in the form of a gorgeous sunset; and if sunset is entrancing in this
quiet spot, what may be said of a row over the lake in the early morning
in time to see the golden sunrise of a bright August day. There is calm
for the minds of those who stay here in bungalow or cottage along the
margin of the lake, and the pleasant vista of wooded banks and beautiful
sheet of water in front lays immediate siege to the heart. How
everything sparkles in this beautiful mountain, and how delightfully
fresh and green are all the surroundings. It is one of the few places
where railway station and water tank strike no discordant note in the
general scene, so strong is it in simple beauty. The long bright lines
of rail that plunge abruptly into the forest and disappear so
mysteriously—leaving no trace of their whereabouts—look like lines of
beauty; and they soothe by their presence, for we know that in good
season we can regain the outer world when the all-too-brief vacation has
been spent.
[Illustration: Truro Park—A Romantic Spot]
But mountain days are over for the present, and so leaving the lake
behind, and with it the invigorating air of the heights, we gradually
pass through Londonderry, over the Folleigh River and into Truro,
obtaining many pleasant glimpses of Cobequid Bay along the route thus
taken.
[Illustration]
Although Truro is a prosperous manufacturing town, and an important
Intercolonial centre as well, it is yet one of the prettiest and most
homelike places in Nova Scotia. A pleasant river runs nearby, and it is
surrounded by graceful and well-wooded hills. The streets are well laid
out and have abundance of shade; and the public buildings, the stores,
and the general appearance of the smart town make a strong impression
from the first. It is within a mile or two of Cobequid Bay, and the
farming land round about is excellent.
Acadian French once lived here, but the real settlement of Truro dates
from a few years after the “Expulsion.”
Truro is a very pleasant inland town in which to spend a vacation. There
is beautiful and romantic country on every hand, with excellent roads.
The fishing round about is fair; the hunting, in season, excellent.
There are many interesting places within easy reach, both by road and
rail; and the town offers a pleasant social life that is very enjoyable
for those who like to summer in a country town where comfort and some
variety in life may be had.
On the meadow-lands traces have been found of the dykes thrown up by the
Acadians. Willows planted by them have survived to this day.
The joy and pride of Truro is her beautiful pleasure ground, usually
called Victoria Park; but just as often termed the Joe Howe Park, from
the fact that it contains the Howe Falls, named after him, and also
because it is proposed to erect a Howe memorial there later on. The park
has been described as “Nature’s fairyland, . . . . with its groves, its
deep ravines and its beautiful waterfall.” This is about as good a brief
description as could be made. The park is so beautiful that merely to
describe it as one of the best in the province is to rob it of its just
due. It has really all the characteristics of a great park, deserves to
be classed with the chief pleasure grounds of Canada, and is, in fact,
superior in natural beauty to any of the well-known North American
parks. It is surely only a question of time before excursion trains will
bring people from all over to enjoy the delights of this picturesque
place.
[Illustration]
The entrance to Victoria park is at the front door of the town, for it
is close to the Intercolonial Railway Station. Scarcely anything has
been done here to alter the approach or surroundings. It has been left
almost as found, and the result is very satisfactory. The deep ravine
that runs through the park, and contributes so much to its romantic
aspect, has its opening at the place selected for an entrance, and a
pretty little stream winds its way in the channel thus provided. A
carriage drive penetrates for some distance, but the strong feature that
pleases all who visit here is the multitude of walks and romantic
by-paths that lead off in every direction.
Here are innumerable little dells with banks of brightest green; and
under shady birches or maples are comfortable seats for three or four
people—generally holding two, however—where with a pleasant book, or
dainty fancy work, many enjoyable hours may be spent in delightful
company with birds and flowers. Yonder is a rocky bluff, tipped with
green, and down its face trickles a little rill, wetting the projecting
edges of the rock and causing them to glisten like silver. Just opposite
are even bolder heights that are clothed in a wealth of woodland growth
reaching up to the very top.
Here the park brook turns off into more secluded ways, and following it,
instead of the road, a charming sylvan dale is found where not one sound
intrudes save the music of the birds and the gentle ripple of the
water—surely a fit retreat for artist, poet or dreamer. Here where
“nature reigns”:
“Within its banks this little stream includes
A world remote from all the world of men;
And hides a kingdom far from mortal ken,
In the green depths, where never foot intrudes.”
Would you stand by the “Wishing Well,” and give expression to your
fondest day-dreams? The well is here, up a gentle slope where all is
tranquil and secluded. Would you climb “Jacob’s Ladder”—steps up to
heaven—and land with your head in yon fleecy cloud? Here are the rustic
steps reaching to the top of the height. Would you visit the “Holy
Well,” where Acadian infants were christened in the long ago? Bible Hill
is a little distant, so here in the park is a “Holy Well” from which, by
no stretch of imagination, the same water flows.
Perhaps you are anxious to keep your youth, and to stave off the days of
grey hairs, wrinkles and rheumatism? Pray sit in the “Rejuvenating Seat”
by the Joe Howe Falls, and if you do not grow younger as you watch the
lovely sight—nothing else can stay the hand of time.
Then possibly you wish to test your self-control by peering over the
brink of the “Sheer-Drop” without shuddering; or you would entrench
yourself on the heights of “Spion-Kop,” ask important questions of the
“Sphinx,” from the bridge nearby, walk along the “Observation Gallery,”
or pass to the lower depths by “Muir’s Descent.”
In your walks about, the beauty of everything has taken complete
possession of you. The noble trees spreading a magnificent canopy over
your head bring to mind the words of Bryant, for here nature has “hewn
the shaft, laid the architrave and spread the roof above.” In such a
cathedral the mind soars upward:
“Ah, why
Should we, in the world’s riper years, neglect
God’s ancient sanctuaries, and adore
Only among the crowd, and under roofs
That our frail hands have raised?”
But here comes a maiden on her way to the “Nymph’s Grotto.” She is too
young, and floats along too buoyantly, to have come by way of the rustic
“Bridge of Sighs.” Barely eighteen, she cannot have interrupted her
tripping course to rest in the “Widow’s Proposal Seat”; but in all
probability she has stopped at the “Lily Cauldron” to admire the virgin
bloom:
“The white water-lilies, they sleep on the lake,
Till over the mountain the sun bids them wake.
At the rose-tinted touch of the long, level ray,
Each pure, perfect blossom unfolds to the day.
Each affluent pearl outstretched and uncurled
To the glory and gladness and shine of the world.”
[Illustration: Scenes in TRURO PARK]
1. Below the Falls
2. “What Have You Found?”
[Illustration: In Victoria Park, Truro]
As the Truro vision in white, with happy lace and the light exulting
step of early youth, passes by, it is evident she will never need to sit
in the “Leap Year Engagement Seat,” where “no man may say ‘no’ to a
self-respecting, modest woman.” Let us hope that the heart of the male
to whom the leap-year question is here “popped” will not be affected by
the “Cold Chamber” nearby. And see, our pretty maiden does not stop and
rest in the “Irresistible Engagement Seat”; for is she not irresistibly
engaging herself, without art or other allurement.
[Illustration]
And now by a happy inspiration we guess her name. She is “Phyllis,” of
course, and she is on her way to her own seat high up and
tree-embowered, where her lover has long and impatiently waited her
coming, as all true-lovers ever have done.
“Thou art a fool, said my head to my heart,
Yea, the greatest of fools, thou art,
To be caught with a trick of a tress;
By a smiling face or a ribbon smart—
And my heart was in sore distress.
Then Phyllis came by and her face was fair,
And the sun shone bright on her golden hair,
And her lips they were rosy red.
Then my heart spake out with a brave, bold air—
Thou art worse than a fool, O head!”
In the park will be found a spacious, amphitheatre-like picnic dell with
tables and conveniences for those who must indulge in the prosaic
occupation of eating. It is a delightful spot, and too much cannot be
said in its praise.
And finally, far in the woodland depths, where a fine tree has fallen
across the ravine, there will be found a choice spot known only to the
favored few at present, but which will be sought out by increasing
numbers as it becomes known. It is called “Toll-Bridge,” and here,
unobserved of prying eyes, the happy lover has the right to exact “toll”
from his _inamorata_, or sweetheart, for assisting her over. Not a
single maiden has been known to cross “unassisted,” and none may
successfully resist the payment of toll in true-lover’s coin.
In proceeding from Truro to Halifax, the train passes not far from the
pleasant little village of Stewiacke. It then meets the Shubenacadie
River and stops at the busy little village of that name. From this
centre many places east of Halifax may conveniently be reached by stage.
Maitland, Gay’s River, Upper and Middle Musquodoboit, and even Guysboro
and eastern shore points may all be reached in this manner. Passing by
the shore of Grand Lake, stopping at Windsor Junction—from which place
the picturesque village of Waverley may be reached, as well as Annapolis
Valley and north-shore points—and proceeding along the shore of the
beautiful Bedford Basin, the city of Halifax soon comes into view, and
the outer Atlantic shore has been reached.
[Illustration: In Point Pleasant Park, Halifax.]
_Halifax—an Ocean Gateway_
[Illustration]
With a splendid situation on the slopes of a great harbor, Halifax
invites within her hospitable gates all who would sojourn for a while on
the shore of the breezy Atlantic. Here is surely a world-harbor, with
magnificent approaches, where fleets from every country may ride in
security, and here, more than in any port of Canada, the marine of every
nation, and the giant warship, too, may be seen. As many as fourteen
men-of-war, or battleships, have anchored here at one time, and the
Atlantic liners, the traders, the coasting steamers, the sailing vessels
and the multitude of sloops, fishing-smacks, yawls, sail boats, launches
and row boats all contribute to the general busy life of the port. Its
position on the eastern coast is supreme and cannot be challenged, a
position that indeed makes it an Empire port in every sense. So much is
this the case that with the assured growth of Canada, Halifax must
always keep pace; and at no very distant day a harbor rivalling that of
New York, a second Liverpool, will come into being, and Halifax will be
the seaport of a great British Canadian Empire.
The city has been termed the Cronstadt of America, and it well deserves
the name, for its wharves and anchorages are at the inner end of a great
five-mile waterway, the banks and islands of which provide commanding
positions for the eventful day when “war’s alarms” shall make defense
inevitable.
[Illustration]
Active and stirring scenes have been witnessed here during the past
century. Privateers, blockade-runners, convoys or merchantmen, and war
vessels with prizes have well covered the inner waters of the harbor.
Busy times those, when in one day forty full-rigged ships, brigs and
schooners, with cargoes, were all sold at auction! But better days have
come, and peaceful commerce now prevails.
The Indian name for the water approach to Halifax was Chebucto, the
meaning of which is “greatest of havens.” The old name was well given,
for it is undoubtedly one of the world’s great harbors. The settlement
received its present name about the middle of the eighteenth century, in
compliment to Lord Halifax, the sponsor being Cornwallis.
The founding of Halifax was attended with great difficulties owing to
the hostility of the French and their Indian allies. The original
settlers came from England and the New England colonies, as well as from
Louisbourg when it was given up to the French by treaty. At that time
the woods ran to the water’s edge, and every foot of ground where now
stands the city had to be carved out of the forest. Boards and squared
timber were brought from Boston to build the first shelters.
Some twenty years after the settlement was showing signs of a steady
growth considerable excitement was caused by the arrival of 600 Maroons
who had been transported from Jamaica for participation in a rebellion
against the authorities of that island. They caused much trouble, and
showed a general unwillingness to work or do anything useful. At first
this did not show strongly, and work was done by them on that part of
the fortification known as the Maroon Bastion. But later they became
disaffected and troublesome. One complained that he had to work his farm
to get food. Another objected because yams, bananas and cocoa would not
grow in Nova Scotia. A third was angry because there were no wild hogs
to hunt. Instead of being a help to the Colony, they were an
encumbrance; and troops had to be detailed to keep guard and prevent an
outbreak.
Their life was altogether foreign to the country in which they found
themselves, and their customs could not be grafted on the tree of Nova
Scotian life. They became dissipated, and the only work they would do
was to hunt or fish. They were polygamous; they buried their dead with
unheard of rites in the hollows of the rocks, provided rum, pipe,
tobacco and two days’ rations, and thus sent off the ghost of the
departed for his journey to the undiscovered land.
Fortunately at this time a place was found for them in Sierra Leone in
the land from which they had originated, and greatly to the relief of
Sir John Wentworth, the governor at that time, they departed,
accompanied by general rejoicings of all in Halifax. Maroon Hall, their
former headquarters, has completely decayed; but the great cellar may
still be seen by the waters of Cole Harbor to the east of Halifax.
[Illustration: Purcell’s Cove, Halifax]
[Illustration]
The city retains more traces of its British origin than any other place
in America. Just as Quebec is essentially French, so is Halifax
peculiarly British; and to go from one of these places to the other, and
yet to realize that both are on the Western Continent, is to experience
many surprises. Canada is not old enough to have imposing cities. To
many this is cause for congratulation, for who would care to go from New
York to Halifax to see a second Gotham; while visitors from Chicago,
Philadelphia, Ontario, and Western Canada find in old Halifax much that
is absolutely new to them. May these conditions continue for many years
to come, for there is nothing incompatible between progress and the
preservation of all old and well-tried things that fit in with and do
not block the wheels of the car in which we all travel, and that has
marked above it the direction “Onward!”
Halifax is one of those restful and delightful places where each day’s
recreation and exercise brings a night of peace and repose, and where
all the conveniences of modern life may be enjoyed without the turmoil
and din of the too-bustling city. And the country, the woods, the lakes
and the streams are all quite near; so that a life half-city,
half-country, may be lived without the inconvenience of having to study
traffic conditions at “rush” hours, etc.
In your rambles without the city you will come to a charming little
lake, with a fairy like boat resting tranquilly on its quiet surface,
where wild flowers spread a fragrant carpet around, and gay little
songbirds are in concert on the quivering birches. You will stop to
drink in the beauties of the delightful scene, and possibly as you do so
you will notice a young couple whose marriage, apparently, is only a
week or two in the past. Could there be a better paradise, the world
over, for bridal couples than the Maritime Provinces! They are gazing
with rapt attention at the scene, and you believe they are talking. Are
you curious to know what he is saying and what she replies. Listen! he
is speaking.
“There’s not a little boat, sweetheart,
That dances on the tide;—
There’s not a nodding daisy-head
In all the meadows wide,—
In all the warm green orchards,
Where bright birds sing and stray,
There’s not a whistling oriole
So glad as I this day.”
* * * * *
She said, “In all the purple hills,
Where dance the lilies blue,
Where all day long the sleeping larks
Make fairy-tales come true.
Where you can lie for hours and watch
The unfathomable sky,
There’s not a breath of all the June
That’s half so glad as I!”
A conspicuous feature, visible from almost any part of the city, is the
Citadel. From its height a splendid and inspiring view may be had of an
immense stretch of country; while the harbor, the coast and the
surrounding waters are spread at the feet like a huge map in relief.
There is no better way of becoming acquainted with the plan of the city
and environs; for by walking around the ramparts every outlying area may
be seen reaching in to the streets immediately below. By the Citadel
gate may be seen two mortars that were used at Louisbourg when that
fortress surrendered to Amherst and Wolfe. Visitors are admitted to the
citadel on payment of a small fee. The masonry work is enormously
strong, and the old-world appearance of glacis, moat and bastion suggest
great strength. It all typifies a fast-decaying system of fort defence,
and on that account, and because so picturesque, it is worthy of the
closest examination and interest. The one o’clock gun still booms from
the upper rampart of the Citadel.
[Illustration: HALIFAX]
1. City Hall, Halifax
2. Provincial Building, Halifax
3. Sebastopol Monument, Halifax
4. Herring Cove, near Halifax
The modern fortifications for the defence of city and harbor are on the
islands, and along the shores that make out to the entrance. On George’s
Island is Fort Charlotte, and opposite is Fort Clarence. Forts Ogilvie,
Cambridge and Point Pleasant are in the park. Ives’ Point and Fort
MacNab are on MacNabs Island. York Redoubt crowns a bluff on the western
side of the harbor, and Spion Kop is at Sambro by the harbor entrance.
[Illustration]
The Dockyard is an interesting place to visit, and the huge Dry Dock
should be seen when a great vessel is within its gates.
A favorite recreation on summer evenings is to row or drift in the
harbor, and listen to the music given by the bands of the flagships when
naval squadrons are in port.
The Provincial Parliament Building contains many interesting historical
portraits, and an excellent library that is strong in provincial,
Acadian and early history, etc. The long oak table from the cabin of the
_Beaufort_ transport, around which sat the council when Cornwallis took
the oath as Governor of Nova Scotia, is preserved in a room adjoining
the Council Chamber. In the grounds may be seen the South African
Memorial of the Nova Scotian soldiers who fell in the Boer War, and also
the Statue of the many-sided Joseph Howe.
A memorial to the soldiers who fell in the Crimean War is erected near
the gates of St. Paul’s Old Churchyard; and not far away is Government
House, the residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province. City
Hall stands in its own enclosure, and close by is the quaint old clock
tower erected by the Duke of Kent near the foot of Citadel Hill.
Punctual himself, he expected others to be equally so. In a nearby
building will be found a Natural History Museum, open daily, and well
worth seeing. St. Paul’s Church still includes as part of its structure
much of the old portion erected soon after the founding of Halifax.
American visitors will be interested in learning that the frame of the
old building was imported from Massachusetts.
Point Pleasant Park is one of the chief attractions for all who visit
the city. It is a park of great natural beauty, situated at the outer
end of the peninsula that includes Halifax. Here by the rocky points, on
the banks, or from seats under the trees, splendid views of the harbor
approaches may be obtained. Far out in the offing is the open sea where
white-sailed vessels from many parts are drawing nearer together as they
make the harbor. Sea birds are circling and skimming the waves in easy
flight, and the cool breeze blows landward, bringing with it that
invigorating salty tang of old ocean, every breath of which seems like a
draught from the fabled “Fountain of Youth.”
[Illustration]
“Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!
All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams, come back to me.
Sails of silk and ropes of sendal,
Such as gleam in ancient lore;
And the singing of the sailors,
And the answer from the shore!
Till my soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.”
Ocean liners, steamships, sailing vessels, motor-boats and yachts are
constantly passing, and the sight is full of pleasant variety. A walk to
the old Martello Tower may be enjoyed by striking in from the sea over
one of the ingoing paths; and enjoyable walks by the old Chain Fort,
past the masked batteries, and around to the beautiful prospect of the
North-West Arm, are all of convenient length, The Club House of the
Royal Nova Scotian Yacht Squadron is near the Pleasant Street entrance
to the park.
The Public Gardens are easily accessible from almost any part of the
city, being centrally situated. There are larger, but no finer botanical
gardens than these, and the spreading trees, the shady walks, the ponds
and lakes, the trim-kept green, the plants, and the great beds of
splendid flowers, always in constant succession of bloom, make the
“Gardens” a beautiful spot. It is a favorite centre of outdoor
recreation and life, and here military band concerts and garden and
water _fetes_ are given through the summer.
[Illustration: HALIFAX PARK SCENES]
1. Fountain in Public Gardens, Halifax
2. Rustic Bridge, Public Gardens, Halifax
3. Pavilion, Public Gardens, Halifax
4. In Point Pleasant Park, Halifax
[Illustration]
Everyone living anywhere near Halifax takes great pride in the beautiful
expanse of water known as the North-West Arm. It is, as its name
indicates, an arm of the sea that branches off from the bay and flows
inland to the south of the city, in a north-westerly direction. It is
about four miles long, and is crowned on each side by wooded banks. It
is a great centre for canoeing, rowing, yachting, motor-boating, etc.,
as well as for bathing, diving, swimming and general aquatic sport. Here
in the height of the summer the famous regattas are held, when the
numerous club house porches, the banks of the water and every available
spot is occupied to witness the races. The sight is gay, unique and
peculiar, in its extent, to Halifax. The excursion steamers, sailing
vessels, tugs, and boats of every description, as well as private
yachts, launches, rowing boats and canoes that line the long course make
an exhilarating scene, and one that brings many from hundreds of miles
distant to witness it.
Cricket, golf, tennis, curling, boating, canoeing, bathing and diving
may all be enjoyed in or near the city; and the locality is a centre for
good fishing and the best of hunting.
Of the many favorite drives, one of the best is that along the shore of
the Bedford Basin. High hills look down on the noble sheet of water, and
at Bellevue, Bedford, etc., are comfortable stopping-places. Here the
Duke of Kent lived, at that part of the shore known as Prince’s Lodge.
The house has fallen in ruins, and all that remains is the bandstand.
Many pretty bungalows and pleasant summer places are found along the
shore.