
ested in looking at what was said to be a
whom we got our independence. He has
a splendid face. His Queen looked like a
mulatto with very thick lips and narrow
forehead, and in person rather under size.
10 on tho ci1o nf ha xvr.111 Nv
was the portrait of Judge Halliburton, the
great humorist who wrote under the nom
de plume of ''Sam, Slick"
We were most agreeably surprised to
lind the people so attentive and polite to
strangers. By means of pass readily ac-
corded by the General in command, we
visited the Citidal, saw the troops on drill
and found the ramparts had magnificent
view of the harbor, filled as it was with
hundreds of vessels, floating the flags of
many nations at the mast head, and
the many none greeted the eye
with comparable pleasure as did our own
country's We also visited the city park,
a wildwood. overgrown withpines, larches,
beech. maple, &C., with an underground of
wild rose, ferns and wild flowers. This
plot of ground is cut into beautiful drives,
and paths for horseback riding. An ely
scum for lovers. 1t fronts the ocean. and
has on it land batteries and also the Prince
Of Wales Tower. Standing as it does in
The midst of the park, one wonders what
it's utility is, but when on its heights, and
from the port holes, the approaches to the
harbor are all plainly visible, and the big
guns frOwning, we asked no questions.
On Sunday after church we drove to the
wharf, where we went abroad the Royal
Steamer Mimi, vessel four hundred
feet long, engaged in laying and repairing
the submarine cables. We were very ia
vorably received aboard by the officers and
crew, and with great pleasure to them and
to us, the whole naodus oper-
randi of laying, finding and mending breaks
was explained. BY means of machine
(electric) which was invented by Sir Will
liam Thompson, they are enabled to ascer-
tain within few rods of any. break or
damage to the cable and at once repair to
the point, grapple the cable, attach it
to an iron bouy and mend it in short
time. An American, and especially
Virginian, seems to carry apassport on his
face.
On Saturday, in company with some la
dies and gentlemen from Baltimore, we
hired steam tug and went fishing down
the harbor. Had a fine view of Halifax
from the water and her great and innu-
merable forts. My wife caught a fine cat
fish. Gliding over the water had more
charms for me than the fishing, so did
not do much of the latter. My friend,
Hudson would have taken to fishing, and
enjoyed the sport. We visited the
garrison chapel, conducted by the Church
of England Rector, saw six or seven hum
dred soldiers dressed in red uniforms, all
devoutly intoning and responding in the
service, with u large mixture of citizens.
On Monday morning we bought tickets for
the old French town of Annapolis, situa-
d on the Bay of Funday, leaving the old
forts and pleasant acquaintance formed
in Halifax behind. The route from Hall
fax by cars is through the famous country
made historic by the bloody contests over
it's possession by the English and French,
and immortalized in song by our own gift
ed Longfellow. 1t was in the valley lying
between the North and South mountain,