The Republican journal., 1898-07-28
With Our Nova Scotia Cousins.


of arrival and departure varied from day
TO day. Before the Windsor anu Annapo-
lis railway (now called the Dominion At
lantic) was built the steamer Emperor,
and later the Empress, carried passengers
from ST. John to Windsor, then the ter
minus of railway from Halifax. Wind
sol is on the Avon river, which at low
tide contains no more water than our own
on the flood tide landed her passengers
and freight and went out on the top of
the tide. When the railway was extended
to Annapolis landings were made there
under similar conditions the boat some
times laying over a tide. A Belfast man
who visited Annapolis number of years
ago, found the morning after his arrival
that he had left his umbrella on the boat
and went down to the wharf to get it. He
saw nothing of the steamer until he reach
ed the end Of the pier, when he found
himself looking down her funnel. All this
is changed now-a- days and the Prince
Rupert comes and goes on schedule time.
When the tide is high passengers are land
ed on the top of the wharf; at half tide,
or low water. they land on an incline I'M
del the wharf, and which is also used by
teams 1t was low water on our arrival
and we made our way up the incline and
boarded the tram awaiting lis on the wharf.
and which took rs to the Digby station.
Here we boarded the train for Annapolis.
The road follows the shore ut the Basin,
crossing inlets her. and there on wooden
bridges, and a;tording many delightful
views, despite the muddy shores exposed
by the low tide. Fish weirs occupied
every available place and fish houses were
numerous
Apple orchards now began to reveal
themselves and were to be seen on either
hand all along the line until Windsor was
reached. The greater part OF the trees,
however, are back of the railroad on each
SIDE Of the valley. Two things about the
orchards are worthy OF note. The ground
under tie tees was generally cultivated,
showing . variety Of crops-coIn, beans,
potatoes and grain, and the trees We're
llu9,a ~o uaJ each limb stood out dis
IN, y eul tie fruit could be reached by
the su.. There were no trees showing
dense masse, If foliage as with US. We
believe. they have No. ''"A-yeals' in this
alple-s1vv valley. although the crop
varies Of course a. The season is favorable
OF unfayJlable AT Annapolis Royal We
left the train and We're driven to the Queen
Hotel fol dinner 1t is a pleasant and
nicely appointed house and an excellent
meal was served. It was interesting to
note the deft way in which the two waiter
girls served at least 10 hungry people
With bur little assistance they helped
everybody to soup. fish, roasts, vegetables
and dessert, and no one had to wait an nm
due time. There was no noise OF eonfu-
sion. such as in more Pretentious places
attends the serving Of dinner with waiter
at every table
=
drive to see something OF Annapolis Royal,
place nearly 800 years old, 1.-THE scene of
the secc nd European settlement on North
American soil, Of the first grant of land
made in this vast continent. the site of the
first civilized government in America, the
scene OF the first blood split between Eng
land and France amid the forests of the
New World, and of the fort SO often taken
and letaEen, and still ofteuet beseiged"
Hele are still to be seen the remains of
the old fortress. The aTcIed entrance to
the innt fort, the quaint old English ba.-
racks. yl lit after the capture Of the fort
less from the French ard the magazine.
ale sti4I preserved. The driver Of the
carriage which conveyed dozen or more
of our rarty was not specially well in
formed When it was suggested that he
should ONT out places Of interest he be
gan by saying, That a school house,
a fact evident at a glance. His next essay
was to point to a wooden church of the
order of architecture of day before yester-
day, and say, There where the eyange-
lists go to church, A lady on rear seat
understood him to say ''There's where
Evangeline went to church," and she
called out to her husband to get a snap
shot at the edifice. He was out in the
dusty road with his camera before the
mistake was discovered. One of the ladies
who dearly loves joke was SO persistent
in her enquiries about Evangeline, that
the driver finally burst ont with the re-
mark, There Amt no Evangeline lives
here" and then relapsed into silence for
the renal nder Of the ride.
There are few places on this continent
of such h stolic interest as Annapolis Roy
al, aud the literature of old Port Royal,
in history and romance, is volumnous.
But all the visitors saw of the town of to-
day was occasional glimpses of tree EN-
powered dwellings as they drove up and
down dusty road, to be finally landed at
the railway station. As we happened to
embark on the straw berry train we had a
good opportunity to view the country be-
tween Annapolis and kentville, but final