The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-12

Il SA6SoN~
| drive. st. John river 10 quite large one
being over $50 miles long. and at SOM
| places Il 10 four to five miles wide, AM
| consequently contains much water. Where
| Il empties into st. John harb0r and thu
| bay OF Ftlndy, the channel is only fou
| hundred and fifty feet wide. closed In b,
| two great cliffs OF limestone. over 100 fee
high. At low tide the river falls about
| fifteen feet into the bay, Just under th'
bridge. but the flow tide, which rises mere
some thirty feet, riishes back impetuousi!
during it's return and completely reverses
the falls, which then fall back into the
river. The waters here, where these Hoods
meet and battle for the mastery, are OF
unknown depth. And Of late years three
large vessels we're broken on the rocks al
either side and sunk, masts and all, never
to be seen again, nor even to be an OBJ
struction to the navigation Of the river.
Two OF these vessels had cargoes Of rail
road iron.
Our next line OF travel was by rail to
the st. Lawrence river, up the Saguenay
and back and on to the City Of Quebec by
steamer.
We left st. John at night, and on awak-
ening next morning found ourselves skirt
ing the shores Of the beautiful Bay Chal-
uer At the north end OF the bay is the
famous Canadian watering place, Dali
housie, noted for its fine salmon fishing
waters, which are claimed by experts 20
be superior to any other known. Hers
we would like to have tarried for a time,
but as we could not see everything and
everywhere we jumped on. After leav
ing Dalhousie quarantine, we passed sew
eral very pretty villages and rushed into
the remarkably beautiful valley of the
Metapedia river, whose windings we fol-
lowed for some sixty miles. This river
is quite wide for mountain stream, but is
not deep. 1t has rapid downward cur
rent over rocky bed that Keeps 1t rushing
hero and rushing there continually, break
ing at times into boiling swirls Of sparkling
foam. 1t is inclosed on both sides by
wild wooded slopes and numerous hills
from 500 to 100 feet high, that loom up
unexpectedly at times and seem to crowd
each as we dash along. thus changing ever
as we 90, and leaving sometimes barely
space for railway and for river. Our train
crossed and recrossed 1t many times, and
the scene was so full of mountain beauty
in its wildness, scarce sign of human
habitation to be seen, that we stayed meet
of the time on the back platform OF the
strain, holding on for dear life, but deter
mined to miss nothing Of what we had
come to see.
About $50 miles north of Halifax we got
our first view OF the St. Lawrence river,
along tho banks of which we continue on
our way for loo miles more and get off at
the town OF Rivere de Loup, whore we
embark on a steamer, the Canada, loaded
with summer tourists, fer trip up the
wonderful Saguenay river, which empties
into the st. Lawrence just across from
here
You may imagine what river the St.
Lawrence is when I tell that here it is
fifteen miles mide though several hundred
miles inland from its mouth. The first
point we stopped at was the old mission
Of Tadousac at the mouth of the Saguenay
river, which was visited by Jacques Car
tier In 1885, and where a French fishing
station was soon after established. For
many years II was post OF the Hudson
Bay company and was famous mart for
furs We went ashore here and were al
lowed time enough to visit what is claimed
to be the oldest church on the continent
north OF San Augustine Fla 1t was very
timple ard quaint, and contained some
highly valued pictures and relics of some
what questionable merit. The trip up the
Saguenay is always at night. and the re-
turn trip next day, so next morning we
found ourselves quietly reIosng In the
still waters of Ha Ha bay. the sun shining
but the atmosphere bracing and
cool. At Halifax We felt we were nretty
the SaguenCy we were some 700 miles still
further north, and well up into the old
fur hunting grounds Of the Hudson Raw
company, name that always, somehow,
suggests snowshoes, buffalo robes and
sledges
At an early hour we started on our trip
down the river, 40 miles long, and most
remarkable river it proved to be. 1t is wild
ana weird. in many places. the barren.
smooth-faced rocks towering straight up
Tor from 1000 to 1900 feet, while the water
1t the foot of these precipices have an un
known depth. 1t was wider than | ex-
pected and not quite so dreadfully gloomy,
though the day was bitter cold and fire.
luent rain storms added much of bleakness
70 the whole. Everybody had on their
heaviest wraps. but even then they were
finally forced TO make raids on their state
'ooms and soon each was enveloped, Indian
IKE IN blankets OF brilliant colors, which
out added effectiveness to the scene, Al
We proceeded, at certain points we were
old the river was 1900 feet deep and that
40 living thing had ever been seen in lis
waters except white whales, some OF which
we saw In schools. as we saw black Dor
'oises In the Atlantic ocean.
After a time Cape Trinity doomed up 1900
Get from the water. and Cape Eternity 200
more The water is almost inky black, and
ldds much of desolation by its hue Our
'oat rounded to here. coming close to the
inns blew her whistle to show the pas-
engers ,haw marvellous an echo II would
make. A dreadful. creepy feeling comes
'Ver 7ne as he realizes the subIimitv n,
ne scenery through which he passes. and
ieeilng OF relief prevails as we ret out
ron under the shadow of these TOWERING
masses, The trip is one that none should |
an TO take If they are up in this country. |
rom the time we took the steamer on |
nc st. Lawrence, went up. the saguewav,
hen back again to The mouth. and thenco |
y 10 quebec, we spent two nights and ono |
ay II was thoroughly interesting and |
Yer seen. w Aaa
our first sight Of Quebec was in tho
airy uawn. aud rs seen from distance II
in.ehseiy picturesque. 1t rises stately and
oiemn, like grand pile OF monumental
midings' clustering houses, tall. irrern-
A., NTH high pitched roofs, crowd the
ing ilne OF shore and climb the roctv
eights Great piles OF stone churches IN,
,ges and public buildings. crowned with vH