The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-10-16

SATURDAY, OCT. 16. 1886.
Continued from page 2.

COnbItUeO from Vuye &.
be surrendered to the beavers and
other wild animals who have there
had their home. The houses erected
by the Company are the only ones
in the greater part of this tract.
The stavionmasters and their families
must have u dreary time of it. On
the other hand, the branch lines from
Carlton to Owens Sound go the most
fertile and prosperous districts of
Ontario, and then there comes the
pessa~e by one OF their splendid
steamers through the long, land
locked Georgian Channel, and along
the northern shore of Lake Superior.
When we met at Port Arthur the
difference was discernible in the
very appearance of the passengers.
Those who had done their 1000 miles
by the rail were languid as compared
to those who came in from the
steamer, speaking enthusiastically
of the scenery they had witnessed,
and all fresh and eager for the
journey beyond.
Port Arthur was named Thunder
Bay until our young Prince Arthur
went up there some years ago, and
il was changed in honor of his visit.
1t is near the old Fort-William of
the Hudson Bay Company, which
stands Eve miles up the River KAN
inistiqria, which many of us tried
to pronounce. Between this and
Rat Portage-300 miles on-;s the
region of the "huskegs' described.
The land impro es as we go west;
there are patches that are fertile
enough, but not to be recommended
for settlement, as the winter is not
unfrequently from so deg. to 60
dogs. below zero. Indeed, there is
not much to look at until we reach
Winnipeg, the central city on the
line, and by far the most wonderful
in it's history. This is the old Fort
Garry of the Hudson Bay Company.
Twenty years ago there was nothing
but the fort with It's surrounding
gbastions, and few houses of the
servants and hangers-on of the Com
pany. Now there are streets and
squares, and colleges and churches,
and magnificent edifices, and a
population of $4,000. What has
caused this wonderful expansion
Doubtless the immense tract of
fertile land beyond it, to the very
base of the Rocky Mountains, a
stretch of 1000 miles, and also the
fact that it folmed the terminus Of
the American railway system from
ST.. Paul by Minneapolis. But for
this latter reason the big city of the
region would have been Selkirk, which
forms the natural shipping port of
Lake Winnipey. Winnipeg city is
twenty miles south, on the Red
River. The Company at first had
the line laid to Selkirk in view Of
this. But there came the Riel re-
Bbellion and the Northwest excite
meat, and the passing of sup
plies and of settlers over the
American railway and The ex-
,pansion of Winnipeg had become so
great that the rails were taken up,
relaid further south, and the Bridge
over the Red River located at Win
nipeS. AS there are no less than
six raeiating lines from this, the
station accommodation is consider
able. There a.e twenty-three miles
of sidings, and the buildings through
out are lighted by electricity. The
main street is very fine; the hotels
are spacious and comfortable, the
charge being generally three dollars
day. At Stony Mountain-about
a dozen miles out-there is to be
seen the lest herd of buffaloes in the
Canadian territory. These have
been preserved by Major Bedson
for breeding. There are altogether
fifty-seven, and as they were taken
in when calves, they have become
quite tame. The Major has been
crossing them with Durham cows,
and finds that the new strain gives
to that breed special hardihood
and fitness for the climate and dis
,trict. He proposes to make further
experiments with the polled Angus
and Jersey breeds. The aspect OF
the country around is in delightful
contrast to that through which we
have previously travelled. Level
and fertile land, covered with ricf
natural grasses, and clear of trees
or scrub, stretches way beyond
what the eve can reach in every
direction. In this are to he seer
everywhere the homesteads and hug
barns of the settlers. Some of thes'
we had the opportunity of visiting
but must reserve description O
them for another paper.
Correspondence of the Edinburgh
Scotsman. August 18th.