The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-04


Northumberland and Curious Litrl,
Towns and Their Iuhabitants-kin,
Hearted Mortimer Meet Them Every
where = Interesting Scenes on tn,
Coast Of NewfoUndlaHd-A Glance a
the Cod Fisheries.
Sydney, the capital of Cape Breton
4 Island, is charmingly situated on thu
Harbor, a magnificent sheet OF waite
large enough TO accommodate seyera
fleets, and deep enough to allow thu
largest ocean going vessels to come vi
to the wharves. Sydney proper lies
on rising ground, Nesting in curve
Of the harbor, and half an hours sal
across the bay nearer to the entrance
is situated North Sydney, with il
mines visible three or four miles Il
the West. Together they have q
population of about ten thousand and
Sydney has about the same. but the
population is rapidly growing with
the advent OF the roller mills and 9th.
er industries which are 10 process OF
being or to be built. Near Sydney
lie the Whitney mines and on enter
ing the haroor at night, ones eye il
Immediately caught by the glitter Of
their arc lights which apparently form
a glittering coronet, reminding one OF
the Trocadero Illuminated. By daylight
however the scene is prosaic enough,
though busy and interesting, two OF
three steamers and as many sailing
vessels lying at the immense piers,
loading up for Canadian, Newfound-
land and New England ports.
We spent day or two very pleas
antly at the Sydneys, boating is good,
and there are many charming drives
to Little Bras dor, the Lakes and
many other points, while an hour
and half's journey by rail is historic
Louisburg. From the Sydneys sail
vessels all over the world, and it re-
quires no prophet to predict that the
harbor is destined to play very inn
portant part in the commerce Of the
Dominion. Its only drawback is that
it is not winter port, but as that of
Louisburg is open all the year round,
improved railroad facilities would
soon greatly increase the trade of both
ports.
We debated long as to how we
should make our Newfoundland trip,
whether on the S. S. Bruce, fine
vessel which sails to Port au Basques
and there connects with the railway
to st. Johns; on sailing vessel to
Fortune bay on the South coast, or on
the S. S. Harlaw, which sails from
| Halifax bi-weekly, alternately along
the South coast to Placentia, and
along the West to the Straits of Belle
Isle. This time it was TO be her
long (Northern) trip, and we decided
to 60 on her, and found no reason to
regret our decision.
As she sails from Halifax through
the Bras Or Lakes. touching at sew
eral little points. the time Of her ar
rival at Sydney is determined by the
amount of freight she has to deliver
but one night we heard sound we
were destined to become well acuuaint-
ed with, a few CHEEKY explosions. like
a giants guffaw followed by a long
drawn out peal, up to high &c" and
down again, in short the "Harlaw's"
siren and next morning we were bid
ding farewell TO some of the friends
we mad made on our travels and who
in their kindly colonial fashion came
down to see the wanderers off.
AS the boat was to be our home for
the next ten days, a word about her
will not be out of place. She is one
of the Pickford and Black liners and
/ is steel vessel Of, | think about
twenty five hundred tons with four
inch oak sheathing at her water line
for during the latter part of February
and the beginning of March she is en-
gagged in the sealing trade, she is a
very steady boat and her accommo-
dations are excellent. the staterooms
being very comfortable and roomy,
and the table excellent. Her officers
and crew were most kind to us and as
| for Captain Scott nothing seemed to
| be too much trouble for him to do for
our pleasure and amusement. Dur
ing our whole stay in the Maritime
Provinces and Newfoundland we ex-
perienced nothing but kindness and
courtesy but the trip on the. "Harlaw"
will always remain in cur minds as
happy remembrance of thoughtfulness
and hospitality.
For some distance after leaving
Sydney, the steamer skirts the toler-
ably level country to the immediate
North West of the harbor, then she
steers for Cape Smoky, crossing the
bay formed by the mouth of the Big
and Little Bras or, and st. Anne's
Bay. Smoky is a magnificent point
about l 200 feet high, richly wooded,
and forming the end of range of
mountains stretching back, dark and
mighty, as far as the eye can reach.
Our first stop was at Ingonish, a
delightful little village, cuddled in at
the foot of deeply serrated noun tains,
and protected by projecting piece of
land, on which is perched light
houses; there is an inner harbor for
| fishing boats, but as the channel is
not deep enough for large vessel, the
Harlaw anchored outside, and two
boats came out to land passengers and
receive freight, We were not surprs-
ed to hear that artists frequently visit
away across the afore. mentioned nrom.
ontory. to another Tngonish almost
eonallv nrettvl for from the deck If
the steamer we saw a charmino view
of 4 stretch Of road tprnino into the
woods. with little rustic hridoa over
stream which came dancing and
snarxlinp into the waters Of the hav
Our next visit was ia Neils Harbor
where we were welcomed nv several
small fishing boats. cleaning with
the scales of too ,raadg codfisb We