The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-08-18
With Our Nova Scotia Cousins.

Y.
In writing Of Halifax a little ancient
history may be in order The writer re-
tains a very vivid recollection Of his first
visit to the capitol of Nova Scotia, attend
ed as it was by perls Of the sea both 60
ing and returning. In the spring of Isl
two iron steamers, the Circassian and
Khersoncse, that had been employed as
transports during the Crimean war, were
placed on the route between Portland and
Liverpool, England, touching at Halifax.
The writer took passage on the kherson-
ese. We left Portland in the early even
ing under steam and sail and soon after
leaving port ran into the fog. Next day
we steamed along with sails still set, but
hardly drawing, through dense Bay of
Fundy fog. There was no sea, but an
old swell was on, and our narrow, high
side craft, propeller, would slowly set :
tie down, rail to the water, shake herself,
and roll down on the other side. AL
though the racks were on the tables we
had when at dinner to hold our soup
plates in our hands part of the time
About noon while reading in the saloon
heard grating sound under the vessel S
bottom. 1t was repeated again and again,
accompanied by commotion on deck
Ascending the companion way | found
every body looking over the side and the
steamer with heavy list. Some of the
crew, without orders, attempted to launch
boat and were ordered away by an Off
Ger with a drawn pistol. 1t was evident
that we We're on the rocks, but there
We're no breakers and no one knew where
we were. After time boat was sent
out to sound for deep water, and the
steamer was finally worked off and head :
ed sea ward. 1t may be said here that it
was afterwa ards learned we had been on
Seal rocks at the entrance of the Bay of
Fundy, and many miles out of our course.
The fog still continued thick. Later in
day we spoke brigantine running before
the wind with all sails set Taking our
course from her the steamer went Oh at
full speed, but in short time breakers
were reported ahead. The steamer was
kept off and orders given to reverse the
engines, but she continued to forge ahead
until the breakers were stretched along
under our lee not a biscuit toss distant.
Suddenly breakers doomed up just under
the bow and the steamer struck three
times with decreasing force and then
gathered stern way. We had not got out
of immediate danger when the steerage
gear broke, and it was necessary to cut
through the deck over the rudder head
and rig temporary tiler The brigan-
tine soon hove in sight, bowling along di-
rectly for the rocks, and was warned of her
danger in time to haul on the wind and
claw off the lee shore For several hours
longer we rolled about in the fog, but at
last spoke pilot boat, and soon after
were headed for Halifax. This time we
had gone many miles out of our course to
the eastward.
As we entered Halifax harbor we left
the fog behind us, and the writer, then a
school boy, had his first view of foreign
city. Halifax is built, the business sec
ton at least, upon the side of a hill which
is crowned by the fortitication known as
the Citadel. Seen from the water some of
the streets looked to be nearly perpendic-
ular. The buildings generally were of
wood, and whether painted or implanted
were alike dingy looking, and in striking
contrast with the glazing white, green
blinded dwellings of New England. The
use of soft coal as fuel was said to be the
cause of the generally grimy look of every
thing out of doors, but absence of paint
and the ravages of time were also factors
to be considered. On landing the preva-
lence of children and dogs, especially on
the lower streets-the children uniformly
dirty and the dogs ours of low degree
impressed the visitor. On the recent visit
we did not find children and dogs more
abundant than in places of corresponding