National Republican., 1885-05-16

tents in tho night, aud, with "the mists
from the mighty Atlantic" had taken
themselves elsewhere, so that Blomidon,
with his pines and hemlocks-"olad in
green robes, like Druids of old, with
voices sad and prophetic"--stood re-
vealed in all of his ruggedness. The tides
we're racing in as we drew up at Windsor,
and there aud then was dispelled one
more Of my pet illusions. / had heard
that the sea rushed in between rocky
shores, filling the air with din and spray,
wave trampling down wave and shaking
the ground with its thunder. What l
saw was swift. flowing tide, silently,
noiselessly, overhowing the salt meadows,
filing in the great crevasses and channels
scored in the valley. There was NO
sound, no ripple, and those who know the
ground best say that it is only when the
wind is dead ahead that tho bore"
raises its crest and roars over the land.
The tide at Windsor makes forty-two
feet but at Blomidon it rises to the
astonishing level of seventy.two!
For Grand Pre- looked eagerly, but
excepting "the dikes reared by the busy
hands of the farmers with labor incessant
to shut out the turbulent tides" there is
hardly a vestige of "the happy village"
left. A few gnarled and twisted apple
trees, q few ruined cellars SCARED with
fire, and q group Of willow trees that
mark the spot where Pere Felician's
chapel stood, are tho only traces Of the
Acsdian settlement, and, except for the
beautiful ghosts that fit across its
meadows and sigh in its forests, its name
would drift out with the tide OF the Gas
pereau. The name of "Eyangeline," how
l.. ia. lsar hos ahAll Ard
aud legends are even extent Of few of
the dispersed villagers who wandered
home, broken hearted, to die on their
native soil-to sleep within sound Of "the
deep-voiced neighboring ocean, which, in
accents disconsolate, answers tho wall of
the forest"
1t was matter Of surprise to me that
the sea-drenohed, fertile fields-for 1t 10
the one really fertile spot in Nova
Scotia-should be allowed to lie fallow
year after year, but so it is, and in place
of fax and corn, grape and apple, they
yield nothing now but salt grass and
pasturage for the few cows that replace
the vast herds of Benedict Bellefontaine.
Here was apparent the same gorgeous
coloring noticeable at Halifax. and to the
greens, crimsons puppies, and Colds were
added the mellow russell tints of the salt
meadows, the vivid blue of the ragged
robins" aud variety of vines and
MOSES as graceful as beautiful.
A flashing pair of black eyes, a clear
olive skin here and there. and an occa-
sional--very ccasional7-patois will be-
tray the French origin of the settlement,
but the cruel work of devastation was so
effectually done by the British soldery
that nothing ever rose from the ruirs of
Grand Pre- save heartbreak and anguish,
Tho frebrnnd of England burnt out its
life, and only the withered limbs drifted
back on the Gaspereau, when youth was
dead, to add their tears and ashes to the
blighted, salt-washed fields of the once
happy valley.
A short run along the north coast
brought us to Annapolis, which Is famous
for nothing except that it once was u gar
rison and now is q railroad terminus,
And that reminds me, one would imagine
the millennium was declared from the
way in which tho forts Of Canada
are being dismantled and abandoned. All
throughout the maritime provinces-if
appearances are indicative of anything -
the European war clouds are regarded as
a clever Joke and, instead of fighting
the lion Is preparing to lie down with
tho eagles Of Franco and Germany, with
tho Russian bear, and with whatever
other nation flies an ensign or can fur
nlsh munitions Of war. Thereiis even a talk
Of abandoning Halifax, aud, as we all
know, In Quebec the barracks, tho walls,
and the Portes arc laid in the dust.
Annapolis basin is the royal road to
Digby. quaint bird's-nest of q town
that perches ON hillside in face Of Digby
gut; the latter is narrow opening that
reminds you of the eve Of the needle and
makes you thankful the steamboat is not
a camel Through this you slip into
Fundy, a sea of much extent and exceed
ing instability, Its fayorlte waves, like