The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-18
A DELIGHTFUL TRIP.
Col. Fast writes us Another In
stallment of a series.

stallment of a series.
yicissitudes Of Annapolis iu Early
Days--Quaint Order Founded in The
Old TowS- Wonderful fert iIity and
Barren Lands Contrasted- Red Coats
in Camp-Other Notes Of The Jour
ney.
The Annapolis Basin was entered
by DE Monts and Champlain three
years before jamestown was founded.
A French colony under Poutrincourt
came out in 1906 and founded Port
Royal. There is perhaps no spot on
the American continent where the
yicissitudes of our colonial wars have
produced greater succession of cap
lures and recaptures than at Annap-
oils. Captain Argall of Virginia laid
waste the place in 1913. From thence
for one hundred and fifty years, until
the whole of New France went into
the hands OF the English, Annapolis
was point Of military importance.
In ITO the English came into per-
manent possession of Port Royal and
changed the name to Annapolis; but
it was not the possession of peace.
For nearly fifty years the hostile In
dams and Acadians kept it in the fer
ments of sieges, until the patience Of
the English was exhausted and the
Acadians were deported. AS proof
of the wisdom Of this course, Annap-
oils was exempt from sieges and bat
ties until 1881, when during the Rev
olution two American warships at
tackled the place, captured the fort
spiked the guns, locked the inhabi-
tants up in the block house, and loot
ed the town. The fertilization is still
in good repair and is imperial prop
erty. The ramparts are covered with
rich green sod.
One of the leading spirits in the
founding Of old Port Royal was a
French lawyer named Marc Lescarbot
who became the historian of the col
ony. Lescarbot founded the "Order
of Good Time. 1t has been thus
described:
"The members of the order were
fifteen and their head was the steward
whose Office was held for day at a
time by each member in turn. The
stewards responsibility was heavy.
He had to provide an attractive bill
of fare for the days dinner and ma
terial for such task was not always
abundant at Port Royal. At each
feast it was requisite that there should
be one entirely new delicacy. Toward
spring the wine ran low, and instead
of three quarts to each member the
daily allowance was reduced TO one
poor pint This merry order doubt
less did much to keep up the heart of
the lonely little colony during the
long and trying winter; and only
three deaths occurred. In the month
of January the order went on six
mile picnic, to see If the corn they
had sown in November had begun to
sprout beneath the snow"
The Annapolis Valley for fifty miles
presents lovely PASTORAL rather than
agricultural scene. For miles and
miles the meadows extend with rich
coat of grass that. always seems as
fresh and green as our own meadows
in springtime after warm rain.
These meadows are called dike-lands,
from which the tides are shut out by
bikes, (which the lands of the farm
erS raised with labor incessant. For
more than two hundred years these
dike-lands have produced annually
the most abundant crops Of grass
without fertilization other than that
carried in by the tides when, 'sat GER
tain seasons the food-gates opened
and welcomed the sea to wander at
will Ger the meadows" Just above
the dike-lands extend long stretches
of intervale land, almost as rich in
grass production as the dike-lands.
The cattle grazer of the Dunkard bot
toms would turn green with envy at
the sight of these rich grass lands.
Over the meadows and intervale lands
roam herds of cattle. Horses and
sheep are produced in great numbers.
The agriculture of the country is prac-
tically limited to hay, oats and pota-
toes. Gardening and fruit growing
seem to prosper. have never seen
so many apples nor so luscious looking
ones as l saw in the Annapolis Valley
and in Minas Basin and their tributa-
ries. The trees were frequently load
ed until the branches were bent to
the ground. l inquired where this
fruit found market, and was told
that the most of it went to England.
One farmer in the neighborhood of
Windsor was offered $4,000 for his
apples on the tree. But do not
imagine that all Nova Scotia is rich
meadow or a fruitful piece Of hill
land. There are vast stretches that
seem to be totally unproductive. Ma
ture has covered these wastes with
stunted growth of brush or has sprin-
killed. the land with starved coarse
grass for which the title of the
"Devil's Goose Pasture" is not inapt.
Near the head of the valley is Ayles-
ford, near which is Aldershot, the
camping ground of the military forces
of the province. We saw some thous-
ands of the Red coats in camp as we
passed. To the right we leave the
vast chain of wilderness waters called
Aylesford Lakes. Further to the
south is the chain called Liverpool
Lakes. The province of Nova Scotia
may be crossed in canoe by making
few short portages by way of these
chains of lakes. Every mile of these
lakes is exhaustless fishing water.
! From the Annapolis we cross to the
CORVALLIS Valley and then through
the Valley of the Gaspereaux, and we
are in the midst of the district where
Longfellow has thrown veil of ro-
nance and sentiment under the title
of "Evangeline" over the historic
truth respecting the deportation of
the Acadians. Here we are at Grand
Pre-, which now, as In the romantic
days of Evangeline, ''lay in the fruit
full valley" r. E. FAST.
Point Marion.