BD ">■ 1^ "V ^ '■' ^v fin «tv>?v L<^ -is-^ v^^t /^v; I i K''"^ ^tM 5i ^ <^k % f^, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Shelf C.d:8._ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. v^^^ ■-■ 'ik- ^-^^rv^: Vl ^'sj^^'^ i^^^s^M Hl ^, >^ f?4\- xP^v ^>^ '^hM^l'^^^^'^^ ^^^:. ■:«^ l§^|: ■'. ?) ^■\,--;5e \D. 3S-^\^>- Digitized by the Internet Arcinive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/overborderacadiaOOchas OVER THE BORDER ACADIA THE HOME OF "EVANGELINE" BY ^ Z- * ' itl) Illustrations in JljEliotgpe from aHater=Color .Sfeetdjes BV THE AUTHOR *' Here lies the East: does not the day break here?" Julius C^sar, II. i. BOSTON JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY Copyright, 1SS4, By James R. Osgood and Company. Ail riehts reserved. JSnibersitg ^«8S : John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. 0\ OOI^TENTS. PAGE The Bat of Tiindy ■ 19 The Basin of Minas 29 Port Eoyal 45 Annafolis 61 DiGBY 113 Halifax 123 Grand Pre 135 Clare 153 L'ISLE DES MONTS DeSERTS 1S3 ILLUSTRATIONS. Cape Blomidon, Basin of Minas. Old Friends' Almshouse, Philadelphia. Cape Sharp, Cape Split, and Partridge Island, Bay of PUNDY. The Old Block House, Ancient Archwat in the Port, Annapolis. Great St. George's Street, Annapolis. The Digrt Gap. Grand Pre. Map of the Acadian Begion. CHRONOLOGY. DATK. pigE 1604. De Monts's first landing on Eastern coast (May 16) 40 1604. De Monts and suite arrive at Port Royal (about June 1) .... 41 1606. De Monts returns from France with supplies for his colony 47 1606. Port Royal abandoned . 48 1610. Return of De Poutrincourt 48 1612. Jesuit priests sent out from France. (Founding of St. Sauveur colony at Mt. Desert) 49 1613. Destruction of Port Royal by Argall (after breaking up settlement at Mt. Desert) 50 1628. Scotch colony broken up. at Port Royal .... 53 1634. Port Royal held by French under De Razilly . . 53 1647. Feud between La Tour and D'Aulnay 53 1654. Port Royal under Le Borgne yields to English . . 55 1684. Incursions of pirates 55 1690. Sir Wm. Phipps captures and pillages Port Royal . 55 1691. Port Royal held by French under De Villebon . . 55 1707. Unsuccessfully besieged 55 X CHRONOLOGY. DATE. PAGE 1710. Bombarded by seven English ships; the fort yields; name changed to Annapolis Royal 5G 1713. Treaty of Utrecht, ceding Acadia to the English . . 140 1727, \ Oatli of allegiance exempting Erencli Acadians from ' taking arms against Prance 140 1744. Port Royal bombarded and besieged three months ^ 56 1745. De Ramezay's unsuccessful attack 57 1755. Ports Beau-Sejour and Gaspereau taken by Moucton 143 1755. Dispersion of the "Neutrals" 143-148 1763. Return of exiles, and founding of coast settlements. Treaty between Prance and England 154 1781. Annapolis Royal surprised and taken by two war ships 57 1850. Last occupation (by military force) of old fort at Annapolis 57 INTRODUCTION. In the rooms of the Historical Society, in Boston, hangs a portrait of a distinguished-looking- person in quaint but handsome costume of antique style. The gold-embroidered coat, long vest with large and nu- merous buttons, elegant cocked hat under the arm, voluminous white scarf and powdered peruke, com- bine to form picturesque attire which is most becom- ing to the gentleman therein depicted, and attract attention to the genial countenance, causing the visitor to wonder who this can be, so elaborately presented to the gaze. A physiognomist would not decide upon such repre- sentation as a " counterfeit presentment " of the ty- rannical leader of the expedition which enforced the cruel edict of exile, — " In the Acadian land, on the shores of the Basin of Minas ; where Distant, secluded, stil!, the little village of Grand Pre' Lay in the fruitful valley." 12 OVER THE BORDER. Yet this is Lieutenant-Colonel John Winslow, great- grandson of one of the founders of the Plymouth Settlement. Could he forget that his ancestors fled from persecution, and came to this country to find peaceful homes ? It was not his place to make reply, or reason why Avhen receiving orders, however ; and it seems that the task imposed was a distasteful one ; as, at the time of the banishment, he earnestly expressed the desire " to he rid of the worst piece of service " he " ever was in." He said also of the unhappy people at that time, " It hurts me to hear their weeping and wailing." So we conclude that the pleasant face did not belie the heart which it mirrored. It is a singular coincidence that, for being hostile to their country at the time of the Revolution, his own family were driven into exile twenty years after the deportation of the unhappy French people. Have not even the most prosaic among us some love of poesy, though unacknowledged? AndAvho, in romantic youth or sober age, has not been touched by the tragic story of the dispersion of the people who " dwelt together in love, those simple Acadian farmers, — Dwelt in the love of God and of man. Alike were they free from Fear, that reigns with the tyrant, and envy, the vice of repub- lics. INTRODUCTION. 13 Neither locks had they to their doors, nor bars to their win- dows ; But their dwellings were open as day and the hearts of their owners; There the richest was poor, and the poorest lived in abun- dance." Of the name Acadia, Principal Dawson says in " Canadian Antiquities," that " it signifies primarily a place or region, and, in combination with other words, a place of plenty or abundance ; ..." a name " most applicable to a region which is richer in the ' chief things of the ancient mountains, the precious things of the lasting hills, and the precious things of the earth and of the deep that coucheth beneath,' than any other portion of America of similar dimensions." We naturally infer that the name is French ; but our researches prove that it was originally the Indian Aquoddie, a pollock, — not a poetic or romantic sig- nificance. This was corrupted by the French into Accadle, L'Acadie, Cadie. So little originality in nomenclature is shown in America, that we could desire that Indian names should be retained ; that is, when not too long, or harsh in sound ; yet in this case we are inclined to rejoice at the change from the aboriginal to the more musical modern title. Though a vast extent of territory was once em- 14 OVER THE BORDER. braced under that name, it is now merely a rather fanciful title for a small part of the Province of Nova Scotia. Acadia ! The Bay of Fundy ! There 's magic even in the names ; the very sound of them calling up visions of romance, and causing anticipations of amazing displays of Nature's wonders. Fundy ! the marvel of our childhood, filling the mind's eye in those early school days with that astounding picture, — a glittering wall of green crystal, anywhere from ten to one hundred feet in height, advancing on the land like the march of a mighty phalanx, as if to overwhelm and carry all before it ! Had it not been our dream for years to go there, and prove to our everlasting satisfaction whether childish credulity had been imposed upon ? Our proposed tourists, eight in number, being a company with a leaning towards music, bound to be harmonious, desiring to study the Diet-tonic as illus- trated by the effects of country fare and air, con- solidate under the title of the Octave. The chaper- one, who we all know is a dear, is naturally called "■ Do "(e) ; one, being under age, is dubbed the Minor Third ; while the exclamatory, irrepressible, and inex- luiustible members from the Hub are known as " La" and '• Si." INTRODUCTION. 15 Having decided upon our objective point, the next thing is to find out how to reach it ; and here, at the outset, we are surprised at the comparative ignorance shown regarding a region which, though seemingly distant, is in reality so accessible. We are soon in- clined to quote from an old song, — " Thou art so near and yet so far," as our blundering investigations seem more likely to prove how not to get anywhere ! But we set to work to accumulate railroad litera- ture in the shape of maps, schedules, excursion books ; and these friendly little pamphlets prove delightful pathfinders, convincing us how readily all tastes can • be suited ; as some wish to go by water, some by land, and some by " a little of both." Thus, those who are on good terms with old Neptune may take a pleasant voyage of twenty-six hours direct from Boston to the distant village of Annapolis, Nova Scotia, which is our prospective abiding place ; while those who prefer can have " all rail route," or, if more variety is desired, may go by land to St. John, New Brunswick, and tlience by steamboat across the Bay of Fundy. At last the company departs on its several ways, and in sections, that the dwellers in that re- mote old town of historic interest may not be struck breathless by such an invasion of foreigners. 16 OVER THE BORDER. The prime mover of the expedition, having already travelled as far east as Bangor, commences the jour- ney at night from that city. Strange to say, no jar or unusual sensation is experienced when the iron horse passes the boundary ; nor is anything novel seen when the train known as the " Flying Yankee " halts for a brief breathing spell at MacAdam Station. A drowsy voice volunteers tlie information : " It is a forsaken region here." Another of our travellers re- plies, " Appearances certainly indicate that the Colos- sus of Roads is absent, and it is to be hoped that he is mending his ways elsewhere." Then the speakers, tipping their reclining chairs to a more recmnbent posture, drift off to the Land of Nod. With morning comes examination of travellers' possessions at the custom-house, with amusing exhi- bitions of peculiarly packed boxes and bags, recalling funny episodes of foreign tours, while giving to this one a novel character ; then the train speeds on for seven hours more. THE BAY OF FUNDY. OYER THE BORDER. THE BAY OF FUNDY. Ere long singular evidence of proximity to the wonderful tides of the Bay of Fundy is seen, as all the streams show sloping banks, stupendously muddy; mud reddish brown in color, smooth and oily looking, gashed with seams, and with a lazily moving rivulet in the bed of the stream from whence the retreating- tide has sucked away the volume of water. " What a Paradise for bare-footed boys, and children with a predilection for mud pies ! " exclaims one of the tourists; while the other — the practical, prosaic — remarks, ''It looks like the chocolate frosting of your cakes ! " for which speech a shrivelling look is received. This great arm of the sea, reaching up so far into the land, and which tried to convert Nova 20 OVER THE BOEDER. Scotia into an island (as man proposes to make it, by channelling the isthmus), was known to early explorers as La Baie Francoise, its pres- ent cognomen being a corrugation of the French, Fond-de-la Baie. Being long, narrow, and running into the land like a tunnel, the tide rises higher and higher as it ascends into the upper and nar- rowest parts ; thus in tlie eastern arm, the Basin of Minas, the tidal swell rises forty feet, sometimes fifty or more in spring. In Chignecto Bay, which extends in a more northerly direction from the greater bay, the rise has been known to reach seventy feet in spring, though it is usually between fifty and sixty at other times. Here, in the estuary of the Petitcodiac, where the river meets the wave of the tide, the volumes contending cause the Great Bore, as it is called; and as in this region the swine wade out into the mud in search of shell fish, they are sometimes swept away and drowned. The Amazon River also has its Bore ; the Indians, trying to imitate the sound of the roaring water, call it ''pororoca." THE BAY OF FUNDY. 21 In the Hoogly it is shown ; and in a river of China, tlie Teintang, it advances np the stream at the rate of twentj^-five miles an hour, caus- ing a rise of thirty feet. In some northern countries the Bore is called the Eagre. Octav- ius says this must be because it screws its way so eagrelf/ into the land, but is immediately suppressed, and informed that the name is a corruption of Oegir, the Scandinavian god of the sea, of whom we learn as follows : — Odin, the father of the gods, creator of the world, possessing greatest power and Avisdom, holds the position in Scandinavian mythology that Zeus does in the Greek. Like the Olym- pian Jupiter, he held the thunder-bolts in his hand ; but differed from the more inert divinity of Greece in that, arrayed in robes of cloud, he rode through the universe on his marvel- lous steed, which had eight feet. This idea was characteristic of a hardy race living a wild out- door life in a rigorous climate. Oegir, the god of the sea, was a jotun, but friendly to Odin. The jotuns were giants, and generally exerted their powers to the injury of man, but, not be- 22 OVER THE BORDER. ing gifted with full intelligence, could be con- quered by men. The first jotun, named Ymer, Odin subdued, and of his flesh formed the earth, of his bones the mountains ; the ocean Avas his blood, his brains the clouds, while from his skull the arch of the heavens was made. We resolved to witness the singular spectacle of the Oegir of Fundy ; but, not receiving answer to our application for accommodations at Moncton, proceeded on our way, consoling ourselves with the thought that we could see a bore any day, without taking any special pains or going much out of our way. The Basin of Minas ! What a "flood of thoughts" rise at the name. Fancy paints dreamy and fascinating pictures of the fruitful and verdant meadow land, the hills, the woods, the simple-hearted, childlike peasants ; upright, faithful, devout, leading blameless lives of placid serenity : "At peace with God and the world." It seemed that there must . be some means of crossing the beauteous Basin whence the broken-hearted exiles sailed away so sadly ; and THE BAY OF FUNDY. 23 that any tourist with a particle of romance or sentiment in his composition would g-lacUy make even a wide detour to visit it. Therefore we were surprised to learn that railroad sched- ules said nothing of this route, and that it seemed almost unknown to summer pleasure seekers. Not to be deterred, however, what better can one do than write, direct for information to Parrsboro, — a pretty village, which is the nearest point to the Basin. Tims we learn that a short railway, connecting with the Intercolo- nial, will convey us thither, though not a road intended for passenger service. ''It will only add to the novelty and interest of our tour," we say. We rather hope it Avill prove a very i)eculiar road, and are prepared for discomfort which we do not find ; altliough, at Spring Hill, the point of divergence from the main line, such a queer train is waiting, that one exclaims, " Surely we have come into the backwoods at last ! " The car is divided in the middle, the forward part devoted to baggage, while in the rear por- tion, on extremely low-backed and cushionless 24 OVER THE BORDER. seats, beside tiny, sliadeless windows, sit the passengers. And such passengers ! We men- tally ejaculate something about '' Cruikshank's caricatures come to life." With naucli prelimi- nary clanking of chains, a most dolorous groaning and creaking of the strange vehicle, a shudder and jar, the train is in motion, and slowly proceeding through densely wood- ed and wild country, — a coal and lumber dis- trict, where only an occasional log house re- lieves the monotony of the scene, — log huts which look as if they have strayed away from the far South and dropped down in this wil- derness. At intervals, with a convulsive jerk which brings to their feet some new travellers on this peculiar line, the train halts to take on lumber ; and one of our tourists remarks, " This old thing starts like an earthquake, and stops as if colliding with a stone wall;" and con- tinues : " Do you think the poet who longed for ' a lodge in some vast wilderness,' would have been satisfied with this I " Without wait- ing for a reply, the next remark is: "We are looking for summer accommodations ; don't you THE BAY OF FUNDY. 25 think we could find board cheap here ? " The prosaic one, ignoring such an attempt at pleas- antr}^, replies, " Five dollars per thousand feet, I have been told." When the conductor, in a huge straw hat and rough suit, sans collar or cravat, comes to collect tickets, the satirical one asks, '^ Will he punch them with his penknife, or clip them with a pair of old scissors I " We have " Heard of the -wonderful one-hoss shay, That was built in such a logical way- It ran a hundred years to a day," and conclude that the S. H. & P. R R. resem- bles it somewhat ; and that, although there is a "general flavor of mild decay" about it in some respects, it will not be in danger of wear- ing out from high rate of speed ; but who cares about time when on a holiday f At last, in the distance, a range of blue hills becomes visible, with a faint, far gleam of wa- ter ; and, as the blue line abruptly descends to the glistening streak below, we know in an 26 OVER THE BORDER. instant what that promontory must be, and ecstatically quote with one voice, — "Away to the northward Blomidon rose," regardless of geography, as that Cape happens, in this case, to be south of us. Having received information by mail that ''bosses and carages" are to be found at Parrs- boro, and that the sailing of tlie steamer is "rooled by the tide," eager looks are cast about on alighting at that charming village, the na- tives of which, to our surprise, are not back- woodsmen or roup-li countrvmen. Mine host, genial and gentlemanly, becomes visible ; and we are soon bowling merrily along through the neat village, the picturesque country beyond, and aa-e set down at a refreshingly old-timey inn directly on the shore of the Basin of Minas, which bursts suddenly upon the view, amazing one by its extent and beauty. We exclaim in surprise, "Why, it looked no larger than one's thumb nail on the map ! " THE BASIN OF MINAS. THE BASIN OF MINAS. A CURVING beach with rolHng surf, a long and very high pier, showing the gi-eat rise of the tide, —at this point sixty feet in tlie sprino-, — and directly before one the peculiarly striking promontory of Blomidon, with the red sand- stone showing through the dark pines clothing his sides, and at his feet a powerful "rip" toss- ing the water into chopped seas ; a current so strong that a six-knot breeze is necessary to carry a vessel through the passage which here opens into the Bay of Fundy. This is the place where schedules said nothing of a boat to convey the tourist across the inland sea— of thirty miles' width — to the railroad on its south shore, — tlie line which bears on its rolling stock the ominous initials W. A. R, but passes through the most peaceful country nev- ertheless. Yet our genial host's assurances 30 OVER THE BORDER. that such a vessel will come are not to be doubted ; and, after a dainty repast, a group sits on the pier, watching ghostly ships and smaller craft emerge from and vanish into the mist. As the mists disperse and the moon comes out clearly, it reveals the ^' Hiawatha " approach- ing, — a graceful propeller of five hundred tons burden, and one hundred and some odd feet in length. Partridge Island, which is close at hand, commands exceptionally fine views, as Blomidon does also ; the famous Capes d'Or and Chig- necto, seven hundred and thirty to eight hun- dred feet higli, with Advocate Harbor, are within pleasant driving distance. There are twenty varieties of minerals on Blomidon ; as many more, with jaw-testing names, on Par- tridge Island "and thereabout;" so in tliis locality a geologist would become quite ecstatic. Some of the finest marine scenery of the Prov- inces, as well as lovely inland views and the noted and singular Five Islands, can be seen within a radius of twenty miles. " No country is of much interest until legends THE BASIN OF MINAS. 31 and poetry have draped it in hues that mere nature cannot produce," says a pleasant modern writer. Geologists believe that the range of hills known as the North Mountain w^as once a Ions' narrow island, and that a shoal gradually formed near Blomidon, in time filling in until that headland became part of the inainland. This striking cape, five hundred and seventy feet high, one would naturally expect to find associated with strange wild myths of the aborigines ; and " Ye who love a nation's legends, That like voices from afar off Call to us to pause and listen," attend then ! It seems that this was the favorite resort of Glooscap, the Indian giant, who, like " Kwa- sind the Strong Man," in '' HiaAvatha," entered into a fierce combat here with the Great Beaver (Ahmeek, King of the Beavers, is spoken of in that same poem), and contended with the gigan- tic creature in similar manner, throwinof huo-e masses of rock, which, falling in the water, 32 OVER THE BORDER. became, in tins case, tlie Five Islands. The Indian legend says that at this point a stu- pendous dam was built by the Great Beaver ; and because this was flooding the Cornwallis valley, Glooscap, whose supernatural power was unlimited, broke and bent it into its pres- ent shape, forming Cape Blomidon, afterwards strewing the promontory with gems, some of which he carried away to adorn ''his myste- rious female companion." Here also he held a wonderful feast with another giant ; and, ordi- nary fish not sufficing to satisfy their enormous appetites, the two embarked in a stone canoe, sailed out into the Great Lake of Uniras, as they called the Basin, and there speared a whale, which they brought to the shore and devoured at short notice. The approach of the white man causing the Indian giant to desert his old haunts, he sailed out on the great water and vanished from sight ; but some day, when men and animals live together in peace and friendship, he will return and resume his royal sway on the Basin of Minas. Before his departure he gave a farewell feast to all the OLD FKIENDS ALMSHOUSE. THE BASIN OF MIX AS. 33 animals, who swarmed from all over the coun- try, turned his dog's into stone, and left his kettle overturned in the shape of an island near Cape Spencer, across Minas Channel. Since that time tlie loons, wlio were his hunters, wander sadly about the wildest lakes and rivers, searching- for their master, uttering their do- lorous cries ; and the owls keep up tlieir part of tlie lament, crying " Koo koo skoos," which, being" Indian language, they evidently learned from the giant, and, being interpreted, signifieth " I am sorry." The crown of France is adorned with a fine ametli^'st from Blomidon ; and those early ex^dorers, De Monts and Co., "found in the neighborhood" (of Parrsboro) " chrystals and blue stones of a sliining colour, similar in appearance to those known by tlie name of Turkeese." One of the company, " having found a beautiful specimen of this kind, broke it into two pieces, and gave one to De Monts, and the other to Poutrincourt, Avho, on their return to Paris, had tliem liandsomely set by a jeweller, and presented them to the King and Queen." 34 OVER THE BORDER. At the base of Cape d'Or there is a very powerful ciirrent witli great maelstroms ; this is known as the Styx, and throngh these terri- ble whirlpools two fishermen were carried this season (I880), one losing his life; while the other, an expert swimmer and athlete, was saved by less than a hair's-breadth, and after- wards described most thrillingly his sensations on being drawn into and ejected from the frightful vortices. Just at daybreak, when Blomidon looks out all glowing from the gauzy veil of mist, as the lazv zephyr wafts it aside, and the placid water repeats the glorious tints of radiant clouds, we regretfully take our departure. Cape Sharp and Cape Split, bold promontories which stand like mighty sentinels guarding the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, appear in clear- est azure and violet; while the mountains of the north shore are sharply defined in pure indigo against the brilliant sky, as the propel- ler steams away. The sail across, two hours and a half in length, is a vision of ideal and poetic beauty, all too -brief; and as we step THE BASIN OF MINAS. 35 ashore we feel tempted to quote, "Take, oli boatman, thrice thy fee ! " At this point (Hantsport) Ave take the W. and A. R. R., and in a few lioiirs are set down at the place which we have been so long planning to reach; the place of which our host, who is probably not familiar with the history of St. Augustine, Florida, wrote proudly as "the old- est town in North America." It certainly is one of tlie oldest settlements in North America, having been founded in 1604, and, until 1750, it was the capital of the whole peninsula of Nova Scotia : Annapolis, — the old Port Royal, the historical town which has been the scene of so manv struo^s^les and bitter contentions ; but is now the very picture of peace and utterly restful quiet. Here tlie Eight settle down for a long sojourn ; basking in the delicious atmosphere, devoting- themselves to searching" out tlie most picturesque views, in a series of rambles, drives, and excursions, and visiting all points for miles around, to which history and ro- mance have added charms almost as great as 36 OVER THE BORDER. those of river and mountain wliicli they always possessed. Those of our party who hail from the city of Brotherly Love naturally feel a special interest in Acadia and the sad story of Long- fellow's heroine ; as a patent for the princi- pality of Acadia, which included the whole American coast from Philadelphia to Montreal, was given by the "impulsive and warm- hearted monarch," Henry IV. of France, to Pierre du Guast, the Sieur de Monts, con- stituting him governor of that country, and giving him the trade and revenues of the region. Consequently some of the ancestors of our Philadelphia friends were Acadians, though not French peasantry. There also : — " In that delightful land which is washed hy the Delaware's waters, Guarding in sylvan shades the name of Penn the apostle, Stands on the banks of its beautiful stream the city he founded. There all the air is balm, and the peach is the emblem of beauty, THE BASIN OF MINAS. 37 And the streets still re-echo the names of the trees of the forest, As if they fain would appease the Dryads whose haunts they molested. There from the troubled sea had Evangeline landed, an exile, Finding among the children of Penn a homo and a country." In that sedate and sober city was " the almshouse, home of the homeless. Then in the suburbs it stood, in the midst of meadows and woodlands; Xow the city surrounds it ; but still, with its gateway and "\\*icket Meek in the midst of splendor, its humble walls seem to echo Softly the words of the Lord, — ' The poor ye have always with you.' " There the sad exile's weary search was at last rewarded ; the long-parted lovers were re- united, though but for a moment on the verge of the grave ; and thus was ended " the hope and the fear and the sorrow, All the aching of heart, the restless, iinsatistied longing, All the dull, deep pain, and constant anguish of jjatience ! " The city almshouse stood, we are told, at the corner of Twelfth and Spruce Streets ; but the belief is quite general (and we incline de- 38 OVER THE BORDER. cidedly to that) that our beloved poet intended by his description to portray the quaint build- ing formerly known as the Friends' Almshouse, which stood in Walnut Place (opening off of Walnut Street below Fourth), and which was torn down in 1872 or 1873 to give place to railroad and lawyers' offices. The entrance from the street, by ^'gateway and wicket," as the poem says, led through a narrow passage way ; and there faced one a small, low-roofed house, built of alternate red and black bricks (the latter glazed), almost entirely covered by an aged ivy which clam- bered over the roof The straggling branches even nodded above the wide chimneys ; at both sides of the door stood comfortable set- tles, inviting to rest; and the pretty garden charmed with its bloom and fragrance. The whole formed such a restful retreat, such an oasis of quiet in the very heart of the busy city, that one was tempted often to make ex- cuses for straying into the peaceful enclosure. In a book printed for private circulation in Philadelphia some years ago, there is an item THE BASIN OF MINAS. 39 of interest about the Acadians. The author narrates that she and a young- companion, in their strolls to the suburbs, where they went to visit the Pennsylvania Hospital (Eightli and Pine Streets, now in the lieart of the city), were timid because obliged to pass the place where the "French Neutrals" were located. These people, because they were foreigners, and there was some mystery about them which the girls did not tlien understand, inspired them with fear ; though Philadelphia residents of that time testify that the homeless and destitute strangers were in reality a very simple and in- offensive company, when, "friendless, homeless, hopeless, tliey wandered from city to city." Tlirough the influence of Anthony Benezet, a member of the Society of Friends, they were provided with homes on Pine Street above Sixth, where the two little wooden houses still stand ; one, when we last saw it, being painted blue. What a picturesque company of adventurers were those French noblemen, who, turning their backs upon the luxuries and fascinations 40 ovi:i: the border. of court V\i\\ saileil :nvny to tlii^ wild aiul di;?- taiu land, wlioiv, in tlio pnriSiut of gain, fame, (.n- nuvivh- adventuiv, tliey were to sniper abso- lute }iri\ati(>n anil liardslnp ; eonj^cu'lini;- with srsavagvs in plaee of the plumed and pampered denizens ot" palaees. After a probably tempestuous A'ovag'e across the bleak Atlantic, and a merciless butfeting- tVom l-'undy in the spriuLi" of 1(>04, the prospec- riN e Cbnernor ot" the ^-reat territory known as Acadia was sailhiii' alon^- this coast, whicli presents sueli a forbiilding- aspect from the l>av, makino- his first haven Alay Itu At that time, we can readily iniau-iue, in tliis northern rci^ion the weather would not be very balmy. Kven now tlie wild rockv shore stretches along- dreariU- — though with certain stern pictnr- esqueness — as far as eye can reach, and then must have been even less attractive, as it showed no sign ot' habitation. Champlain was somewhat familiar with these shores t'rom tornun- vo\'ages, and so had been chosen as pilot ; but Pe Poutrinconrt and Pont- fi-nw. other associates of Pierre du Ouast. tlie THE BASIN OF MINAS. 41 Sieur de Monts, doubtless looked askance at each other, or indulged in the expressive French shrug as the cheerless panorama passed before them. On that 16th of May, at the harbor where the little town of Liverpool is now situated, De Monts found another Frenchman engaged in hunting and fishing, ignoring, or regardless of, the rights of any one else ; and without ado tliis interloper (so considered by De Monts) was nabbed; the only consolation he received being the honor of transmitting his name, Rossignol, to the harbor, — a name since transferred to a lake in the vicinity. After a sojourn of two weeks at another point (St. Mary's Bay), the explorers proceeded northward ; and at last a particularly inviting harbor presented itself, causing the mental vision of the new Governor and his company to assume more hopeful aspect, as they turned their course thither and pronounced it ** Port Royal ! " PORT ROYAL. PORT ROYAL. Here they managed to exist through the winter with as much comfort as circumstances would admit of; but with the return of sum- mer were on the wing again, in search of more sahibrious climate and more southerly locality for the establishment of a colony, sail- inof along- the coast of Maine and Massachu- setts as far as Cape Cod. Attempts were made to establish settlements, but the natives proved unfriendly ; the foreign- ers had not a sufficient force to subdue them ; and, as De Monts was obliged to return to France, De Poutrincourt and his companions established' themselves again at Port Royal. Here, to while away the long winter, the gay adventurers established a burlesque court, which they christened " L'Ordre de Bon Temps ; " and of the merry realm each of the fifteen principal 46 OVER THE BORDER. persons of the colony became supreme ruler in turn. As the Grand Master's sway lasted but a day, each one, as he assumed that august position, i)ridcd himself on doing- his utmost to eclipse his predecessor in lavish provision for feasting. Forests were scoured for game ; fish were brought from the tempest-tossed waters of the Bay, or sjieared through the ice of L'Kquille ; so the table fairly groaned M'itli the luxuries of these winter revellers in the Avilds of Acadia. With ludicrous caricature of court ceremonial, the rulers of tlie feast marched to the table, where their invited guests, the In- dian chiefs, sat with tliem around the board ; the s(piaws and children squatting on the floor, watching for bits which the lively company now and then tossed to them. " They sa}- " that an aged sachem, when dying, asked if he should liave })ies in heaven as good as those which he had eaten at Poutrincourt's table ! To the Indians, tlie greatest delicacy of all on the table was bread. This, to them a dainty viand, they were always ready to consume -vA'ith gusto ; but were invariably aveise to grinding PORT ROYAL. 47 tlie corn, altliougli i)roniiso(l luilf of the meal as recompense for their labor. The <,'Tiii(lIii<>- was performed with a hand-mill, and coiise- qnently so laborious and tedious that the sav- ages would rather suffer hunger than submit to such drudgery, which they also seemed to think degrading" to the fi-ee sons of i\w, forest. Proverbially lickle are princes ; nnd of this l)e Monts was convinced on his return to France, for during his absence he had lost favor with his sovereign, Henry IV., who revoked his commission ; still he succeeded, after many dif- ficidties, in procuring supplies for his ccdony, and arrived just in time to prevent his })eo})le from leaving Port lloyal discouraged and dis- heartened. One mend)er of the little conunu- nity of Frenchmen was Lescarbot, a lawyer, who was talented, poetical, and did much to enliven the others during the absence of their leader, who, on his return, was received by a procession of masqueraders, headed by Neptune and tritons, reciting verses written by Lescar- bot. Over the entrances to the fort and to the Governor's apartments were suspended wreaths 48 OVER THE BORDER. of laurel and garlands surrounding Latin mot- toes, — all the work of the pastimist (if one may coin such a word). The relief and en- couragement brought by De Monts were but temporary, and in the spring (1606) news was received that nothing more could be sent to the colonists, and they must be disbanded. Imagination portrays the strange picture pre- sented at this time in this remote region : the gay French courtiers vanishing from the sight of their Indian comrades almost as suddenly and mysteriously as they had appeared but three years before, and lea^ang their dusky boon companions lamenting on the shore. The eyes of the savages — that race who pride them- selves on their stoicism — were actually dimmed with tears as they watched the vessel fading away in the distance. For four years ''ye gentle sauvage" pursued the even tenor of his way, and consoled him- self as best he could for the absence of the lively revellers who had cheered his solitude ; then, presumably to his delight (in 1610), he saw Poutrincourt returning. That nobleman had I. Cape Sharp, Bay ok Funoy. 2. Cape Split. 3 Partridge Island. PORT ROYAL. 49 promised the kino- to exert himself for the con- version of tlie Indians. Three years hiter a com- pany of Jesuits sailed \oy this port with tlie same object in view; but, losing- their reckoning, they founded settlements at Mt. Desert instead. Madame do Guercheville, a true woman in- deed, who was honored aud respected in a dis- solute court where honor was almost unknown, had become a. zealous advocate of the conver- sion of Indians in America ; and throujih her means and influence several priests of the Jesuit order were sent out in I()12 to tliis set- tlement. The sachems, with members of their tribes living at Port l\oyal, were baptized, twenty-one at one time, with mnch show of rejoicing typified by hring of cannon, waving of banners, blaring of trumpets. Souie doubt is expressed whether the savages fully under- stood what it was all about, and ^^ hat their con- fession of faith fully signified ; as one chief, on being instructed in the Lord's Prayer, objected to asking for bread alone, sa3nng that he wished f(n' moose flesh and fish also ; and wlien oiu^ of the priests deliberately set to work, witli note- 4 50 OVER THE BORDER. book and quill, to learn the language of the aborigines by asking one man the Indian words for various French ones (to him totally incom- prehensible), the savage, with malice afore- thought, purposely gave him words of evil signification, which did not assist the French- man in enlightening other members of this be- niofhted race. Perceiving- the trick which had been played upon him by the savage, who had been so perplexed by his questioning, the priest declared that Indian possessed by the Devil ! However, with all its discouragements, this was the opening of the work of the Jesuits in America ; in which even those who might have thought their zeal at times mistaken could not but respect them for the noble heroism, dis- played during so many years, in their work of civilizing and enlightening the savages. Even in these olden times there were turbu- lent marauders abroad ; and one such, Argall, from Virginia, after destroying the settlement at Somes Sound (Mt. Desert), pounced upon this peaceful station, destroying the fort and scattering the colonists (1613). PORT ROYAL. . 51 The section known as Virginia Avas granted in 1606 to the London and Plymonth Compa- nies ; and as that portion embraced the country between 34° and 45° north hititude, it seems that Argall pretended that the French at Port Royal were interlopers, usurping his rights ; but as De Monts had received in 1604 a charter for the country defined as lying between 40° and 46° north latitude, Argall had no right to dispossess De Monts or his successor. Notwithstanding that a member of Argall's company speaks of him as "a gentleman of noble courage," that does not prevent us from considering him a rascal ; for at this time France and England were at peace, and he was unauthorized in his base and tyrannous inva- sion of Port Royal. Before his attack on this quiet, peaceful station, he had shown greatest treachery at Somes Sound, Mt. Desert, where he stole Saussaye's commission and cast adrift in an open boat fifteen of the colonists. Poutrincourt's son, Biencourt, was now Gov- ernor of Acadia, and stationed at Port Royal. He endeavored to make terms with Argall, and 52 OVER THE BORDER. offered to divide with him the proceeds of the fur trade and the mines ; but this was refused, and the settlement broken up, some of the imfortunate Frenchmen joining Champlain at Quebec, some scattering into the woods among the Indians, while others were carried to Eng- land and from thence demanded by the French ambassador. Thus, after only a little more than eight years from the time of settlement, the colony was entirely broken up, En passant : A friend of ours, who with his faniily passed a summer in New Hampshire, " at the roots of the White Mountains," as some one expressed it, surprised an old farmer by asking" the names of hills in sioht from that particular locality. Tlie reply was, " I dono, and I dono as I care ; but you city folks, when you come here, are allers askin' questions." We conclude that we are liable to be classed in a siniilar categor^^ ; and, in fact, the Dabbler when sketching one day is asked, " Ain't some of your party writing a book 1 " The interrogator's mind is set at rest by being an- swered that the reason we have become ani- PORT ROYAL. , 53 mated notes of interrogation is because we are interested in the history of the old town ; but it is fearful to think for what that innocent lad is responsible : putting notions in people's heads, and causing this volume to be inflicted on a suffering world ! To return to our subject. The olive branch was not yet to be the emblem of this spot, now so peaceful, for a colony of Scotch people were next routed (1628), and the place left in ruins, when a season of quiet ensued ; but this w^as virtually the conmiencement of the French and English wars in North America, continuing; with slight intermissions, until the treaty of 1763, by wliicli France gave up her posses- sions in America. In 1634 Port Royal fell into French hands again, when Claude de Razilly was Governor, and here for a short time lived La Tour, one of his lieutenants, who kept up such bitter feuds with D'Aulnay, wlio held like position to his own, and whose stor}^ Whittier relates in his poem, '' St. John, 1647." Madame de la Tour must have been one of 64 OVER THE BORDER. the earliest advocates of women's rights, as she so bravely held the fort of St. Joliii in her luisband's absence. " ' But wluit of my lady ? ' Crioil Charles of Estionno. ' On the shot-crumbled turret Thy lady was seou : Half veiled in the smoke-cloud 11(U' hand grasped thy pennon, While her dark tresses swayed In the hot breath of cannon ! . Of its sturdy defenders, Thy lady alone Saw the cross-blazoned banner Float over St. John. Alas for thy lady ! No service from thee Is needed by her Whom the Lord hath set free : Nine days, in stern silence, Her thraldom she bore. But the tenth morning came And Death opened her door ! '" Hannay says she was '' tlie first and great- est of Acadian heroines, — a woman whose name is as proudly enshrined in the history of PORT ROYAL. 66 this land as tliat of any sceptred qneen in European story." For a long series of years this post of l\)rt Royal was the bone of contention between the French and Eng-lish; tlie fort, beino- liold for a time by one i)ower, tlien by tlie other, representing the shuttle-cock when these con- tending nations battled at her doors. In 1054 the place was held by the French under Le Borgne. An attack by the English was suc- cessful, though the French were well garri- soned and provisioned. In Do Razilly's time La Tour, who might have been satisfied with his possessions at St. John, assailed it; then English ])irates took the fishing fleet (U>84); next Sir William Pliipps ca})tured and i)illaged the fort in 1090. Shortly after this, pirates from the West Indies plun- dered the place; and in 1091 it again fell into the hands of the French under l)e Villebon. It was still to undergo two sieges in 1 707, when, under Subiu-case, the besiegtn-s were repulsed; and in 1710 seven ships with Eng- lish marines bombarded the fort for several 5Q OVER THE BORDER. days. The garrison at last, being in starving condition, were forced to yield ; and the victors christened the place Annapolis Royal, in honor of their sovereign then reigning in Great Britain. The subjugation of this part of "New France" made Nova Scotia an English prov- ince ; and for a time tliis realm might have answered to the description of Easselas's Hap- py Valley ; the thrifty, honest people relieved from '' wars and rumors of wars," and taking up the quiet, contented routine of every-day life. " Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." But in 1744 the reign of siege and terror began again, and the town Avas destroyed by bombardment and incendiary fires, when, for nearly three months, Laloutre and Duvivier besieged tlie fort. The garrison, augmented by troops from Louisburg, and assisted by provisions and men from Boston, finally re- j)ulsed their assailants. The next year there PORT ROYAL. 51 was another assault under De Raniezay, which was unsuccessful ; and after the dispersion of the Acadians (1755), the much-fought-over place was . allowed to remain in quiet until 1781, 'when two American ships-of-war sailed up the river at nig-ht. Their forces, taking the fort by surprise, robbed the houses, after imprisoning the people in the old block-house. Since that time the English have retained pos- •session of this much-disputed territory ; the fort has been unarmed and unoccupied (by military force) since 1850, when the Rifle Bri- gade were stationed here ; but the todium of garrison life proving still more irksome here, and desertions being frequent, the fort was abandoned as a military post. ANNAPOLIS. ANNAPOLIS. What a fascination there is about that old fort at Annapolis! — "the hornet's nest," as it was called in the olden time ; the stronghold which withstood so many sieges, and was the subject of constant contentions in by-gone years. The hours slip by unnoted when one sits on the ramparts dreaming and gazing on the broad sweep of river, the distant islands, the undulat- ing lines of the mountain ranges. The sleepy- looking cows wander lazily about, cropping the grass on the embankments, and even clamber over the ancient archway. One peoples the place with imaginary mar- tial figures, and is almost startled when the stillness is broken by a rustle and approaching footsteps, and turns, as if expecting to see glit- tering uniforms appearing through the crum- 62 OVER THE BORDER. hWng arch ; but it is only old Moolly, who (lelibomtely walks into the inner enclosure, and, if " our special artist on the spot" has left his sketcli for a moment, probably puts her foot in it, witli the air of one who should say, " Wlio are }'ou who dare invade my realm f " The quaint barrack building, with its huge cliinnieys and gambrel roof, is now occupied by several families ; and a whitewashed fence encloses a gay garden. The small magazine, built of creamy sandstone sent from France for the purpose, still remains, and its exces- sively sharp roof shows above the ramparts ; but the massive oaken door stands open wide and is o'reen with ao-e; the roof is decidedlv shaky ; and the shingles liang loosely, so that one would think that only a moderate gale would send them tiying like a pack of cards. The block-house, built of massive logs and heavy planks of English oak, stood within the past year by the bridge over the moat ; but, unfortunately, a person without reverence for antiquities has razed it, thereby obtaining his ANNAPOLIS. 63 winter fuel cheaply ; and lie now turns an hon- est penny by selling canes, etc., of the wood. When we indignantly ask some of the town's- people how they could have permitted this, they reply, " Oh, it was getting rotten, and would have tumbled down some day ; " but we judge, by pieces which we see of the sound, tough-fibred oak, tliat it might have stood for iifty years more witliout iujury ; while a little judicious propping and repairing, perhaps, would have preserved it for a longer period than that. Poor Annapolitans, who had no Centennial Ex- hibition to teach them the value of historical relics and " old things " ! On the Maine Central Railroad, quite near the track at Winslow, we passed, on our way here, an old block-house, which is carefully presei'ved. Not long ago, the Canadian Grovernment re- ceived orders that all buildings, except the bar- rack and magazine, must be removed from the fort enclosure ; yet a garrulous old Scotchman still resides there in a tiny house, and plies his trade as cobbler. 64 OVER THE BORDER. His delight' is to regale strangers with pre- posterous ^' yarns," and accounts of his adven- tures in her Majesty's service ; accounts which must be taken with considerably more than the proverbial grain of salt, but to which we list- ened Avith delight and amazingly sober counte- nances. When asked how it happens that he still remains in the fort grounds, he answers, '' I writ out home, to Angland, to say that I serrved in the arrumy fur thurty yeer, and I knoAv the ould gurrul will let me stay." (There's respect for a sovereign !) He talks wisely of the "bumpruf," a word which we have some difficulty in translating into homh proof; and we are, apparently, over- powered with wonder as he ex|)lains how '^ with a few berrls av pouther they cud send ivery thing flying, and desthroy the whole place, avery bit av it." Presumably misled by our simulated credu- lity, he goes on to describe a well in front of the magazine, and says, " Wlien they wanted to get red av throoblesome preesoners, ploomp they 'd go in the watter, and thet was the last '• 'I'HE Old BI.OC.C House, Anna.. ous. Destroyed rS82. [From a PhotograpJu) 2. Ancient Akchway jn the Old Fokt, Annai'dl... i ANNAPOLIS 65 av 'em ! " Suffice it to say, that tlie oldest inhabitant has no recollection of the slightest trace of such a well. The underground passage has fallen in ; only the entrance being now visible and accessible. Old Gill says, ^'I was the last man iver in it; and I got caught there with the wall fallin' in, 'and they were twinty fower hours gettin' me out ; " (a li[e]kely story !) adding, " Oh, I was a divil in them days ! " and " I found in there a bit av a goon wrinch" (gun wrench); and Mr. So and So, from Halifax, " gev me some money fur it, an' he lapped it up in his han'kerchef like as if it had ben goold." We are told of an ancient house " of the era of the French occupation," and go to see it ; but learn, though it looks so aged, that it was built upon the site of the French house, and is not the old original. The owner has reached the ripe age of ninety-four, and is a remarkable man, with the polished manner of a gentleman of the old school. In such a climate as this, one would naturally expect to find centenari- ans. He tells us many interesting things GQ OVER THE BORDER. about old times here, and liis grandson brings out a barrel of Acadian relics to show us. We are interested in noting the differences between these ancient implements and those in use at the present time ; here is a gridiron, _ witli very long handle and four feet (a clumsy quadruped), and Ave see in fancy the picture of home comfort, as the busy housewife pre- pares the noonday meal, where — " Firmly builded with rafters of oak, the house of the far- mer Stood on the side of a hill commanding the sea, and a shady Sycamore grew by the door, with a woodbine wreathing around it." Here, too, are ox chains, a curiously shaped ploughshare, an odd little spade used in mend- ing the dikes and digging clay for bricks, and also the long and heavy tongs of the "black- smith," — " Who was a mighty man in the village and honored of all men : For since the birth of time, throughout all ages and nations Has the craft of the smith been held in repute by the people." ANNAPOLIS. 67 These implements were discovered at French- man's Brook on this farm, only three years ag-o, and were when found apparently as Ijrig-ht and strong as if just placed there. They were covered with brush, but a foot or two below the surface ; and seem to have been hurriedly hidden by the exiles, who, finding- them too weighty for conveyance, secreted them, prob- ably with the hope of returning sometime. What a study for an artist the group would have made, as they stood examining the rusty iron, and talking of the unhappy people so ruthlessly sent into banishment ! For back- ground, the quaint, unpainted house, black with age, tlie roof of the " lean-to" so steeply slop- ing that the eave-trough was on a line with the heads of the group. Beyond la}^ the lovely valley, with the winding Equille on its serpen- tine way to join the greater river ; the ^^'llole picture framed in the long range of wooded and rugged hills. Higginson thinks there has been too much sentimentalizing over the fate of the Acadian s ; and one member of our party so evidently 68 OVER THE BOEDER. considers that our enthusiasm savors of the gushing school-girl, that we are cautious in our remarks. But the old man's grandson, holding his pretty child on his shoulder, and looking across tlie valley to his pleasant dwell- ing, says, " Oh, it was cruel to send them away from their homes ! " to which all earnestly assent. Clambering up the hill back of the old house, we come upon the site of an ancient French church, and commend the taste of- those who chose such an admirable location. Here we find, to our deliglit, that local tradition has buried two fine old bells. Bells ! What a charm there is about them I One of the ear- liest recollections of our childhood is of a bell, which, being harsh and dissonant, so worked upon our youthful sensibilities as to cauge par- oxysms of tears ; and now in these later years we are sure that should some genie set us down blindfolded in any place where we had ever remained for a time the mere tones of the bells would enlighten us as to our where- abouts. ANNAPOLIS. 69 " Those eveiiiii^^ bells ! Those evening bells ! How many a tale their music tells, Of youth and home and that sweet time When last I heard their soothing chime." After the Port Royal settlement was brok- en up by Argall in IGlo, tradition says this churcli crumbled away into ruin, and, as the sup- porting beams decayed, the bells sank to the ground, where, from their own weight and the accumulations of Nature's debris, they became more and more deeply embedded until lost to view. Silver bells, from France, they say. Of course! Who ever heard of any ancient bells which were not largely composed of that metal I It is a pretty myth, however, which we adopt with pleasure ; though common sense plainly says that silver would soon wear away in such use; that the noble patrons of a strug-' gling colony in a wild country would not have been so extravagant as that ; and that bell metal is a composition of copper and tin which has been in use from tlie time of Henry III. The people of Antwerp have special affec- tion for the *' Carolus " of their famous cathe- 70 OVER THE BORDER. dral ; and that bell is actually composed of copper, silver, and gold ; but it is now so much worn that they are not allowed the privilege of hearing it more than once or twice a year. "Kings and, nobles have stood beside these famous caldrons " (of the bell founders), " and looked with reverence on the making of these old bells ; nay, they have brought gold and silver, and pronouncing the holy name of some saint or apostle which the bell was hereafter to bear, they have flung in precious metals, rings, bracelets, and even bullion." Possibly these old bells of Annapolis, the secret of whose hiding-place Nature guards so well, were made by Van den Glieyn or Hem- ony of Belgium, who from 1620 to 1G50 were such famous founders that those of their works still extant are worth their weight in gold, or priceless, and are noted tlie world over for their wonderful melody. If so, when they " Sprinkled with sounds tlie air, as the priest with his hyssop Sprinkles the congregatiou and scatters blessing among them," ANNAPOLIS. 71 it was no doubt with silvery tone ; and, as it is well known that bells sound best when rung on a slope or in a valley where there is a lake or river, doubtless this wide and lovely stream carried the music of the mellow peal, and re- turning voyagers heard the welcome notes ; as the sailors of the North Sea, on entering the Scheldt, strain their cars to catch tlie faint, far melody of the chimes of the belfry of Ant- werp, visible one hundred and fifty miles away. Another day we make an expedition to see the Apostle Spoons, and are received, as in- variably everywhere, with cordial hospitality. These spoons would, I fear, cause the eye of an antiquary to gleam covetously. They have round, flat bowls about two and a half inclies in diameter ; narrow, slender, and straight han- dles, terminating, the one with a small turbaned. head, the other with a full-length figure about one inch long ; the entire length of the handles being about four and a half inches. In the bowl of one the letters P L I are rudely cut ; and on both is stamped something which, they say, under magnih^ing glass resem- 72 OVER THE BORDER. bles a King's head. In the spring- of 1874 or 1875 these were turned up by the plough, in a fiehl two miles beyond the town, the discovery being made in the neighborhood of the supposed site of an old French cluirch. The farmer's thrifty housewife was making soap at the time the spoons were inieartlied ; and as tliey were much discolored, "the old lead things" were tossed into the kettle of lye, from whence, to her amazement, they came out gold, or, at least, silver washed with gold. These spoons, they say, Avero used in the service of the church ; but it is more likely that they were the property of some family, and probable that tliey were dropped by their owners — then living' beyond the present site of Annapolis — when, at the time of the banishment of the Acadians, they were hurried away to the ships on tlie Basin of Minas. An apostle spoon was often a treasured heir- loom in families of the better class, and at the advent of each scion of the family tree was suspended about tlie neck of the infant at bap- tism, being supposed to exert some beneficent influence. ANNAPOLIS. T3 Especially in the East, about the seventh century, we find that a small vessel, or spoon, sometimes of gold, was used in the churches. These were eucharistic utensils, by means of which communicants conveyed the sacred ele- ments to the mouth ; but this custom was for- bidden and done away with, though probably the tradition of such usage suggested the spoon, which became general in Greek and most Ori- ental churches many years after. The supposi- tion is, that in those churches, after tlie wafer had been put into the wine in the chalice, the spoon was used to dip out such portion as was to be reserved for administering the last sac- rament to the dying, or to those who were too ill to attend the service in the church. In all churches of the East, except the Armenian, tlie spoon is used in administering the sacrament. Curious customs also existed in ancient times in reference to baptism. Honey nn'xed with milk or with wine was given to the one who had just received this rite, to show that he who received it, being a newly born child spiritually, must not be fed with strong meat, but with 74 OVER THE BORDER. milk. This became a regular part of the ritual, and was closely adhered to. The old customs of festivals of rejoicing, public thanksgivings, wearing of garlands, singing of hymns, and giving presents, are well known and familiarly associated with baj^tismal festivities. The presentation of apostle spoons at christ- enings was a very ancient custom in England. A wealthy sponsor or relative who could af- ford it, gave a complete set of twelve, each with the figure of an apostle carved or chased on the end of the handle ; while sometimes a poor person presented only one, but on that was the figure of the saint for whom the child was named. Sometimes tliis rudely moulded little figure represented the patron saint of the sponsor or the donor. In 1666 the cus- tom was on the decline. An anecdote relating to this usage is told of Shakspeare. The latter ''stood godfather" to the child of a friend ; and after the ceremo- nies of the christening, as the poet seemed much absorbed and serious, the father ques- tioned him as to the cause of his melancholy. ANNAPOLIS. . 75 The sponsor replied, that lie was considering what would be the most suitable gift for him to present to his god-child, and that he had finally decided. '' I '11 give him," said he, '' a dozen good latten spoons, and thou shalt translate them." This Avas a play upon the word Latin. In the Middle Ages a kind of bronze used for church and household utensils was known as '^ latten ; " and the same name was applied in Shakspeare's time to thin iron plate coated witli tin, of which domestic utensils and imple- ments were made. In Johnson's " Bartholomew Fair " one of his characters says, ''And all this for the hope of a couple of apostle spoons, and a cup to eat caudle in." In a work of Middleton, entitled " The Chaste Maid of Cheapside," one of the characters inquires, "What has he given her ?" to which another replies, " A faire high stand- ing cup, and two great 'postle spoons, one of them gilt." The hat, or flat covering on the head of the figure, — that which we call a turban in one of these at Annapolis, — was a customary ap- 76 ovjj:ii THE border. pendag-e and usual in apostle spoons ; the inten- tion being thereby to j^i'otect the features of the tiny heads from wear. Wliatever the liis- tory of these at Annapolis, there can be no doubt of their genuineness, and, in a perfect stiite, they are extremely rare. In our antiquarian researches we are natu- rally drawn to th(^ ohl cemetery, juljoining the fort grounds ; but ](^ani that the oldest graves were marked by oaken slabs, which have all disappeared, as have also many odd stone ones. 13ut among those still standing one records tliat some one "dyed 1720 ;" another states that the body below " is deposited here until the last trump ; " and one, wliich nuist be the veritjible original of the " aftHctiou sore " rliyme, ends : "till death did sieze and God did please to ease me ol" my pain." Still another bears this epitaph, verhatim ct lifcraliii/ : — "Stay rriond stay nor lot, thy hart pniphauo Tho hu'"hlo Stoiio that tells you lil'o is vain. Hero lyes a yontli in ntotihlring ruin lost A blol'soin nipt hy di'atli's untimely frost. then prepare to meet with him above In realms of everlasting love.'' ANNAPOLIS. 77 The stone-cutter's hand must have been as weary when he blundered over the word lunn- ble as the poet's brain evidently was when he reached the line which limps so lamely to tlie conclusion. Near this recently stood a stone, " With uncoiitli rliyinos ;ui(l sliiij)cless stuilijturc (Uicked," on which the representation of Fatlier Time was carved in such peculiar maimer that from pose and expression the fig-ure might have passed for a lively youth rather than the dread reaper, and was irreverently known to the vil- lage youths as " Sarah's young- man," a title suggested by a popular song of the day. In a remote corner we find the tomb of ''Gregoria Remonia Antonia, " ''a native of Spain ; " and afterwards learn her story, — an episode in the life of the Iron Duke which does not do him honor. Did la gramh (/amc, the Duchess, ever know of the fair foreigner who supplanted her, the dame o' high degree, in her husband's affection I Did the beautiful Si)anish maiden dream, when the brilliant Eng- lish General wooed her, that he was doing 78 , OVER THE BORDER. her and miother wom.iu the greatest wrong ? Little did the fasciiintino- Spaniard think that the so-called " nobleman " wonld compel her to marry anotlier; nnd that other a rongh, illiter- ate man, ^vlu) wouhl bring her to this wild, strange, far-away conntry, and that here she shonld be laid to rest "after life's fitful fever." Is it to be wondered nt that her fierv Sontli- ern s})irit rebelled, that her wrongs embittered her, and that lier life liero was unhappy I To add to the romance, one who attended her in her last illness tells us that when the garrison gave a ball, the slender little Spanish lady loaned or gave "pretty fixins" to the young girls to wear, and appeared herself in rich silks and plumes ; that slie gave to her attendant in that illness a. wonderful box " all done off with, — well — this here plated stuff, you know; " and that Avlien tlie end was drajv- ing near, the faint, weak voice, witli its broken English (at best so, difficult to nnderstand), tried to make "Char-loet-tah " comprehend where she must look for something hidden away which she wished her nurse to have in recog- ANNAPOLIS. 70 nition of Iier services. But alas ! tlie hoarded treasure was not found until numtlis after the poor soul was gone, and then fell into the very hands which the sad alien had most desired should not touch it. The old adage about a sailor's right to have ''a sweetheart in every port" is still cited in these days of boasted advanceujent in culture, religion, morals ; and it is the same old world to-day as that which lauded and bowed down to him whom it called 'Miis Grace" (despite what we consider his grace-less actions); tlie same world, alas ! ignoring the open and evi- dent fact when he steps aside from the narrow path of honor and rectitude ; while, should she SAverve in the least, pouring out meroilcssly its harshest taunts, or overwhelming her with piti- less scorn. This, because woman should hold an exalted position, and ''be above suspicion" ? Then why do not the so-called "lords of crea- tion," as they might and ought, set an example of noble uprightness to "the weaker vessel," guiding, guarding, upholding her through " the shards and thorns of existence " ? 80 OVER THE BORDER. The Spanish girl, left an orphan by the wars in which the dashing and gallant English offi- cer figured so proiidly, fell to the care of two aunts, who, belonging to that indolent, pleasure- loving race of sunny Spain, perhaps left the poor girl too much to her own devices, and thus she may have been more easily beguiled. " Look here, upon this picture, and on this : " first, the gay little seiiorita, holding daintily in her tapering fingers a cigarette, which she occasionally raises to her '^ ri])e red lips," after- wards languidly following witli her lustrous black eyes the blue wreaths of smoke as they float above her head and vanish in the air ; next, the withered crone, with silver hair, wrinkled skin, and no trace of her early beauty, sitting in the chimney corner, and still smoking, though now it is a clay pipe, — to the amaze- ment and disgust of the villagers. Yet we, believing in the only correct interpretation of noblesse oblige, and that he only is truly noble who acts nobly, have only pity for the poor soul who here laid down life's weary burden twenty- two years ago at the age of seventy-two, and ANNAPOLIS. 81 scorn for liim who rests in an honored grave, and is idealized among- the world's heroes. , How amusing it is to hear the j^eople speak of us invariably as '' Americans," as if we were from some far-away and foreign country, and to hear them talk of England as '' home" ! The hearty cordiality, natural manner, and pleasantly unworldly ways of the people are most refreshing ; in " a world of hollow shams, " to find persons who are so genuine is deliglitful ; and thus another charm is added to give greater zest to our enjoyment. One, half in jest, asks a Halif^ix gentleman how they would like to be annexed to the United States, and is quite surprised at his ready and earnest reply: '^ Annexed? Oh, yes, we'd be glad to be ; . . . we would n't come with empty hands; we have what you want, — fisheries, lumber, minerals ; we 'd not come as paupers and mendicants. ... It will come, though it may not be in our day. . . . The United States w^ould not wish to purchase, — she has done enough of that : we would have to come of our own free will ; and we woidd, too ! " 9 82 OVER 'THE BORDER. Then there is the elderly Scotch gentleman, who appropriately hails from the place with the outlandish name of Musquodoboit. He tells ns that during the " airly pairt " of his residence in America he visited in the States, and that he has seen " fower Preesidents" inaugurated. Of his first attendance at such a ceremony he says : "An' whan I see thet mon, in lies plain blek coat, coomin' out amang all o' thim poople, an' all the deegnetirries in their blek coats tu, an' not a uniforrum amoong thim, I said, ' This is the coontry fur me,' — it suited my taste. An' how deeferint it wud be in Yerrup, where there wud be tin thausind mooskits aboot, to kep 'im from bein' shot." On our way here we were told : " Oh, you '11 find Annapolis hot ! " It might perhaps seem so to a Newfoundlander ; but to us the climate is a daily source of remark, of wonder and delight. It is balmy, yet bracing ; and though there may be times when at midday it is decidedly warm, — as summer should be, — the nights are always cool, and we live in flannel costumes and luxuriate. ANNAPOLIS. 83 Warner speaks of '' these northeastern lands wliich the Gulf Stream pets and tempers ; " yet ho passed through this dear old town without stopping-, remarking- only that he could not be content for a week here, and felt no interest in the place apart from its historic associations. Let him stop next time and investigate. AVe flatter ourselves that we could enlig-hten him someAvhat. Our friends at various shore and mountain resorts report constant fogs ; yet we can testify that in nearly seven weeks' residence here there were but two mornings which were foggy, and on those days the gray screen was rolled away at noon. " aloft on the mountains Sea-fogs pitched their tents, and mists from the mighty Atlantic Looked on the hapi)y valley, but ne'er from their station descended." That singular feature spoken of in Longfel- low's poem is shown here : the mists rise from the Bay and rest lovingly, caressingly, on the crests of the long range of mountains, giving them, the appearance of comfortable warmth 84 OVER THE BORDER. under this downy coverlet on cool nights ; but this fleece very rarely descends to the valley. Dr. 0. W. Holmes must have had such a place as this in mind when he said : — " And silence like a poultice came To heal the blows of sound ; " and surely tympanums most bruised by the world's clangor and jar could not fail here to be soothed and healed ; and the writer of ^' Oh, where shall rest be found 1 " would have re- ceived answer to his- query here also. The quiet is astonishing : there are no farm sounds even ; and, though the hours pass so pleasantly that we " take no note of time," we can tell when Saturday comes, for then numbers of log-laden ox-carts plod slowly into the village from the back country. The bells on the animals' necks tinkle j^re- cisely like the sound of ice when carried in a pitcher of water ; and consequently do not jar upon one's ear in this quietude as the clank- ing herd-bells which we hear in some farming regions of the States. ANNAPOLIS. 85 At night the only break in the profound still- ness is when the tide is ebbing, and the Equille can be heard rushing under the bridge a quar- ter of a mile away. We cannot discover the meaning of that word, and so consult a foreign relative, who tells us that at Dinard, in France, they catch the equille, — a small fish, also called a lan^on, because it darts in and out of the sand, and in its movements is something like an eel. That certainly describes this peculiar stream, for surely it would be difficult to find one with a more circuitous course. It forms two horse- shoes and an ox-bow connected, as we see it from our windows ; and when the tide is out diminishes to a rivulet about two feet in width. At flood it is more than twice the width of the Wissahickon, and wlien the high tides of August come its magnitude is surprising. Then we understand why the hay-ricks (which we wickedly tell our friends from the '^ Hub " resemble gigantic loaves of Boston brown bread) are on stilts ; for, regardless of dikes or boundaries, this tortuous creek spreads over its whole valley, as if in emulation of the 8G OVER THE BORDER. greater river of wliicli it is a tributary. Hali- biirton says that for a time this was called Allan's Kiver, and the greater one was named the Danphin ; but wo are glad that the old French iiame was restored to the serpentine creek, as it is so much better saited to its peculiar character. The great event of the week is the arrival of the Boston steamer, when all the town turns out and wends its way to the wharves. The peculiar rise of the tide (thirty feet) is here plainly sliown, as one week the passengers step off from the very roof of the saloon, and next time she comes in the}' disembark from the lowest gangway possible and climb the long ascent of slipper}' planks to the level above. The river shows curious ciirrents and coun- ter-currents, as bits of debris are hurrying up- ward in the middle of the stream, while similar flotsam and jetsam rush away as rapidly down stream along both shores. The queer old tub of a ferry-boat, with its triangular wings spreading at the sides, — used as guards and " gang planks," — is a curiosity, ANNAPOLIS. 87 as it zigzags across the powerful current to the village on the opposite shore. But '' the ferryman 's slim, the ferryman 's young, and he 's just a soft twang in the tnrn of his tongue ; " and in our frequent trips across he probably makes a mental note when he hears us lamenting that we cannot get lobsters, for one day he sends to our abiding place four fine large ones, and will not receive a cent in rennineration. Another time, when waiting for the farmer's sou to guide us to the '* ice mine," — a ravine in the mountains where ice remains throuoh the summer, — a delicious lunch, consisting of fresh bread, sweet milk, and cake, is unex})ect- edly set before us, and the generous ftxrmer's wife will not listen to recompense. A modern writer says: *' A great part of the enjoyment of life is in the knowledge that there are people living in a worse place than that you inhabit ; " but it does not add to our hapi^iness to thiidv of those who could not come to this lovely spot ; and we commiserate the Can't-get- away Club of the cities. 88 OVER THE BORDER. We would not chang-e places with any of the dwellers at the fashionable resorts at sj^rings, sea, or mountains, — no, indeed ! though they no doubt w^ould elevate their noses, and set this place down at once as '' deadly dull," or " two awfully slow for anything ! " Doubtless those also of our friends to whom we tell the plain, unvarnished truth, if they come here will be disappointed, as they will not see with our eyes. On^e cannot expect the luxuries of palatial hotels at five dollars per day ; such would be out of place here. At our abiding place, Mdiich looks like a gentleman's residence, and is, as one of the Halifax guests says, "not a bit like an 'otel," there is an extensive garden, from which we are regaled with choice fresh vegetables daily ; and we have such home-made butter ! (The bill of fare "to be issued in our next "). A French- man might think that "we return to our mut- tons " frequently ; still, as that viand suggests at least the famous English Southdown in excel- lence, we are resigned. A noted wit has said : " Doubtless God might ANNAPOLIS. 89 have made a better berry than the strawberry, but doubtless God never did ; " and if one is so fortunate as to come to this country in proper season he can feast on that delectable fruit in its perfection, — that is, the wild fruit, so much more delicious and delicate in flavor than after its boasted " improvement " by cultivation. If one arrives before the close of the fisheries, salm- on, fit for a royal banquet, g-races the table ; while even in July and August he may enjoy shad ; and strange enough it seems to Philadel- phians to be eating that fish at such time of year. There are in the town a number of inns, and summer guests are also made welcome and com- fortable in many of the private residences. In one of the latter — a large old-fashioned house, with antique furniture — three sisters reside, who possess the quiet dignity and manner of the old school ; and here one would feel as if visiting at one's grandfather's, and be made pleasantly *' at home." We are surprised to find tliat this old town has generally such modern and New-England- ish aspect ; and are told that it has twice been 90 OVER THE BORDER. nearly destroyed by fire, even in modern times ; therefore but few of the quaint buiklings remain. Some of these are picturesque and interesting, the one combining jail and court-house being a feature of the main street. The window of one of the cells faces the street ; and the prisoner's friends sit on the steps without, whiling away the tedium of incarceration with their converse. The oldest dwelling in the town stands on St. George's Street, nearly opposite the old- fashioned inn known as the Foster House. Its walls were originally made of mud from the flats, held together by the wiry marsli grass, which, being dried, was mixed in the sticky substance as hair is in plaster ; but as these walls gave way from the effects of time the seams and cracks were plastered up, and by degrees boarded over, until now the original shows only in one part of the interior. The houses throughout this region are almost invariably without blinds or outside shutters, and consequently look oddly to us, who are inclined to screen ourselves too much from "the blessed sunshine." Bay windows are popular. ANNAPOLIS. 91 We saw one small house Avitli four double and two single ones, giving- it an air of impertinent curiosity, as the dwellers therein could look out from every possible direction. The ancient dormer windows on the roofs have given place to these queer bulging ones, which, in Halifax especially, are set three in a row on the gray shingles, and bear ludicrous resemblance to gigantic bee-hives. In some of the shops, at the post-office and railroad station, our money is taken at a small discount ; but in many of the shops they allow us full value for it. In one the proprietor tells us of the sensation caused here once by the failure of a Canadian bank, and the surprise of the to wn's-people — whose faith seemed shaken in all such institutions — when he continued to take United States bank-bills. He says: ''I told 'em the United States Government had n't failed, that I believed in it yet, would take all their money I could get, and be glad to have it, too ! " To continue ihe impression of being in a for- eign land, we must attend service at the five or 112 <)\j:/{ 'I'm: lumnhiii. six (lirrcrcnl, ('liiircli(»«, ;iii(l lusir llid |)r;iy('rs loi' IIk^ (^)ii<'(iii ;iii(I lu»y;il I*\-iinily. In IIki lirsj, j)liic(^ ol" worsliip, \vli(M-(i lli(i (>cl;i,\(» JUif^iiuviilH tlu^ (•(mnTOj^-jiiloii, Vi('lori;i ;ni(l in.'Uiy ol' licr riui)iiy ;ii'() iiK'iilioiKMl 1>)' I'lill ikiiiki ;in(l lillc, ill sonorous .ind ni(>;isnr(>(I tones; in IIk^ iicxI, \\\v p.'isior speaks of ''Our Son crcij^ii, and (liosc^ IIU(I(M' Ikm' and owr us ; " in anollier 'M)iii- (,^)ii(HUi " is simply rcifcu'inMl to; and scuno unnis- t(M'S ANdio ai'o sns])(H'l(i(l of Iteinj*' tincluiUMl wlili. i'(*pnldi('anisni soniellines lor<^mai-kaldy busllinjn" or busy, U(^ see lono- i-oNNs of i^iH^al; (dd lunvtliorn hiislics l)ord(M-- in^" iIh^ road, and !^'i\ino- (piilo an Mn;.';lisli toiudi to llio sceiu^; and en (M-\ \vlier(> oionnlic, n])))l(^-lr(H>s, \vln(di \vould delij^ld an arlisi, so d(di('Ionsl\ i^uar-Jed and crooktMl ar(> llie\'. 1 am n(»l awart^ iliai astrouom)' is a. liivoi'ito slu(U will) llio inliabilants, but 1im,V(> no donbl llial c'xit'ycal ol)S(M'^'aliollS are ])opulai- al, vcv~ lain seasons, — as lliis conidrN- is a. lanioiis apple- i;roNvinn' disliiel, and (hat iViiII. is sent ANNAl'OIJS. 93 from licro to Finn-buid ;ni(I llio States in v;isl. (|iiinititi(\s. ()ct;ivius siiys, "II" yon would know wliat {uni-jipol-is, yon slionld conu! Iicrc* in tlio full," bnt is at o^n'v. IVowncd down l)y tlio otlun* seven for tliis nlroclly. '^J^lio valleys of AniinjMdis ;ind ( -oi-nwallis yield ;m }iv(a'a«»'o crop of two linndiHMl llionsniid bariHils of jij)|)l('s. Denlers in IJnn^or who j)ai(l $7 ])(^r hnrnd in Boston for lliis IVnit, have afterwards Ixumi elni^rincMl on discovering- that it came from Aini;i|)olis ori;j;inM,lly, and tlwit they conld have procnreil ihe Siinu^ from llint place direct Jit $2.25 to $3 pur barrel. Very lovely is tla; vi(!w from m, hill ont- side the villii|»'e, and thei'e ;ilso is the Wishin;^ Kock, — one of the most noted objects (d' in- terest, as a fi^uide-book Avoiild term it. "They say" that if one cini rnn !(► tli(i top without assistance, or lonchin},'' th" a musical company, the Octave accept this peroration without criticism, and do not seem to consider it an extravagant rhapsody, tlioug-li tliey are so daring as to take exception to otlier parts of tlie queer ohl })oem. As we liave come liere for i-est, we are not disturbed at finding that trains, etc., are not always strictly " on time." We are summoned at 7.15 A.M., but breakfast is not served for more than an hour after; we engage a carriage for two o'clock, and perhaps in the neiglibor- ANNAPOLIS. 103 liood of tliroe see it driving up in a leisurely manner. The people are wise, and do not wear themselves out with unnecessary rusli and hurry, as we do in the States. The train advertised to start for Halifax at 2 p.m. more frequently leaves at 8, or 3.30; but tlien it has to wait the arrival of the steamboat which, four times per week, comes across from St. John. The express train requires six liours to traverse tlie miles intervening between this quiet village and that not nuicli livelier town, while for the accommodation train they allow ten Jiours ; but when one comes to see beau- tiful country one does not wish to have the breath taken aAvay by travelling at break-neck speed. We know that some of our party are capable of raising a breeze, and we are on a gal(e)a time anyhow ; still, tliis is a remarkably breeze- place, the wind rising with the tide, so we un- derstand why there are so few flowers in tlie gardens, — the poor blossoms would soon be torn to pieces ; but the windows of the houses generally are crowded with thriving plants gay 104 OVER THE BORDER. with bloom, giving most clieeiy effect as one strolls about the town. In our excursion to the Bay Shore we halt to water the horses at a neat little cottage on the summit of the North Mountain, and even here the little garden (protected from the winds by a fence) is all aflame with a wonderful variety of large double and gorgeous poppies. From this point, also, we have our first view of the wide Bay, shimmering in the hazy sunlight far below, and can faintly trace the rugged hills of New Brunswick in the distance. Rapidly descending, we follow the coast for several miles, finally stopping at a lonely house on the rocky and barren shore, — such a wild spot as a novelist would choose to represent a smuggler's retreat ; but the family would not answer his purpose in that respect, for they are homely and hospitable, agreeing at once to pro- vide stabling for our horses and to sell us some milk for our lunch. They drop their net-mend- ing, come out en masse, and, on learning that some of us are from Philadelphia, greet us like old friends, because their eldest daughter is ANNAPOLIS. 105 living in that distant city. The best pitcher is brought out for our use, the whole establish- ment placed at our disposal, and, finding that we will be so insane as to prefer to picnic under the few straggling pines by the water instead of using their dining-room, several march ahead to show the way to the rocky point; and Ave form a long and, of course, imposing procession. As we gaze along this barren and lonely shore, Octavia exclaims, '' Imagine the amaze- ment of De Monts when he sailed alono- this u'on-bound coast and suddenly came upon that wonderful gateway which leads into the beau- tiful Annapolis Basin and the fertile, lovely region beyond ! " and we all agree that it is a shame that the embouchure should now be known by the vulgar title, Digby Gut, instead of its old cognomen, St. George's Channel. "Why couldn't they call it the Gap or the Gate ! " one exclaims ; '' that would n't be quite so dreadful." One evening some of our jileasant acquaint- ances in the town come to take us to Lake La 106 OVER THE BORDER. Rose, away up on the South Mountain ; and there we embark and glide over the placid water in the moonlight, rousing the echoes with song, and vainly endeavoring to uproot the coy lilies, which abruptly slip through our fingers, and " bob " down under the water as if enjoying our discomfiture. But as Dame Nature tries her hand at painting in water- colors, treating us to a series of dissolving views, the shower forces us to hurry back to the village again. Before leaving this " vale of rest," we must see the widely extended panorama from the Mackenzie road, where hills beyond hills stretch away to the horizon, and the lovely valley spreads itself like a map below. The bird's- eye view from Parker's Mountain must also be seen, and many other excursions accomplished. The old cannon of Lower Granville also is " one of the sights." This ancient piece of ordnance was fired in old times to notify the quiet country folk when news was received from England. At such times relays, seven to ten miles apart, mounted in hot haste and car- ANNAPOLIS. 107 riecl the messages on until Digby was reached ; and from thence a vessel conveyed the news to Boston. As we are talking of all we have seen in this region, and of our various enjoyments, Octavia exclaims, '' Some persons thouglit we could .not be content here for a week ; yet more than six have slipped away, and I 'm sure I don't want to go ! I shall tell my friends that though we are ' remote,' the rest of the quotation does not apply, for we are neitlier ' unfriended,' ' melancholy,' nor ' slow ! ' " How often has it been our fate, wlien among the mountains of New Hampshire, to see the grand ranges, disappearing behind a thick cur- tain of smoke, wliicli, daily growino- denser, at last almost completely blots out Nature's pictures, so there is no use in undertaking excursions for the sake of fine views. The explanation is invariably " fires in the Canada woods ; " and here, in this '' cool, sequestered vale," we have an opportunity of seeing forest fires before we take our departure for otlier fields of observation. After sunset we are ap- 108 OVER THE BORDER. parently almost surrounded by volcanoes, as the lurid flames leap up into the deepening black- ness of the night ; and when we lovers of Na- ture, distressed afterwards by seeing vast tracts all scarred and desolate, exclaim, " Why did n't they stop it I Why did they allow it ? " echo answers, '' Why % " One day we learn that a mill on L'Equille is threatened, and expect that there will be some excitement ; but a very old-fashioned fire- engine, with clumsy hand-power pumps, goes lumbering by, followed by men and boys, who walk in a leisurely and composed manner. The mill is saved by some means, however ; and we rejoice, as it is, so to speak, historical, standing in a place favored for such purposes since Lescarbot's time; even Argall (in 1613), when demolishing other buildings of the village, hav- ing spared the mill which occupied the site of the present one. In our various wanderings we visit the Indian settlement at the head of this crooked stream, but find its residents too civilized to be very picturesque. We are interested in learning what ANNAPOLIS. 109 the Canadian Government does for their welfare, and wish a similar policy could be instituted in the States. Here, as with us, liquor is their curse. The once famous chief of the Micmacs lives at Bear River, and is addicted to the bot- tle. One day a young girl, who was a summer guest at this place, sat down on an overturned canoe which this chief (now known as James Mouse) had just completed ; and, as the bark bent with her weight, the wily Indian pretended that the boat was irretrievably ruined. The girl's father, asking what amount would com- pensate for the damage, received reply, " Ten, twenty, dollar ; " and receiving thirty dollars from the generous stranger. Redskin remarked afterwards that he '' wished more girl come sit on boat," and probably turned the money into liquid fire, and poured it down his throat in a short space of time. As there is a heavy fine for selling liquor to Indians, one of that race will never divulge from whom he has received it, however intoxicated he may be. Another Indian sachem noted in history — Membertou — lived to the age of one hundred 110 OVER THE BORDER. and four, and was buried at Annapolis, then Port Royal, with military honors, as befitted the companion of soldiers. At Poutrincourt's table he was a daily and honored guest in that olden time, and, when the " Order of Happy Times " was instituted there, of course became a member too ! Query : Did that ancient con- vivial society offer suggestions to the famous old '' State in Schuylkill Chib " of Philadelphia when they were organizing so many years after ? DIGBY. DIOBY. In the drive to Digby, twenty-one miles, we pass along all the ins and outs of the shore of Annapolis Basin, finding the succession of views on that curiously land-locked harbor a perfect study and deliglit, and more picturesque than on the trip to the same place by steamer, as we discover later. There we see a bright-ej^ed, prett}' little maiden, who wears a gay red handkerchief in place of a hat, and makes a picture as she drives her cow over a bit of moorland. Driver says she is "one of the French people," and that her name is Thibaudia, which, M'ith its English signification (a kind of heath), seems appropriate for one living in the wilds, and deliciously foreign and suggestive. We won- der if old Crumplehorn understands French, and conclude that she is a well-educated ani- mal, as she seems to obey directions without 114 OVER THE BORDER. needing a touch of willow-brancli to punctuate them. Sometimes it seems that the names cojiferred On mortals at baptism in this qiieer M^orld Seem given for naught but to spite 'em. Mr. Long is short, Mr. Short is tall, And who so meek as Mr. Maul 1 Mr, Lamb's fierce temper is very well known, Mr. Hope plods about with sigh and groan, — " And so proceed ad inhnitum." At one point on our route, when we are passing through a lonely and apparently unin- habited region, our jolly driver, '' Manyul," remarks, " Here 's where Nobody lives ; " Jind one replies, " Yes, evidently ; and I should n't think any one would wisli to." But a turn of the road brings a liouse in sight ; and driver says, "That's his house, and his name is ac- tually Nobody " (Charles, I believe). We quote, " What 's in a name 1 " and conclude that if he is at all like the kindly people of this region whom we have met he may be well content to be nobody, rather than resemble many whom the world considers " somebodies," but who are not models in any respect. DTGBY. 115 Our driver is quite a character in bis way, and in the winter he '' goes a loggin'." On learning tliis we ply him Avith questions in such manner as would surprise a lawyer, elicit- ing in return graphic pictures of camp-life in New Brunswick wildernesses, and the amuse- ments with which they while away the long evenings in their rough barracks. He describes their primitive modes of cooking, their beds of fragrant spruce boughs overlaid with straw, — '' Better 'n any o' your spring mattresses, I tell you ! " — the queer box-like bunks along the wall where they "stow themselves away," and where the most active and useful man is, for the time at least, literally laid on the shelf. Octavius, thinking how much he would enjoy "roughing it" thus, asks what they would charge to take a young man to board in camp ; and driver indignantly replies, " Nothin^! Do you suppose we 'd charge board I No, indeed ! Just let him come ; and if we did n't give him a good time, and if he didn't get strong and hearty, then we 'd be ashamed of ourselves and sell out." Here we approach a cove which driver calls 116 OVER THE BORDER. the Joggin (as it makes a cut or jog-in, we pre- sume) ; and beyond, a wide arm of the Basin is spanned by a rickety old bridge, at least a quarter of a mile long, named in honor of her Majesty, — hardly a compliment to that sover- eign, we think. The boards are apparently laid down without nails, and rattle like a fusillade as our vehicle rolls over them. Here and there planks are broken or gone entirely, showing the green swirling water beneath. Our chaper- one, ha^dng more faith in her own feet than those of the horses, dismounts and walks across ; while we, being naturally reckless and romantic, are willing to risk our necks for the sake of the charming views. The village of Digby stretches along the shore, and from the hills surrounding it the Basin with its islands, the Gap, and Annapolis Kiver, are charming. Disciples of old "Izaak" would be likely to meet with greater success here than at Annap- olis ; as the current of the river at the latter place is so strong that, as a general thing, only the "old salts" are anglers; and they being DIG BY. 117 most of the time out in the Bay or off on cruises, it follows that fish are scarce in the market. An "ancient and fish-like smell" pervades the atmosphere in some parts of the village where the herring — humorously known as " Digby Chickens" — are spread on racks to dry ; but this odor, the odd little shops and restaurants, the clumsy and queer lumber- boats, the groups of tars gossiping about door- ways and wharves, only add to the nautical character of the place, and suggest reminis- cences of " Peggoty," '^ Ham," and others of Dickens's characters. We ignore the pleasant embowered hotel " in bosky dell," far up the street this time, though we visit it in a later sojourn ; and, ''just for the fun of it," take lunch in one of the peculiar little restaurants ; where, seated at a minute table in one of the tiny calico-curtained alcoves, we partake of our frugal repast (the bill of fare is extremely limited), amusing our- selves watching the odd customers who come to make purchases at the counter across the 118 OVER THE BORDER. room, and "making boliovo" that we are cliar- ac-tors in an old Eng-lisli story. On \]\o, l)luff boyond the village, beneath great old I);ilin of (lilead trees whose foliage is porpetiially in n ilutter from the breeze tlirongh the ()l;i.]), there ;ire several cannon, whicli it seems could not possibly have any hostile intent, but a,])pear to be gratifying a mild curi- osity by jxH'ring across tho Basin and up the river beyond. The long and xovy high ])ier stretches far out \\\i(> tlu^ r)a,sin, and upon it picturesque groups nnconsciousl}' pose for us, adding to the eflect of the picture. l^luit the climate is salubrious and conducive to longevity wo are convinced after visiting the cemetery, where one tomb records the demise of a man at tlie age of one hundred and two I A peculiar taste for wandering among the tombs Ave have actpnred in this snnnner jaunt. Here we see tiie tond) of one recorded proudly as "descended from the noble families of Stuart and Bruce," who, tradition says, was supposed to luiv(^ held the })osition of servant to said DIGBY. 119 scions of nobility. One who was known as a scoffer durin<^ life here is virtuously represented as " a sincere worshipper of Eternal, Almighty and ever just God; " reminding us of the popu- lar adage, '' lying like an epitaph." Twice have we seen one stone made to do service for two in an amusing manner : on the upper part the usual, ''Sacred to the memory of," etc. ; then half-way down had been carved a hand pointing to one side, and under it the words "There lies;" while the name, age, etc., of the later decedent was inscribed below the first. One old tomb we were with this epitaph : — " Tho' gready worm destroy my skin And gnaw my wasting flesh When (lod doth buihl my bones agen Ho '11 cloatli thorn all afresh." and another: — " What says tho silent dead He bids me bear my load With sileiit steps proceed And follow him to God." We notice that the English rule of the road maintains here, and our driver turns to the left 120 OVER THE BORDER. when other veliicles are approaching. Captain C, who is from the States, tells us that he did not know of this custom, and in his first drive nearly collided with another vehicle, the driver of which thereupon used strong lan- guage. On being informed that he had almost overturned the conveyance of the Governor of Prince Edward's Island, the rash Yankee, undismayed, remarked, '^ Well, I don't care who he is, he don't know how to drive ! " HALIFAX. HALIFAX. Of course, as we are in the neighborhood, we must see the locahty to which — in mild and humorous profanity — States people are sometimes assigned; and therefore proceed to Halifiix and thoi-oughly " do " that sedate, quiet, and delightfully old-fashioned city. En route, as tlie train passes beyond Wind- sor, one says, " Here we are out of sight of land ; " and we then understand that it must have been some one from this locality who christened the A^alley of Annapolis the Garden of Nova Scotia ; for here a scene of utter sterility and desolation meets the view : not a foot of earth is to be seen, but rocks are piled in wild confusion everywhere. A few dead trees stand among the debris, emphasizing the loneliness ; and Conductor says when the world was created the "leavings" were deposited in this dreary tract. 124 OVER THE BURDER. l>y s])Oci{il aiTJingonieiit witli " Old Prob," there are none of the prevailing fogs during- our stay; and Aurora Borealis gets up a spe- cial illuinination. Regiments of red-coats, with torches and band, — aware cU)ubtless of tlie presence of such distinguished strangers, — march past our liotel in tlie evening. Though we are qiuirtered in what is called tlie best liotel, it is a nuisty, fusty, rusty old building; and we agree with our friends among the residents (who vie with each other in show- ing us true English hospitality) who say they need an enterprising Yankee to start a good new hostelry, and " to show 'em how to run it." Just at this time of year the city is full of summer tourists, many of whom come direct from Baltimore by the ocean steamsliips, which touch ;it -this port ; but, as we are subject to mal-de-mcys tortures, we rejoice that ^ye came by " overland route." Though our friends have engaged rooms for us beforehand, we are fortunate in securing apartments on the fourth iioor, where peculiar HALIFAX. 125 coils of rope by the windows at once attract our attention. These, on examination, we find liave big" wooden beads (like the floats of a seine) strung on them at regular intervals; and this peculiar arrangement is a primitive fire- escape, which we are positive that no creature but a monkey could use with safety. The prevailing fogs, and the use of soft coal, cause the buildings to appear dingy and rusty ; but we like them all the better for that, as the city has a more foreign air, and, in some parts, quite strongly suggests Glasgow. In the Parliament building we study the old portraits, concluding that the wigs nmst have been uncomfortable. Octavius wickedly hints that there is a fixshion among ladies of the present time ! — but as he does not tread on our toes, we ignore this insinuation, and turn our attention to the elaborate ornamentation of the wood- work — which is all antique hand-carv- ing — in the council chambers; and are much interested in some rare old books in the Li- brary, — among them a copy of the Psalms, three hundred years old ; and another, with 126 ovi'jn Till': iu)i!ni<:ii. , music, (latod 1(j12. lloro also wo sec and are actually mIIowcmI to liMndlci a l)()olc, — " I'llHSKNTlflD 'I'O THE I/KOISLATIVE LlBllARY Ol'' Nova Sdo'i'iA IN MMMOIt-V Ol'' III'IK OKI'lAT ANI> OOOD IlUWitAND IIV IIIH JIHOKMN lllilAKTMIi WIDOW VICTORIA i:." iiiid of coiirso Jii'o duly ovorpowoiHul nt bc- lioldiii<4' ilu^ valuable autogrjipli of that sov- ereign. In Olio of tlu^ oluirclics we are informed that 51 ('(n'tiiiu balustrade '' is from America, and is jdl warvd," but do not iind it marvellousl}^ heantiful nevertheless. or tho o-:M-d(Mis the natives are justly proud, jis in this moist atmosphere jdants, trees, and ilow(>rs tiourish remarkably; still, we are not willing to concede that they are *' the linest in America," as we have been told. We conclude, as we pass the largo Admiralty House, with its spacious and beautiful grounds, HALIFAX. 127 that Sir Somebody Something must find it a comfortable thing to be " monarch of tho sea, tluj ruler of tlio Qticcn's navoo," and may witli reason say, — "When at anchor here 1 ride, my bosom swells with pride," whih^ Ilalifjix herself, with her famous harbor, in wliich the navy of a great and powerful nation could find safe anchorage, witli room to spare, might justly finish out his song with the appropriate words concluding the verse : — "And 1 snap my fingers at a fooraan's taunts !" Then the Citadel, the very name of which revives reminiscences of Quebec, and suggests something out of the every-day order of sum- mer jaunts. As we ascend the hill to the for- tress, the first thing attracting our attention is amusing. The " squatty " looking clock-tower, which appears as if part of a church spire, had been carried away by a high wind and droj^ped down on tliis embankment. Octavius says, " What a jolly place for coasting, if it 128 OVER THE BORDER. were not for the liabilit}- of being plunged into the harbor at the foot ! " as we mount the hill. At the gate we are consigned to the care of a tall soldier, whose round fatigue cap must be (jhied to his head, or it certainly would fall off, so exti'eme is the angle at wliich it inclines over his ear. A company of soldiers are drill- ing within the enclosure, their scarlet coats quite dazzling in the bright sunlight and in contrast with the cold gray granite ; while others, at op- posite angles of the walls, are practising signals M'ith flags, the manoeuvres of the latter being quite entertaining as they wave the banners, now slowly, now rapidly, diagonally, vertically, horizontally, or frantically overhead, as if sud- denly distraught. Probably this exercise could be seen in any of our forts ; but as we are now beyond the borders of the United States, every detail interests us, and we have become aston- ishingly observant. The gloomy and massive bomb-proof walls of the soldiers' quarters appear quite prison-like, with their narrow windows ; and our guide, speaking of the monotony of garrison life, rejoices that in a few months his 1 o HALIFAX. 129 term of service will expire, and then he "will go to the States." " The States " seem to be a Land of Promise to many people of this region ; and, though this is gratifying to our national pride, we can- not but see that many make a mistake in going to " America ; " as, for instance, the young girls of Annapolis, who, leaving comfortable homes, hie away to Boston, where, if they can get positions in an already crowded field, they wear themselves out in factories ; or, having a false pride which prevents them from acknowl- edging failure and returning home, they remain until, broken down by discouragement and dis- appointment, compelled to accept charity. On this account the service at Annapolis is not what might be desired; and Octavius humor- ously wonders, when the ^' green hand" per- sistently offers him viands from the wrong side, "how he is expected to reach the plate unless he puts his arm around her." "But we digress." As our party, with other sight- seers who have joined the procession, promenade about the fort, a culprit in the 130 OVER THE BORDER. guard-room catches sight of the visitors as they pass, and, evidently for their hearing, sings mischievously, — " Farewell, my own ! Light of my life, farewell ! For crime unknown I go to a dungeon cell." We conclude, as he is so musical about it, that he does not feel very much disgraced or oppressed by his imprisonment, though some one curiously inquiring '''■ why he is there," learns that it is for a trifling misdemeanor, and that punishments are not generally severe ; though the guide tells of one soldier who, he says, ''threw his cap at the Colonel, and got five years for it ; and we thought he 'd get ten." From the ramparts the picture extending be- fore us southeastwardly is very fine indeed, as, over the rusty houses shouldering each other up the hill so that we can almost look down the chimneys, we look out to the fortified islands and points, with the ocean beyond. Point Pleasant, thickly wooded to the water's edge, hides the strangely beautiful inlet from HALIFAX. 131 the harbor known as the North West Arm, which cuts into the Lincl for a distance of four miles (half a mile in width), sugg-esting a Nor- wegian fiord ; but that, and the country all about the city, we enjoy in a long drive later. On the return, regardless of the gaze of passengers astonished at our unconventional actions, we sit on the platform of the rear car, while " Pleasantly gleams in the soft, sweet air the Basin of Minas," and the model conductor plies us with bits of information, which we devour with the avidity of cormorants. GRAND PRE. GRAND PRE. Finally the brakeman shouts '* Grand Free ; " and Octavia remarks, *^ Yes, indeed, this is the prand prlx of our tour," as the party stej) ofF the train at this region of romance. The galh^nt conductor, with an air of mj-ster}^, leads the wa}^ to a storage-room in i\\Q Httle box of a station, and there cho2)s pieces from a cla}'- covered \Aimk and presents us as souvenirs. *' Pieces of a coihn of one of the Acadians, exhumed at Grand Pre fourteen months ao-o, near the site of the old church," we are told ; and when he continues: "A Avoman's bone was found in it," one unromantic and matter-of- fact member of the Octave asserts, *'Evano-e- line's o-randmother, of course ; " wliile another sceptically remarks, ''Tliat's more than / can swallow ; it would g-ive me such a spell o' coughin' as I couldn't get over;" but the conductor and others stanchly avouch the 136 OVER THE BORDER. genuineness of the article, affirming that they were present " when it was dug up." The '' forest primeval," if it ever stood in this region, must have clothed the distant hills which bound the vast meadow, and now are covered with a dense growth of small trees Avliich are not " murmuring pines." A superannuated tree in the distance it is said once shaded the smithy of '' Basil Lajeu- nesse," that '' mighty man of the village ; " and only stony hollows in the ground mark the site of the house of "Father Felician" and the village church. It was to this spot, then, that the wondering peasants were lured by stratagem, when, — " with a summons sonorous Sounded the bell from its tower, and over the meadows a drum beat. Thronged ere long was the church with men. Without in the churchyard, Waited the women. They stood by the graves, and hung on the head-stones Garlands of autumn-leaves and evergreens fresh from the forest. Then came the guard from the ships, and marching proudly among them GRAXD PRE. 137 Entered the sacred portal. With loud and dissonant clangor Echoed the sound of their brazen drums from ceilin"- to casement, — Echoed a moment only, and slowly the ponderous portal Closed, and in silence the crowd awaited the will of the soldiers." After refreshing ourselves with pure, clear, and cold water from tlie old well, — made by the French, and re-walled a few jears ago, — we turn away, with "a longing, Ihigering look behind," and continue our drive throu<>"h the great prairie, which resembles tlie fertile meadow-land along the Connecticut Eiver. We stop a few moments near a picturesque little church of gray unpainted wood, and look off over the verdant fields to the point Avhere a distant shimmer of water catches the eye, and the hills bound the picture. Near at hand, on the right, the trunk of an aged apple-tree, "planted by the French," shows one green shoot; and about the church are Lombardy poplars, which, though good-sized trees, are perhaps only shoots from tliose planted by the Acadians, in remembrance of such arboreal grenadiers of their native land. 138 OVEli THE BORDER. The old French dike is surmounted by a rough rail fence, and is now far inland, as hun- dreds of acres liave been reclaimed beyond, — " Dikes that tho hands of tho farmers had raised with labor incessant Shut out the turbulent tides." Our lamented American poet never visited this reg'ion which he describes so delightfully ; his reason being that, cherishing an ideal pic- ture, he feared reality might dissipate it. Yet an easy journey of twenty-eight hours would have brought him hither ; and we, feeling con- iident that he could not have been disap- pointed, shall always regret that he did not come. As an appropriate close to this sentimental journey, we drive through the secluded Gas- pereau valley, along the winding river, which is hardly more than a croek, toward its wider part where it flows into the Ixisin, which stretches out broad and shining. AYith such a view before us, we cannot fail to picture men- tally the tragic scenes of that October day in GRAND PR^. 139 1755, when the fleet of great ships lay in the Bashi, and " When on the falling tide the freighted vessels departed, Bearing a nation, with all its household gods, into exile. Exile without an end, and without an example in stcn'y ; " those wliom Burke describes as "the poor, innocent, deserving people, whom our utter ina- bilit}'- to govern or reconcile, gave us no sort of riglit to extirpate," were torn from their happy homes, and " Scattered like dust and leaves, when the might}' blasts of October Seize them, and whirl them aloft, and sprinkle them far o'er the ocean." In the midst of tliese peaceful scenes was per- petrated a cruel wrong, and an inoffensive people banished by the mandate of a tyrant ! In that beautiful poem, parts of wliicli one unconsciously " gets by heart," or foils into the habit of quoting when sojourning in this lovely region, Basil tlie blacksmith says : — " Louisburg is not forgotten, nor Beau-S^jour nor Port Iluyal;" 140 OVER THE BORDER. and having- held an impromptu history class on the subject of the last mentioned, we turn our attention to the other fortified points of which "the hasty and somewhat irascible" sledge- Avi elder spoke. By tlie treaty of Utrecht in 1713 Acadia was ceded to the English ; but the French colonists, in taking the oath of allegiance to their new rulers (1727-28), were promised that they should not be required at any time to take up arms against France. They were now in the position of Neutrals, and by that name were known ; but this placed them in an awk- ward predicament, as they were suspected by both contending powers. The English hated them, believing their sympathies to be with the French; while even their countrymen in Canada w.ere distrustful of them, urging them to withdraw. » The English colonists, fearing the extension of the French possessions, and having Puritan- ical aversion of Roman Catholicism, — of which the Neutrals were devout adherents, — entered upon the expedition against the French forts GRAND PRE. 141 with the zeal of fanatics, seeming in some in- stances to consider their incursions in the light of religious crusades. These "men whose lives glided on like rivers that water the woodlands," whose descendants are to this day childlike and simple-hearted, could not understand these political distinc- tions, and naturally clung to the pleasant farms Avhich they had reclaimed from the sea and cultivated so diligently, being most reluct- ant, of course, to leave those " Strongly built houses, with frames of oak and of chestnut, Such as the peasants of Normandy built in the reign of tho Henries. Thatched were the roofs, with dormer-windows ; and gables projecting Over the basement below protected and shaded the doorway." The French dominions were guarded by a chain of forts extending all along the Atlantic coast, from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. That on Cape Breton Island, which protected the approach to the St. Lawrence, was considered invincible, its walls being thirty feet high, forty feet thick, and surrounded by a moat eighty feet in width. 142 OVER THE BORDER. Boston sent out a fleet of forty-one vessels and three thousand men to Cape Breton, to assail the " Gibraltar of America," as the fort of Louisburg was called. Forces from New Hampshire and Connecticut joined the expedi- tion at Canso ; and this remarkable fortress, whose fortifications alone cost five million dol- lars, was besieged, and capitulated after forty- nine days, yielding to untrained soldiers ; the victory owing to "mere audacity and hardi- hood, backed by the rarest good luck," as one English writer says. The conquerors them- selves were amazed at their success when they discovered the great strength of the fort. Their victory was, in fact, due largely to manoeu- vres which deceived the French regarding the strength of their forces. This was ten years before the dispersion of the French Neutrals was effected ; and during those years the Acadians, being zealous Catho- lics and devoted to the mother country, natu- rally but almost unconsciously were drawn into the disputes between France and England ; and it is not to be wondered at, if, as some authori- GRAND PRE. 143 ties state, there were three hundred of their young" men found in arms when the Enghsh attacked Fort Beau-Sejour. The French had built Forts Beau-Sejour and Gaspereau on the neck connecting the peninsula of Nova Scotia with the mainland, to guard the entrance to their territory. A few hot-headed youths, who thought they were honestly serving their coun- try and people by taking up arms in defence, might have been fo-rgiven, particularly as it is known that some were pressed into the service, and that the oath which they had taken years before absolved them from taking arms against France, but did not pledge them against serving in her defence. These forts were taken b}^ Lieutenant-Colonel Moncton in June, 1755, the garrison of Beau- Sejour being sent to Louisburg on condition that they should not take up arms in America for six months. Prince Edward's Island — then called St. John's Island — fell into the hands of the English when Cape Breton was taken, and the inhabitants were sent to France. In the summer of 1755 matters seemed to be culmi- 144 OVER THE BORDER. nating", and the bitter dissensions were brought to a crisis. The Neutrals were again called upon to take the oath, the following- being the form in which it was presented to them : " Je jDromets et jure sincerement, en foi de Chretien, que je serai entierement fidele et obeirai vrai- ment sa Majeste Le Roi Georg-e, que je recon- nais pour le Souverain seigneur de I'Acadie, ou nouvelle Ecosse — ainsi Dieu me soit en aide." But this was not the " reserved oath," as the former one was called ; and the Acadians, feeling themselves bound by the old pledge, asked ex- emption from this, and requested the restoration , of arms which had been taken from them, agree- ing also to keep faithfully the old form of oath. Deputies from the settlements near Port Royal (which were above, below, and almost on the site of the present town of Annapolis), at Pisiquid (now Windsor), Minas, etc., were sent to Halifax, where a long conference was held ; but the deputies still declining to accept the new oath, they were imprisoned, and the deportation of the Acadians decided upon. In order to do this artifice was resorted to, to pre- GRAND PRE. 145 vent the people from suspecting what was in store for them, and that the poor peasants might have no chance to leave themselves or carry away their possessions, '' Both old men and yonng men, as well as the lads of ten years of age," were called, by a proclamation, " to attend at the church at Grand Pre " at a certain time ; and it was declared that "no excuse" would ''be admitted, on any pretence whatever, on pain of forfeiting goods and chattels, in de- fault of real estate." The settlers on the Basin of Minas were immigrants from Saintonge, Poitou, and La Rochelle, who came to this country in the early part of the seventeenth century. The land which they had reclaimed from the Basin was rich and fertile ; they exported grain to Boston, and became prosperous. The object of the call to the church does not seem to have been suspected. When Basil says, — " Four days now are passed since the English ships at their anchors Ride in the Gaspereau's mouth, with their cannon pointed against us. 10 146 OVER THE BORDER. What tlieir designs may be is unknown ; but all are com- manded On the morrow to meet in the church, where bis Majesty's mandate Will be proclaimed as law in the land ; " Benedict responds, — "Perhaps the harvests in England By the untimely rains or untimelier heat have been blighted, And from our bursting barns they would feed their cattle and children." But in the church the mystery was solved soon enough, and naturally a terrible scene en- sued. They were informed that their "lands, tenements, cattle, and live-stock of all kinds were to be forfeited to the crown, with all tlieir ef- fects, saving their money and household goods," and they themselves banished ; though, " so far as the capacity of the transports permitted," they were "to be allowed to carry their household goods with them," They were also promised that families should not be separated, and that the transportation should be made as easy as possible. Then they were declared prisoners, and the GRAND PRE. 147 church became the guard-liouse. Ten men at a time were allowed to leave the building, to })nck their goods and assist in the preparations for departure ; and when they returned ten others were also permitted to leave for a time. While Moncton was destroying Remsheg, Shediac, and other towns on the Gulf coast, Ilandfield gath- ered up the French Annapolitans, and Murray those about Windsor, putting them on ship- board; and on the 21st of October the shi})s, with their wretched passengers, set sail. In the confusion and hurry of embarkation some fami- lies were separated ; and it is on this fact that the story of Evangeline is founded. Most of the exiles were scattered among the towns of Massachusetts ; and in the State House in Boston some curious old records relate to them, one town desiring compensation " for keeping three French pagans," from which it seems that there was still prejudice against , them because of their religion. " From the cold lakes of the north to sultry southern Savannahs," to the region where 148 OVER THE BORDER. " On the banks of the Teche ai-e the towns of St. Maur and St. Martin," to the parish of Attakapas " and the prairies of fair Opelousas " in Louisiana, some of the exiles wandered. Their descendants live there at the present time, and are known as Cajeans. Though sometimes harshly treated in the towns where they were quartered, though shouldered off from one village to another when one grew weary of or made excuses for not maintaining them, the poor wanderers were mild, gentle, and uncomplaining. A writer in " Canadian Antiquities " says : ^' None speaks the tongue of Evangeline ; and her story, though true as it is sweet and sor- rowful, is heard no more in the scenes of her early days." The way in which it came about that Long- fellow wrote his poem was in this wise : one day, when Hawthorne and a friend from Salem were dining with the poet, the Salem gentle- man remarked to the host, '' I have been trying GRAND PRE. 149 to persuade Hawthorne to write a story based on a legend of Acadie and still current there, — the legend of a girl who, in the dispersion of the Acadians, was separated from her lover, and passed her life in waiting and seeking for him, and only found him dying in a hospital when both were old." The host, surprised that this romance did not strike the fancy of the novel- ist, asked if he himself might use it for a poem ; and Hawthorne, readily assenting, promised not to attempt the subject in prose until the poet had tried what he could do with it in metrical form. No one rejoiced more heartily in the success of the world-renowned poem than the writer who generously gave up an opportunity to win fame from his working up of the sad theme. Authorities differ widely regarding the num- ber of persons expelled from Acadia, many his- torians giving the estimate at seven thousand. In a letter from Governor Lawrence to the governors of the different colonies to which the exiles were sent, he says : '* As their num- bers amount to near seven thousand persons, the driving them off with leave to go whither 150 OVER THE BORDER. they pleased would have doubtless strengthened Canada with so considerable a number of inhabi- tants." Bryant says : " Seven thousand prob- ably represented with sufficient accuracy the total French population of Acadia in 1755 ; but the entire number of the exiled did not exceed, if Minot be correct, two thousand, of whom many subsequently returned to Acadia." Five years after the departure of the exiles a fleet of twenty-two vessels sailed from Con- necticut for Grand Pr'i with a large number of colonists, wlio took possession of the deserted farms. They found sixty ox carts and yokes, Avhile on the edge of woods of the inland country and in sheltered places heaps of bones told of cattle which had perished of starvation and cold after their owners were forced to leave them to such a fate. A few straggling families of the Acadians were also found, who had es- caped from the search of the soldiers, and had lived in hiding in the wilds of the back country for five years, and during that time had not tasted bread. CLARE. CLARE. " Only along the shore of the mournful and misty Atlantic Linger a few Acadian peasants, whose fathers from exile Wandered back to their native land to die iu its bosom. In the fisherman's cot the wheel and the loom are still busy ; Maidens still wear their Norman caps and their kirtles of homespun, And by the evening fire repeat Evangeline's story." Resolved to see these curious '* Clare settle- ments," extending for fifty miles on the coast, where descendants of the French Acadian s live in peace and unity, we reluctantly take our departure at last from dear old Annapolis, which has been our restful haven so long, and where we have been reviving school-days in studying history and geograj^hy seasoned with poetry and romance. Altliough it was expected that the W. C. R. R. would be completed from Yarmouth to Annapolis by the latter part of 1876, we are pleased to find that this is not the 154 OVER THE BORDER. case, and that wo shall have to take steamer, train, niid carriage to our destination ; antici- pating' that any place so out of the beaten track nnist be interesting. The French settlements, a succession of strag-g-ling hamlets, were founded by descend- ants of the exiles, who, — " a riift as it woro from tlio shipwrecked nation, . . . BoTiiul by ilu) bonils of a coiiuiiuu boliof and a common misrorLuno," drifted back to "L'Acadie" in 17G3, the year of the treaty between France and England. Tlie lands of their fathers in their old haunts on tl»e r)a,sin of Minas were in possession of people from New England ; and, having a nat- ural and inherited affection for localities b}^ the sea, tliey wandered down the coast and scat- tered along shore as we find them now. A pleasant excursion l)y steamer to Digby, thence proceeding some miles by rail, finally a long but charming drive by the shore of St. Maiy's Bay, and we are set down at the house of a family of the better class, among these kindly and old-fashioned farming and fisher folk CLARE. 155 This beautiful bay is tliirty-fivo miles long-, was christened Baie St. Marie l)y Chaniplain, and here the four ships of De Monts lay in calm and secure harbor for two weeks in 1604, while the adventurers were examining the shores of Nova Scotia, — explorations in which the dis- covery of iron pyrites deluded them with the belief that tliis would prove an El Dorado. Madame M. at first looks dismayed at the appeai-ance of such a group of strangers at her door, and is sure she cannot acconnnodate us ; but her daughters slyly jog her elbow, saying something in an undertone, as if urging her to consent, and we are made most domfortable. At first the family are a little sliy, but in a couple of days we become cpiite well ac- quainted; and, when the time comes for our departure they "wish we could stay longer," — a wish which we heartily re-echo. Madame proudly displays her treasures in hand-spun and home-woven linen and blank- ets ; also a carpet, the material for wliicli she first spun, then dyed, and finally wove; and, though it has been in use for ten years, it is still 156 OVER THE BORDER. fresh and sliows no apparent wear. In response to our entreaties, she shows ns the loom, and brings out her spinning-wheel to instruct us in that housewifely accomplishment. How easy it looks, as the fleecy web moves through her fingers, and winds in smooth, even yarn on the swiftly- turning reel ; and, oli, what bungling and botching when we essay that same ! The two pretty, modest, and diffident daughters are quite overcome at last, and join in our peals of merriment. One — oh bliss ! — is named Evangeline, and, if we understand correctly, there is an old name similar' to this among these people. Though they sing some charming old French chansons for us, the two sweet girls cannot be induced to converse in that language. Ma- dame laughs, saying, "Dey know dey doant speak de goot French, de fine French, so dey will only talk Angleesh wid you." But in the evening, when Octavia sings an absurd college song, with a mixture of French and English words, they enjoy the fun ; and immediately set to work to learn: — CLARE. 157 " Oh, Jean Eaptiste, pourquoi vous grease My little dog's nose with tar 1 Madame, je grease his nose with tar Because he have von grand catarrh ; Madame, je grease his nose Parcequ'il he vorries my leetle fite chat." Then the pretty Evangeline in turn becomes instructor, the theme being an ancient peasant song of France wliich her grandmother used to sing. One pla3\s the melody from memory, while the other hastily rules a bit of paper and writes off the notes, afterwards copying the words from a scrap of tattered manuscript; and thus the lady from " America " feels that she has secured a pretty souvenir of the visit : LES PERLES ET LES ETOILES. Andaijte. J^:E5^ES^3EJ ^e£ 1. Comme les pedes et les ^ - toi - les Or - nent de - ji le front des oieux ! La 2. Sur un soup-^on tu t'es en-fuie Je pleure helas ton a - ban-don Par 3* ^P33=E^ ^r 4^^ 3=^ 158 OVER THE BORDER. nuit e - tend par - tout son voile Elle vient de - ji fer - mer mes yieux, Re - un bais - er je t'en sup -pile Viens m 'accord -er un doux par - don. Oh. I 3^ 3 -P- i -^— t "^" "*" -~ — #- SE ^— ^- J=i^= rf^=^ :i=q- iti^zt viendras tu dans un doux songe, mon bel ange, toi que j 'adore Me crois le bien ma bonne a - mie Pour te re - Toir oh ! oui, un jour, Je ^l ^ ig: -i- -i- zj. :w- -i- -5- -P P- ^ ]^: =S=i' •^-#: re-pe-ter di - vers mensonges Me re - pe - ter "je t'aime en -core I" don-ne-rais tou - te ma vie Je don - ne - rais tons mes a - mours ! T^ S ^ ^ ^ — P" The word ^'■mensonges''' has not the meaning in French which our literal translation would CLARE. 159 give it. It probably signifies the pretty false- hoods or white lies to which lovers are some- what addicted. The next day is Sunday, and troops of people, in their peculiar costume, appear on the road from all directions, wend- ino- their way to the great white wooden church. * Despite the innate grace of the French, of which we hear so much, we see that the young men among these peasants are not unlike the shy and awkward country lads of Yankee- land. Before and between the services they roost on the fence opposite the church, while the young girls — totally oblivious of their proximity, of course — gather in groups on the other side of the road, gossiping. We infer that many have come a long distance to attend service, as we see several families eating their lunch, picnic fashion, in the fields near the church. In the church, what a sensation the strangers make, and hoAV interesting is the ser- vice ! To one of us, at least, the grand service of Notre Dame of Paris was not so impres- sive as this. In the one case, a famous Bishop, 160 OVER THE BORDER. robed in priceless lace and cloth of gold, with a troop of acolytes at the altar, while the most famous singers of the Opera filled the vast structure with rapturous melody ; in the other, a large plain wooden building with glaring windows of untinted glass ; the priest in vest- ments of coarse Nottingham lafte and yellow damask, — but with spiritual, benignant coun- tenance, — and a choir of untrained voices. A company of men droned out Gregorian cliants in painfully nasal tones, using antique books with square-headed notes ; then the sweet voice of our host's daughter, Evangeline, sounded solo, and her youthful companions in the choir took up the chorus of the Kyrie Eleison : — " Then came the evening service. The tapers gleamed from the altar, Fervent and deep was the voice of the priest, and the people responded, 'Not with their lips alone, but with their hearts ; and the Ave Maria Sang they, and fell on their knees, and their souls with de- votion translated, Eose on the ardor of prayer, like Elijah ascending to heaven." CLARE. 161 The young girls array themselves in hats and costumes which are only two or three years behind the prevailing mode; but the attire of the middle-aged and elderly women is striking and peculiar. For Sundays, this is invariably black throughout, and yet does not look funereal. The dress is of plain bombazine or alpaca, a shawl folded square, and over the head a large silk handkerchief, which nnist be put on with greatest exactness and care to make just so many folds at the sides with a huge knot under the chin ; while the point at the ^back hangs below the neck, and generally has one or more initials neatly worked in colors C cross-stitch") in the corner. As most have clear olive complexion, with rich color in the cheeks, and lustrous black eyes, this head- dress is surprisingly becoming, giving quite a gypsyish effect. During the week, a calico dress with long white apron is worn by women and children, and over the head a light chintz handkerchief, or a gay *' bandanna;" — quite suggestive of the every-day wear of foreign peasantry. We 11 102 OVER THE BORDER. are told that a <>-irl's woaltli is sometimes esti- mated by tlie number of lumdkerchiefs she owns. Mrs. R. says she has, in winter, seen n girl divest herself of no less than ten head-ker- chiefs ; taking- them off, one by one, and care- fully folding- them in the most natural manner, jis if there could be nothing uncommon or amusing- in the proceeding-. The old women, in winter, wear enormous cloaks, made with a larg-e square yoke, into which eiii-ht oi- ten breadths of material are closely plait(Ml, — this unwieldy g-arment com- pletely enveloping- them from head to foot. These distinctive features in costume are disa})pearing', and ere long- our American peas- juitry may become commonplace and uninter- esting-. Let us hope that they ma}^ never lose the sweet sim])licity, frankness, honesty, thrift, and other pleasing characteristics which they now possess. In the houses is seen a peculiar rocking- settle, similar to those in use among the Penn- sylvania Dutch. This odd piece of furniture has one end railed in front to serve for cradle ; CLARE. 163 SO papa, mamma, and baby can rock and "take comfort " together. Towards evening we visit the convent, where the sisters — who probably do not receive fre- quent calls from visitors — seem glad of the opportunity for a pleasant chat and a bit of news from the outside world. They show us through their exquisitely neat establishment, where, in the culinary department, a ci-one who is deaf and rather childish approaclies us with such strong evidence of delight, tliat we expect at least to be embraced ; but a sign from the Superior relieves us from the impending demonstration. At sunset, as we stroll along the road, three pretty little girls who are driving home a flock of geese tempt us to air our French a little, and a lively conversation ensues, causing their black eyes to sparkle and their white teeth to flash bewitchingly. One of the children explains why one of the awkward birds wears a clumsy tri- angular collar of wood, with a stake apparently driven through its throat, " to prevent it from going through the fences ; " and when one of 164 OVER THE BORDER. the strangers, imitating the waddHng gait of the creatures, improvises, — Bon soir, Madame Oie, Veux tu le ble 1 II est a toi ! such a shout of merry laughter is heard as one might willingly go a long way to listen to. When one gives her name, " Th^rese le Blanc,'''' our query, '' Yotre pere, est il la Notaire f " strange to say, puzzles her; but she probably is not familiar with a certain famous poem, although our hostess and her daughters have perused it. As time passes, and she feels better acquainted and at ease with us, Madame M,'s younger daughter amuses us by showing some mis- chievous tendency ; and we conclude she is something of " a tease." In the most artless manner, and without intentional familiarity, she slides her arm through Octavia's in a con- fidential manner and imparts some important information '' dans I'oreille," What is it ? Well, remember it is whispered ; and now donH CLARE. 165 go and tell ! It is that there is a swain who is p]vangeline's special devoted ; and the quick bliisli which rises most becomingly on that damsel's cheek speaks for itself. We have seen for ourselves how " Many a youth, as he knelt in the church and opened his missal Fixed his eyes upon her ; " and as our eyes turn to the lovely view of the Bay Avith its sheltering highlands we can readily imagine how, on just such evenings as this, — " apart, in the twilight gloom of a window's embrasure, Sat the lovers, and whispered together, beholding the moon rise Over the pallid sea," while " Silently one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven. Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels." We do not ask if the lover's name is "■ Gabriel," but earnestly wish her a happier lot than that of the sad heroine of Grand Pre's story. The sun sinks behind the hills which bound lovely St. Mary's Bay, and we plainly see the two curious openings known as the Grand Pas- 166 OVER THE BORDER. sage and Petit Passage, through which the fish- ermen sail when conveying their cargoes to St. John. The Petit Passage is one mile wide ; and passing through this deep strait the hardy fishermen can, in favorable weather, cross to St. John in eight to ten hours. These highlands across the Bay, known as Digby Neck and Long Island, are a continuation of the range of mountains terminatino;' in Blomidon on the Minas Basin, and so singularly cut away to make entrance to Annapolis Basin, at St. George's Channel, vulgarly known as Digby Gut. When De Monts and his party were ready to cpntinne their cruise from this sheltered haven, behold ! one of their company — a priest — was missing ; and though they waited several days, making signals and firing guns, such sounds were drowned by the roar of the surf, and never reached the ears of the poor man lost in the woods. At last, supposing that the wanderer had fallen a prey to wild animals, the explorers sailed away, and, finding the entrance to Annapolis Basin, began to make preparation for colonizing at Port Royal. CLARE. 167 Sixteen days after the disappearance of the priest, some of De Monts's men returning to this Bay to examine the minerals more thoroughly, Mere attracted by a signal fluttering on the sliore, and, hurrying to land, there found tlie poor priest, ema.ciated and exhausted. W.hat strange sensations the distracted wanderer must have experienced in these forest wilds, with star- vation staring him in the face ! No charms did he see in this scene which now delights us ; and doubtless, with Selkirk, would have exclaimed, '' Better dwell in the midst of alarms, than to live in this beautiful place." This strange wild coast and the Cod Banks of Newfoundland were known to and visited by foreign fishermen at a very early date. "The Basques, that primeval people, older than histor}^," frequented these shores ; and it is supposed that such fisheries existed even before the voyage of Cabot (1497). There is strong evidence of it in 1504; while in 1527 fourteen fishing vessels — Norman, Portuguese, and Breton — were seen at one time in the Bay of Fundy, near the present site of St. John. 168 OVER THE BORDER. When we question our hostess as to the species of finny tribes found in these waters, she mentions menhaden, mackerel, ale wives,- lierring-, etc. ; and, proud of her English, con- cludes her enumeration with, '' Dat is de most only feesh dey kotch here." Another drive of many miles along- the shore brings us to the neighborhood of the very jumping-off place of the Scotian peninsula, with novel sights to attract the attention en route. Now and then a barn with thatched roof; here a battered boat overturned to make Piggy and family a habitation ; there heavy and lumbering ^/^ree-wheeled carts, with the third rotator placed between the shafts, so the poor ox Avho draws the queer vehicle has n't much room to spare. Huge loads of hay pass us, and other large farm-wagons, drawn invariably by handsome oxen. Tlie ox-yokes are a constant marvel to us ; 'for, divested of the bows, they are fastened with leather straps to the bases of the poor crea- tures' horns. Evidently there is no " S. P. C. A." here ; and we cannot convince those with whom CLARE. 169 we converse on tlie subject that the poor ani- mals would pull better by their shoulders than by their heads. At several places we see the clumsiest windmills for sawing* wood : not after the fashion of the picturesque buildings which Don Quixote so valiantly opposed, but a heavy frame-work or scaffolding- about twelve feet in height. To this is attached a wheel of heaviest plank with five fans, each one shaped like the arm of a Greek cross, and the whole so pon- derous we are confident that nothing less than a hurricane could make it revolve. Here is a house entirely covered with dia- mond-shaped shingles, having also double and triple windows, which are long, narrow, and pointed at the top, yet not suggestive of the gothic. Next we pass a point where an old post-inn once stood, and where the curiously curved, twisted, and strangely complicated iron frame which once held tlie swinging sign still remains. Many a bleak ride did that mounted carrier have, no doubt, in days of yore ; and we can imagine him saying : — 170 OVER THE BORDER. " The night is late, I dare not wait ; the winds begin to blow, And ere I gain the rocky plain there '11 be a storm, I know ! " At our final halting--place all is bustle, in preparation for a two days' fete, which com- mences next day; nevertheless, had we been princes of the realm, we could not have been shown truer hospitality. Pere Basil Armand himself waits upon us, while his wife is cook- ing dainties for the coming- festival ; and the pretty Monica, g-iving up her neat apartment to one of our party, lodges at a neighbor's. Monsieur R., though seventy-eight years of age, retains all his faculties perfectly, is straight as an Indian, his luxuriant hair unstreaked with gray, and he is over six feet in height. He reminds us of the description of Benedict Belle- fontaine : — "Stalwart and stately in form was the man of seventy winters ; Hearty and hale was he," an oak that is covered with snow-flakes ; " but our host is even a finer specimen of vigor- ous age. Then his books — for he is collector of customs, a post which he has held for twenty- CLARE. 171 five years — would amaze many a younger clerk or scribe ; and he is amused, but apparently gratified, when we ask for his autograph, which he obligingly writes for each in a firm, clear, and fine hand. He says of the people of this settlement, that they generally speak patois, though many, like himself, can speak pure French ; that they are faithful and true-hearted, industrious and thrifty. He adds: "We are not rich, we are not poor, but we are happy and contented." During the fearful scenes of 1793 an amiable priest of great culture, a man noble in character, as by birtli, fled from the horrors of the French Kevolution, and found among this simple, child- like people a peaceful haven and happy home. This earnest man, Abb^ Segoigne, devoted him- self in everyway to their good, governing them wisely and well, and might truly have said, in the words of Father Felician, — " I labored ainong you and taught you, not in word alone but in deed." Many years he resided here. His memory is now venerated almost as that of a saint, and 172 OVER THE BORDER. we are of course greatly interested when Mon- sieur R. brings out, with just pride, his greatest treasure, — a cumbersome and quaint old vol- ume which was once the property of the good priest. There is a strong feeling of brotherhood, like the Scottish clanship, among the people ; and the lands of parents are divided and subdivided, so the children at marriage may each receive a portion as dower, and " settle down " near their childhood's home ; consequently the farms are '^ long drawn out," extending sometimes in very narrow strips for a mile or more inland. Abbe Eaynal writes most poetically, although not absolutely in rhyme, of this gentle brother- hood, " where every misfortune was relieved before it could be felt, without ostentation on the one hand and without meanness on the other. Whatever slight differences arose from time to time among them were amicably ad- justed by their elders." Our driver says " etwelles" for etoiles, '^ fret" for froid, "si" for oui, etc.; the dancing crests of the waves he calls " chapeaux blancs," which CLARE. 173 is similar to our appellation, and also speaks of " un bon coop de the," showing* that an English word is occasionally adopted, thoiig-li hardly recognizable in their peculiar phraseology. Our pleasant acquaintance, Dr. R., who lived here several years after he "came out" from England, tells us that the mackerouse, a wild duck, is found here ; and, as it subsists upon fish, the people are allowed to eat that bird on Fridays. He also says that the pigs wade out into the mud at low tide to root for clams; while the crows, following in their tracks, steal the coveted shell-fish from under the very noses of the swine. Of the remarkably long nasal appendages of this peculiar porcine species he adds, "They do say that they'll root under a fence and steal potatoes from the third row ! " In this locality we hear Yarmouth spoken of as if it were a port equal to New York in im- portance, and so it doubtless seems to these simple untravelled people. In reality it is a prosperous maritime town owning one hundred and thirty thousand tons of shipping, and is a mildly picturesque place when the tide is high. 174 OVER THE BORDER. The Indian name appropriately signifies " end of the land," and one might natm'ally suppose, when arriving there, that he had reached '' that famous fabled country, ' away down east ; ' " thousrh, should he continue his travels to Lab- rador, that mythical region would still lure him on. The inhabitants are mainly seafaring men, — many of the captains of Cape Ann fishing fleets came from here originally, — and they call the Atlantic from Cape Ann to Yarmoutli all Bay of Fundy, though that is '' rather stretching it." It was 'near here that De Monts made his first landing and caught a nightingale (May 16, 1604). Not far beyond, about the shores of Argyle Bay, a great man}^ " French Neutrals" found refuge in 1755 (though an English ship tried to rout them) ; and they were hunted like wild animals about here for two or three years after. We conclude that the hamlets on the upper part of St. Mary's Bay are most interesting, and that it is hardly worth while to continue down the coast unless one desires to take steamer from this port to Boston. CLARE. 175 In our strolls about the village, we come to a point on the shore where a boy has a quan- tity of fine large lobsters which he has just taken from the trap ; and when one of our party asks for what price he will sell some, the an- swer- — ^"One cent each" — is so astoundins" that the query is repeated, so we may be convinced that we have heard aright. Pere Basil is evi- dently surprised at our taste when he sees us returning with our purchases, as he remarks, "We don't think much of those at tliis time of year;" from which we infer that at some seasons they have to depend so much upon fish, lob- sters, etc., that they become weary of them. There is such Gallic atmosphere about this place (and trip) that Octavia is infected, and perpetrates doggerel on a postal, which is to be mailed from the ''land's end" to acquaint foreign relatives with our advent in a foreign country also ! — Tont est " 0. K." Je suis arrivee Dans ce joli pays, Avec bonne saute, Mais bien fatisuee. 176 OVER THE BORDER. Adieu. E. B, C. (0 quelle atrocite ! Mais je n'ai ni grammaire !Ni dictionnaire frangais.) " Pleasantly rose next morn the sun," and though we are up and out betimes, — " Life had long been astir in the village, and clamorous labor Knocked with its hundred hands at the golden gate of the morning. Now from the country around, from the farms and the neighboring hamlets. Came in their holiday dresses the blithe Acadian peasants. Many a glad good morrow and jocund laugh from the young folk Made the bright air brighter, as up from the numerous meadows, Group after group appeared, and joined or passed on the highway. Long ere noon, in the village all sounds of labor were silenced. Thronged were the streets with people ; and noisy groups at the house-doors Sat in the cheerful sun, and rejoiced and gossiped together. Every house was an inn, where all were welcomed and feasted ; For with tliis simple people, who lived like brothers to- gether. All things were held in common, and what one had was another's." CLARE, 177 Pere Basil is surprised to find that we have not come especially to attend the festival, of which we had not heard until our arrival, though he evidently thinks the fame of their elaborate preparations has travelled far and wide. While we are waiting for the vehicles which are to convey us to the railroad station (a long drive inland) many most picturesque groups pass the door; some walking, some riding on ox-carts, and all carrying flowers, pyramidal and gorgeously ornamented cakes, or curious implements for games, totally un- known to us moderns ! Our host has a pleasant greeting for all, and receives cordial reply, and sometimes merry jest and repartee from the happy revellers. Much to our delight, our route to the station passes the grounds where the fete is held ; and here we see booths of boughs, a revolving swing (which they call a "galance"), fluttering flags, and gay banners. Merry groups of young people are engaged in games or dances, while the elders are gos- siping, or look on approvingly, and the air is 12 178 OVER THE BORDER. filled with lively music. Can it be that the melodies which we hear are the famous old ones, ''Tons les Bourgeois de Chartres" and ''Le Carillon de Dunkerque " ! It would hardly surprise us, as tliis quaint place seems a century or so behind the times. We wish we could stop for an hour or two to watch them ; but trains wait for no man, and we must return to Digby and there take steamer for St. John. That short passage of twelve leagues has been our bugbear for some days, as travellers whom we met at Annapolis pictured its hor- rors so vividly, representing its atrocities as exceeding those of the notorious English Channel. Yet we glide as smoothly through the eddies and whirlpools of the beautiful Gap as a Sound steamer passes through Hell Gate. This remarkable passage-way is two miles in length ; the mountains rise on either hand to the height of five hundred and sixty and six hundred and ten feet, the tide between rushing at the rate of five knots an hour. We note gray, water-worn rocks at the sides, CLARE. 179 resembling pumice in appearance, though of course very much harder stone, and evidently of similar formation to tliat of the ovens at Mt. Desert And now we sweep quietly out into the dreaded Bay of Fundy, the water of which rests in such oily quietude as even Long Island Sound rarely shows. On this hazy, lazy, sunny afternoon not a swell is perceptible (unless some among the passengers might be designated by that title) ; and after four and a half liours of most dreamy navigation, we enter the harbor of St. John, where the many-tinted signal lights are reflected in the black water, and a forest fire on a distant liill throws a lurid light over the scene. When the tide turns, there can be seen fre- quently far out in the Bay a distinct line in the water, — a line as sharply defined as that between the Arve and Rhone at their junction near Gleneva. It is when wind and tide are at variance that the roughest water is encoun- tered; and they say that if one would avoid an unpleasant game of pitch and toss, the pas- sage across should not be attempted during or 180 OVER THE BORDER. immediately after a blow from the northwest or southeast. So make a note of that ! Old salts at Annapolis told us that the water of the Bay " gets up " suddenly, but also quiets down soon, and that after a windless night one might be reasonably certain of a comfortable trip across. Having supposed that St. John had lost half its cliarm and quaintness since the fire, we are surprised to find so much of interest when we are out at the ''top of the morning" next day, and are reluctant to leave ; but here the Octave disintegrates, scatters to finish the season else- where ; and each member, on arrival at home, probably invests in reams of paper and quarts of ink, setting to work to tell his friends all about it, and where ''they must surely go next L'ISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." "L'ISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." (a lettee by the way.) " Beautiful Isle of the Sea ! " When we said, "Let us go to Mt. Desert," Joe gave us Punch's advice on marriage : "Don't!" Sue said, "It lias lost half its charms by becoming so fashionable ; " and Hal added, as an unanswerable argument, " You '11 not be able to get enough to eat." As to his veracity on this subject we cannot vouch, though we can testify to his voracity, and mischievously throw a quotation at him : — " The turnpike to men's hearts, I find, Lies through tlieir mouths, or I mistake mankind." Despite such discouragements, being natur- ally obstinate, go we do ; and here we are in the most refreshingly primitive and imfashion- able abiding place, the domicile commanding a view which cannot be equalled by any public 184 OVER THE BORDER. house on the island. From the piazzas and our windows the eye never tires of gazing- on the beautiful bay with its numerous islands, — a charming" picture, with the blue and symmet- rical range of Grouldsboro' hills for background. From a point not far back of the house, the eye ranges from the head of Frenchman's Bay out to the broad ocean ; while a retrospective view takes in the wild mountainous region of the interior of this lovely isle. We arrive at a fortunate time. For a long while previous Nature had persistently enveloped her face in a veil, giving an air of mystery which the summer guests did not appreciate. The skipper of the yacht which conveys us when we circumnavigate the island tells us " there is a fog factory near by," a statement which, for a few davs, we are inclined to credit. The nabobs of Newport, the Sybarites of Nahant, and even the commonplace rusticators at other shore resorts have been served in the same man- ner, however ; so we sympathize with them fully, and with them exult at the final dissolution of the vapors, as the gray curtain gradually lifts 'TISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 185 and rolls away, its edge all jag-ged as if torn by the lance-like tips of fir and spruce trees as it swept over them. These noble hills are densely wooded, but not with the forest giants one sees among the White Mountains ; and when I express my surprise thereat, I am told that fifty or sixty years ago the greater part of the island was denuded by fire, so that remains of the primeval forest can only be found in distant spots not easily accessible. Notices are now posted in the woods at various points, by which " visitors are earnestly requested to extinguish all fires which they may light, and not to strip the bark from the birches." In our inland excursions the rugged moun- tains, with their storm-scarred, rocky summits, wild ravines, and forest-embedded b.ases, so constantly suggest the grand scenery of New Hampshire that we can hardly realize that we are anywhere near the sea. Then, on a sudden turn of the road, a broad stretch of ocean — blue, sparkling, and sail-dotted, framed in graceful birches, feathery larches, and dark pines — comes upon us as a surprise. 186 OVER THE BOEDER, The peculiar vehicle which is here known as a " buckboard" we find a comfortable convey- ance, with a motion which seems a combination of see-saw and baby-jumper. The " body " is composed of four long boards laid side by side, supported only at the extreme ends where they are hung over the axles. The seats are in the middle. They are neither elegant nor graceful, but easy, " springy " vehicles, which, having neither sides nor top covers, give unimpeded views, and are excellent for sight-seeing, though not precisely the thing for rainy weather. Canoing is a favorite amusement ; and in the management of these light and graceful boats many of the summer guests become quite ex- pert. The motion suggests that of a gondola. A catamaran scoots about the harbor among the islands ; tiny steamers, sailing craft of all kinds, are seen ; and sometimes United States training ships sail majestically into tlie bay and drop anchor, giving a finishing touch to the picture. Skippers are very cautious, and frequently will not allow their canoes or other boats to go out, although it may appear perfectly safe to 'TISLE DBS MONTS DESERTS." 187 the uninitiated. Visitors rarely have any idea what sudden " flaws " and gusts of air are caused by the position of and openings between the mountains; and when these, as well as the tidal swell and currents of the ocean about the shore, have to be studied, navigation be- comes scientific. The arrival of the steamer is the great event of the day ; and on Sunday, after morning ser- vice, the butterflies of fashion flit to the pier to see the landing of passengers. It is rather embarrassing for weary travellers to be obliged to ''rim the gauntlet" as they pass through the gay throng, for every one stares with all his might. This does not seem to be considered rude here, and every one is met by a ''battery of eyes ; " I presume because each person ex- pects, if he remain here through the season, to meet every one whom he ever knew. The yachting and tennis costumes which are worn here would certainly cause many of the sober residents of the Quaker City to open their eyes wide with horror, — if they were able to open them, and were not blinded by 188 OVER THE BORDER. the first glance. One divinity, in scarlet and white striped awning-cloth, we christen the " mint stick." And such hats ! — each so placed upon the head that, however huge, it is utterly useless as a shade ; but as effect is what all are striving for, any other consideration is of no importance whatever. Such attire would be hooted at in some places ; and we wonder that it does not strike old settlers breathless with amazement at the extravagances and follies of ''these city folks." Jim quotes, " Any color so it's red," when surveying a brilliantly attired company at this place, as that aggressive hue pre- vails. These fantastic costumes are frequently seen in the mornings on the shore, where the wearers are engaged in an amusement here known as ''rocking," This consists in loung- ing on the rocks with interesting youths, who, arrayed in picturesque yachting or tennis suits, pose artistically, and, beneath the shade of scarlet or Japanese umbrellas, talk of — the weather, of course. Elsewhere this would be known as flirting. We do not approve of the names of some of 'TISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 189 the public houses, and wonder that they could not have chosen more suggestive titles. The " Hotel des Isles " has a more suitable and appropriate cognomen, — if they would spell it correctly, which they invariably do not. This name is borne by descendants of the old French settlers, but is now, sad to tell, pronounced by their contemporaries " De Sizzle." We call our house Pleasant Haven, or Restful Retreat, though it appears under a different title in the guide-book. It would never do to tell what its name '' really and truly " is, lest you should think I have been engaged to '' puff" it. We have delicious bread and excellent fare ; and, though this is plain, of course, all is temptingly served, and everything neat and nice enough for any one. Our rooms are extremely plain, but neat. Closets are unknown ; but on hooks along the wall on one side of the apartment we hang our garments, protecting them with chintz cur- tains which we brought for the purpose. A resident of Fifth Avenue occupies the garret- rooms above, having selected them from choice ; 190 OVER THE BORDER. and, expatiating on their advantages in quiet, air, and views, becomes an Attic Philosopher. Occasionally we get out our fineries, and go to some " hop " or entertainment in the village, but return better satisfied with our present home ; and, snapping our fingers at Mrs. Grundy, do not envy any of her votaries. If our advice were asked, we should say: " Come to one of the smaller hostelries, like this, where you can be independent and comfortable ; and bring half-worn winter garments, with boots ditto, to be prepared for tramping and excur- sions." The excursions which can be taken I will not enumerate ; will merely state that the ascent of Green Mountain, in clear weather, and the drive to Great Head are most satisfactory. On our way to the latter point we stop at Anemone Cave, w^iere we enjoy an impromptu concert by members of Philadelphia glee clubs, the fine voices and beautiful harmonies being en- hanced by the dark arch of rock and the cease- less music of the surf, which forms a grand accompaniment. ''L'ISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 191 The view from Green Mountain is quite unique, the eye traversing ocean and land for forty miles in any direction ; following- the sin- gularly serrated coast of Maine, the course of Somes Sound, — that remarkable inlet from the sea which almost divides the island, — and trac-. in«- the wavinsr line of far distant mountain ranges. The mainland is curiously cut into long rocky points and ragged peninsulas, from which the islands seem to have broken off and drifted out to sea. From this height (fifteen hundred and thirty-five feet) the ocean seems placid and smooth, — much less awe-inspiring than from the shore, Avliere the surges roll in with such tremendous power, as if endeavoring to crush the towering cliffs Avhich oppose them. The clustering buildings of Bar Harbor appear like a chikl's playthings, or Nuremberg toys ; the miniature vessels like sea-gulls just alighted ; the white tents of the Indian encampment ludi- crously suggest a laundry with big " wash " hung out to dry; and the whole scene looks as if viewed through the large end of an opera glass. It is a peaceful and beautiful picture for 192 OVER THE BORDER. memory to treasure and look back upon with deliglit. At Fernald's Point, at the base of Flying- Mountain, two miles north of Southwest Har- bor, is the supposed location of the French set- tlement, which was founded by a party of priests and colonists sent out from France to Port Poyal (now Annapolis, Nova Scotia), who, losing their way in fog, landed here. The peaceful little com- munity, after only a few weeks' occupancy, were routed by that grasping individual, Argall, the deputy-governor of Virginia, who was detested by his own colonists for his tyranny and rapac- ity. That person, not content with the domains which his position entitled him to govern, cruised along the Atlantic coast, making many such in- cursions among the colonists. In this case, after destroying the buildings, he cruelly set adrift in an open boat fifteen of the poor, harmless people, who, after suffering great hardships, were picked up by a trading vessel and con- veyed to St. Malo. We wonder that investiga- tions have not been made ere this at this spot, as it seems probable that old implements and e E c ''VISLE DES MONTS DESERTS.'' 193 objects of interest might be brought to hght. How we wish we were members of the Maine Historical Society, and by that body empow- ered to superintend excavations at the site of a colony which was in existence (1G13) seven years before the landing of the Piloiims ! Samuel de Champlain, friend, associate, and pilot of De Monts in the latter's investigations of his possessions in Acadia (in 1604), was sponsor of this island which has since become so famous, of which he speaks as '' La grande Isle des Monts Deserts ; " and by the early Lord of the Realm the whole of Frenchman's Bay was also called La Havre du Saint Sau- veur. That wicked Jim says that the Indian name of the island must suggest itself to some travellers on their way here, unless they come by the land route. Tliere are thirty-five guests in our house, wlio form a pleasant company ; and though of course there is great diversity of taste and character shown among them, they form a harmonious as- sembly. In the evenings we liave '' sings," read- ings, games, and charades, frequently growing 13 194 OVER THE BORDER. hilarious. Sedate professors, dignified divines, and learned writers enter into these sports with the zest of schoolboys on a holiday. Some of these games may be new ; and that others may derive amusement for similar occasions, I will describe two of them. In one, called Compari- son, the company seat themselves in a circle. Each one whispers to his right-hand neighbor the name of a person (known to the company) ; to the one at his left, the name of an object. Then each in turn gives aloud the name which his neighbor whispered to him, and tells why he or she resembles the object, making the comparison complimentary or otherwise. The uncom23limentary comparisons are generally the most laughable, and of course all under- stand that 't is " all for fun," so no one takes any offence. For instance : " Mr. J. resembles the harbor bar, or did this morning, because there was a heavy swell rolling over him ; " the company understanding this as an allusion to a frolicsome tussle which Mr. J. had with the beau of the house. A rli3aTiing game also affords much amusement. One person gives *'L'ISLE DES MONTS DESERTS.'' 195 his neighbor a list of words, — the words end- ing- tlie lines of a sonnet or part of a pociui, — and tlie person receiving the list must till in the lines, bringing* in the words given, in proper order, at the ends of the lines. In the follow- ing instance the words italicized are the ones which the player received from his neighbor ; in this case the terminal words of Longfellow's beautiful description of a calm night by the sea will be recognized, although the word " ocean" was inadvertently substituted for " organ : " — " All the long white beach is sileiit As a beach should ever be, While the sea-gulls stand and listen To the moaning of the sea. All the solemn oysters gather, Gazing upward to the 5^7/, While a lobster breaks the silence. Crooning low his litany. Little shrimps in their dark cdverris. Eating supper all alone. Looking out upon the ocean, Whispering in an undertone : * 'T is sad and lonelj'' by these beaches, Shall we never go beyond ? ' All the barnacles, uprising, 'j^ever,' tearfully respond.'" 196 OVER THE BORDER. As we are by the sea, nautical rhymes seem to turn out naturally. The writer of this re- markable effusion is evidently not an evolu- tionist, though he may think there are some " queer fish" among the heterogeneous inhabi- tants of this island. At last the day comes when we must turn away from these lovely scenes ; and it is with regret, and many a backward look, that we are conveyed to the Rockland boat. That vessel pursues a circuitous route along the coast, • among the picturesque islands ; the trip sug- gesting quite forcibly the St. Lawrence with its Thousand Isles, as old Neptune is fortunately in amiable mood, and shows a smiling coun- tenance. So we have no grudge to lay up against him, and only pictures tinged with couleur-de-rose to carry away with us. SEA-SIDE AMUSEMENT IN THE '' CITY OF SOLES." As it is our custom to come to these New- England shores every summer, in order, as Jim says, to get salted so that we may keep well ^^riSLE DES MONTS DESERTS:' 197 through the winter (by which yon need not infer tlia.t we ''get into a pickle"), we com- mence the process at this place, before proceed- ing to more Northerly points. As the "dry spell" has made the roads so dusty that there is little pleasure in driving, and our horses are at present in the stables of our Chafeaux-eii-Espagne, and consequently not available this warm evening, we gather on the porch to be entertained by the learned con- verse of the professors, until an approaching storm drives us in-doors. Within the "shoot- ing-box," as the young man who has travelled christens the house, — thinking that an appro- priate title for a domicile where so many mem- bers of the Hunt family are collected, — there is a motley assembly, as they gather around the sitting-room table. There are Portu- guese, Michiganders, Pennites, Illinoisyones, Bangorillas, and otlier specimens of natural history such as would have puzzled Agassiz himself; and the question arises, " What shall we do to amuse ourselves this rainy evening I " But " Pat," the engineer, oiler of the domestic 198 OVER THE BORDER. machinery of the estabhshment, and keeper of this menagerie, seems overcome with fatigue ; the Astronomer is eclipsed in a corner; the pro- fessors are absorbed in sines and co-sines ; the Fisherman nods over his paper ; Grandma knits lier brows and the stocking ; Elsie is deep in a book ; and no one displays any special inter- est in the matter until pencils and paper are distributed for the game of Crambo. The modus operandi of that most wise and learned game is as follows : Four slips of paper are given each person, on one of which he is re- quested to write a question, and on each of the other scraps a word. These are then shuffled, and all in turn draw. And now there is great commotion, for each participant is expected to answer his question in rhyme, and to bring the three words wliicli lie has drawn, into his answer, also. Such a chorus of " Oh dears," and such dismayed faces ! The student pro- poses to procure the coffee-mill to assist him in grinding out his ''pome ; " the tennis-player wishes slie had a hatchet to chop up a long word which has fallen to her lot, so that she *'UISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 199 can put it in proper metre; but Mr. Short (6 ft. 2 in.), with watch in hand, calls " Time," and then " Silence," as pencils race over papers as if on a wager. Ten minutes is the brief space allotted for the production of the won- drous effusions; and when Mr. S. announces, '' Time 's up," the hat is again full ; and one says, with a sigh of relief, ''There, I never made two lines rhyme in my life before ; " another modestly remarks, "You needn't think we are verdant because we are in Green — " but the warning finger of the Philosopher is raised, and Pat, the reader, begins, emphasizing the words drawn as he reads : — " Why so much quarrelling about Eeligion 1 It's as plain as string beans That from this very means The world is not right ; If I had but clear sight I might hope ere this night Is beginning to wane The thing to explain. But, lacking the wit, I must e'en submit This doggerel rhyme And hope 't is in time." 200 OVER THE BORDER. ** Oh ! oh ! " exclaimed the " small specimen " (aged ten), '^ that 's Grandma's ; I heard her say she 'knows beans,' 'cause she is a Yankee;" but the S. S. subsides on hearing- the next paper read, and shows so plainly that she ''wishes herself further" that it is not difficult to guess the author : — " What 's quicker than lightning ? A Tur^ei/ or a squirrel Can ' cut ' like a knife But I never saw a creature rush Like a deer in all my life." " Good for Ten-year-old ! " exclaim the chorus ; and the S. S., brightening up, concludes she '11 try it again sometime. Next comes the ques- tion : — " "Where do cabbages come from ? My will is good, and I propose To tell you all I can. In this dry time a garden hose Must come into the plan. First plant the seed, and in due course Will little shoots appear, When each from other has divorce They '11 flourish, it is clear. 'TISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 201 If this rhyme is worth preserving, With mucilage it may be fixed On any wall deserving Such wit and wisdom mixed." As it is well known that the natives of the Emerald Isle have a predilection for cabbages, it is unanimously decided that none but Pat could have perpetrated this ; so Pat grins, sug- gests that a bill poster be secured at once, and proceeds : — " How would you like to be a cat 1 In Timhuctoo each stern ascetic, Though blind to folly as a bat, Revels in love peripatetic Which makes him nimble as a cat. But though I 'm fond of such agility, I better like the busy bees, For they display so much ability They 'mind one of the Portur/ueseJ' At this implied compliment to his people, the black eyes of the foreign student flash ap- proval ; and the Mathematician speaks up, say- ing, '' That is the Philosopher, sure, and proves the truth of the saying, ' A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.' " The 202. OVER THE BORDER. Philosopher smiles benignantly, but does not deny the charge ; and the reader continues : — " What do you think of the Ornithorhynchus ? My hrain 's iu a ' muss ' From thinking of this ' cuss ' (Excuse me for using such a word). If it lived at Nahant With this heat it would pant, For surely 't is a curious bird. You may think me a ' muff,' And declare I talk stuff, But I hope you '11 not doubt my word. For though out in all weathers Its coat 's not of feathers But of fur ; — at least so I 've heard. But ' by this illuviination ' (Kant's ratiocination 1) ' I don't see it,' though it may seem quite absurd." The comj)any, strange to say, hit upon Elsie for this, and are evidently surprised that one so given up to pomps and vanities should display such knowledge of natural history ; but they evidently suspect her of shining by reflected light, as she sits next to the Philosopher ; and I heard her ask him a question about this ani- mal with the jaw-breaking name. By this time the party have become so brilliant, having '' L'ISLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 203 polished each other up as by diamond cutters' wheels, that it is "moved and seconded" that we " try again." The laughter has brought down the Chemist from, the laboratory, the Fisherman from his den ; besides rousing the Astronomer, who scintillates in the corner to such a degree that all others expect to be totally eclipsed. This time the Fisherman, who is also an amateur gardener and farmer on a small scale, draws an appropriate question, in regard to which he enlightens us as follows ; and what he says must be true, as we know he has had experience with pigs and hens : — " Which knows most, a pig or a hen 1 'Tis hard to tell in rustic rhyme What pigs or hens may know. A cabbage-head in olden time Sure knew enough to grow. If Balm and corn to them were thrown By parsimonious Bill I think the fact would then be shown, For Piggy 'd eat his fill." Next comes the Chemist with the question : — " Do you like peanuts 1 Peanuts are double, 204 OVER THE BORDER. And so is the trouble Involved in eforf To answer it. Hand over a few, And see if I do Not like peanuts Better than ScmsIcriV Any one who had heard the Chemist warb- ling, — " He Avho hath good peanuts and gives his neighbor none, He sha'n't have any of my peanuts when his peanuts are gone," would not have doubted this. The Philosopher next airs his learning in the following: — " What do you admire in a fool 1 Water has such comhustihility That one may rightfully admire The happy lack of wise ability Which never rivers sets on lire. Truth needs no reccqntulation To make what 's simple plainer still. Folly courts our admiration Wherever Fashion has her will." Part of this is so abstruse that I fear the com- pany do not fully appreciate it ; so the next is *T1SLE DES MONTS DESERTS." 205 quite startling ; and after hearing it we learn the cause of the Astronomer's silent merriment in the corner, and rejoice that Dr. Holmes's experience in "writing- as funny as he could" has proved a warning to this individual : — " "Wliat is stronger than an onion ? Oh, scissors ! on a summer night To tax a fat republican In thinking out with all his might Some miglitier thing than on-i-on. Garlic, maybe 's not strong enough Well, I'll exert my ' spunk ^ So here you have it, *in the rough,' — A pole-cat, alias s — k." The Oleaginous Personage comes next with the question, "Do you like Crambo?" which was answered, rather ambiguously, thus : — " If our last lingo was a specimen, Of this most wise and learned game, 'Tis sure that thus not many men Would long be known to fame. Any of you as well as I Would knock our type all into Pi, If ghost, or man, or printer's devil Should show us up for good or evil." 206 OVER THE BOEDER. ^ Here the sedate and dignified Elsie gives her opinion of a summer recreation after this fashion : — " Are you fond of fishing 1 A foolish amusement, it seems to me, To be rocking about on the briny sea Watching for bites 'neath a broiling sun, (Mosquitoes will give you 'em when day is done) For my part I 'd rather be left in 2^eace To read of travels in sunny Greece Varied by poem on ' Pleasures of Hope ; ' — Whate'er my employment I shall not mope — But it proves great sport for cousin BilL (He 's a youth just starting up Life's hill) But sliould he as old as I become He would conclude that 't is all a ' hum,' " Where a person generally considered ^' proper " became familiar with slang I can- not imagine, but I make no remarks. 0\Ying to the absence of two members of the house- hold, who, having been caught out in the shower, are probably calculating the specific gravity of rain-drops and their effect on new straw hats, we have doubtless been deprived of more poems of surprising depth and bril- liancy. And, from regard for the excessive 'TISLE DBS MONTS DESERTS." 207 modesty of other participants in the game, I suppress manj compositions of rare merit wh'ich were brought out this stormy evening. This letter is merely to acquaint you with an important fact, which is as follows. As Dr. Holmes has informed you with regard to the ^'Asylum for Decayed Punsters," be it known hereby that we have here started a rival insti- tution, — - a school for poets ; so when you wish to secure the services of any of the graduates, you may know where to apply. And the reason why the game of Crambo is like night is, because it is quiet in the middle and noisy at both ends. INDEX. INDEX. Abb^ Rayxal 172 Abbe Segoigne 172 Acadia, derivation of name . . 12 " limits of region known " ceded to England . . 140 Acadians, banishment of . . 140 " exempted from bear- ing arms against France .... 140 " modern .... 162-17-3 " relics of. . . . 66-71 Admiralty House .... 126, 127 Advocate Harbor 30 Almshouse, Philadelphia, old Friends' 38 Amazon Kiver, tidal wave of . 27 Amusements for rainy davs 194, 195, 198-206 Anemone Cave 190 Annapolis 61-110 " Apostle Spoons . 71-74 *' " " anec- dotes of and quo- tations referring to 74-76 " appearance of town 61,62 " apple crop .... 93 " Argall's incursion 50, 51 " Basin . . . 105, 113, 166 bells, tradition of , 68 block-house . 63 cemetery . . . 76 church services . 92 climate . . . 82, 83 fort, history of 55-57 " at present 61,62 people, summei guests, etc. . 81, 82 poem of 1720 . 99-102 PAGE Annapolis River, currents and tide of 85 " romance, a bit of . 77-81 " window gardening . 103 Argall's incursions . . 50, 51, 192 Argyle Bay 174 Bate Fran^oise 17 " Fond de la 17 " Ste. Marie 155 Banishment of Acadians or Neu- trals 140 Baptism of Indians at Annapolis 49 Baptismal customs, ancient . . 73 Basin, Annapolis . . 105, 113, 166 " Minas 22, 29 Basque fishermen 167 Bay, Argyle 174 Bay of Fiindy . . . 15, 17, 19, 20 '■ " '• passage across . 179 " " " tidal line in water 179 " Shore excursion .... 104 Beau-S^jour 143 Bell metal 70 " " Carolus " of Antwerp . 70 " founders of Belgium . . 70 Bells 68, 69 Block-house, Annapolis ... 62 " " Winslow, Me. , 63 Blomidon, minerals of . . . 30 Blomidon Cape, legend of . . 31 Bon Temps, L'Ordre de . 45, 46 Bore 19-21 Breton fishermen 167 Brook, Frenchman's .... 67 "Buckboard" 186 Cajeans 148 Canoing 186 212 INDEX. PAGE Care Breton Island, fortifica- tions of 141,142 Cape Blomidou 30 " Chignecto 30 " Sharp 34 " Split 35 " d'Or 30 Cave, Anemone 190 Champlain, Samuel de . . . 173 Channel, St. George's ... 166 Citadel, Halifax .... 127-131 Clare 153-180 " characteristics of people . 162 " church service .... 160 " convent 163 " costume 161, 162 " customs, etc 173 " furniture, peculiar house 162 '' pronunciation . . . 172, 173 Cod Banks, Newfoundland . . 167 D'AuLNAY 53 De Monts, Pierre du Guast, Sieur de . . . 35-48 " Henry IV. grants title to 36 -iw. " arrival of iu Acadia 40, ^ 174 " captures Rossignol . 41 " in St. Mary's liay 41, 155 " returns to France . . 45 " returns to Pmt Royal with supplies . . 47 " reception of, b}' colo- nists 47 " relinquishes right to Acadia, returning to France .... 48 De Poutrincourt 48 De Ramezay 57 De Razillv 53 Desert, Mt 183-195 Deserts, Monts, I'lsle des . 183-195 Digbv 113-120 " - Gap .... 105, 178, 179 " " rock formations in 178, 179 " herring 117 " Neck 166 " restaurants, odd little . 117 PAGE Dikes of liquille 94 " " Grand Pr6 . . . . 137 Duvivier 56 Eagre . 21 Early fishers on coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland . 167 England, treatj^ between France and 53 English attacks on Port Royal 55, 56 Episode of De Monts's sojourn iu St. Mary's Bay . . 166, 167 Epitaphs, peculiar . . . .76, 119 liquille, description of . . . 85 " significance of name . 85 " tidal effects on . . . 85 Eucharistic implements and customs 73 Evangeline, a modern, 156, 157, 100 " diiferent represen- tations of . . 96, 97 "Evangeline," quotations from, 11, 22, 37, 38, 60, 70, 80, 91, 96, 97, 131, 136, 137, 139, 1 U), 141, 146, 148, 153, 154, 160, 165, 170, 171, 176 " what led to the writing of .... 148, 149 Farms, modern Acadian . . 108 Fernald's Point 192 Festival, village . . . 177, 178 Feud of De Razilly's lieutenants 53 Fishers on Nova Scotia coast, ancient • 167 Fishing, Annapolis and Dig- by 116, 117 Five Islands 30 Forest fires 107, 108 Fort, A nnapolis . . .55, 57, 61, 02 " Beau-Sejour 143 " Gaspereau 143 " Louisburg .... 141, 142 French dominions 141 " dike made by . . . . 137 " well " " . . . . 137 " Neutrals in Philadelphia 39 " " banisiiment of 140 " settlement, Mt. Desert . 192 INDEX. 213 French settlement, Mt. Desert, destruction of . ... 51, 192 Frenchman's Brook Friends' Almshouse Fund}', etymology of " " tides of . . GAMfts .... 194, 195, 198-206 Gap, Digby .... 105, 178, 179 Gaspereau, Fort 1-t'^ valley 138 Gheyn, van den (bell founder) 70 Gibraltar of America .... 142 Glooscap, Indian giant ... 31 Grand Pre . . ' . . • • 135-150 " " coliin ..... 135 " " dike . . . ... 137 " " house, priest's, site of : .... 136 '• '' smithy, site of . . 13G " " well 137 Grant of Acadia 51 " " Virginia 51 Granville ferry 8G, 87 " Lower (old cannon) . 106 Great Head 190 Green JNIountain .... 190, 191 Guast, Pierre du 30 Guerciieville, Mme. de- . . . 49 Halifax 123-131 " Adminlty House 126, 12i '• Arm, North West . . 131 " books, interesting . . 126 " churches 126 citadel .... 127-131 " en route to ... • 123 " gardens 126 Harbor 130 " Parliament Building . 125 •' Point Pleasant . . • 130 Harbor, Advocate 30 " Halifax 130 Havre du Saint Sauveur . . 193 Hemony (bell founder of Bel- . gium") "0 Henry IV. of France .... 36 Historical references, Port Roy- al and Annapolis . . • 40-57 Hooghlv River, tidal wave of . 20 Hospitalitv, 71, 86, 87, 104, 105, 124, 170 IxcuRsiONS of Argall . . . Indian baptism, Annapolis . " giant, legend of . . " settlement on Equille Island, Long " Partridge . . . . Islands, Five 50, 51 49 31 108 166 30 30 Jesuits sent to Port Royal . . 49 " found colony at Mt. De- sert 49 Joggin, the 116 Jotun 21 Kixg's decree announced to Neutrals .... 136, 137, 140 Kings and nobles patrons of bell founders 70 La Haa're bu Saint Sauveur 193 Lake La Rose 106 Lake Rossignol 41 Laloutre 56 La Roohelle 147 La Tour 53-55 Latten ware 75 Le Borgne 55 Legend of Bloniidon .... 31 " " owls and loons . . 33 Lescarbot 47 Limits of Acadia 50 " Virginia 51 L'Isle des Monts Deserts . 183-195 Logging-camp life 115 Long Island 166 Loons, Indian legend of . • . 33 L'Ordre de Bon Temps • . 45, 46 Louisburg 141, 142 Mackenzie road 106 Mackerouse 173 214 INDEX. PAGE Mary's Baj', St. ..... 155 Membertou 110 Minas Basin 22-29 Moncton, Bore at .... . 21 Moncton, General 143 Monts, De 36-48 Monts Deserts, I'Isle des . 183-195 Mt. Desert 183-195 Mountain, Green .... 190, 191 Neutrals, French, in Philadel- phia 39 " in Massachusetts and Louisiana . . 147, 148 " history of 140 Newfoundland Cod Banks . . 167 Number of Acadians banished . 150 Norman fishers 167 North West Arm, Halifax Harbor 131 Oath of Kine; George . . . 140 Oegir . . \ 21 Odin 21 Old cannon of Lower Granville 106 " cemetery, Annapolis ... 76 " French dike. Grand Pre . 137 " " well " " . 137 " " song 157 " poem 99-102 " soldiers' tales . . . . 64, 65 Or, Cape d' 30 Ordre de Bon Temps ... 45, 46 Owls, Indian belief about crv of ". 33 Ox-yokes, peculiar .... 168 Parker's Mountain . . . 106 Parliament Building, Halifax . 125 Passage, Grand 165 " Petit 165 Phipps, Sir Wm 55 Pisiquid (Windsor) .... 144 Point Pleasant, Halifax . . . 130 Poitou 147 Port Royal 45-56 Portuguese fishermen .... 167 Poutrincourt, De 48 Priest, Indian's trick on Primitive railroad . . Prince Edward Island PAGE 50 24 143 Eeception of De Monts by col- onists . 47 Records of Acadians (in Bos- ton) 147 Relics, Annapolis .... 66-71 Rifle Brigade, Annapolis . . 57 "Rocking" 188 Rossignol 41 Royal, Port 45-56 Sacramental customs ... 73 Saintonge 147 Scandinavian mj'thologv . . 21 S(^goigne "... 172 S(5jour, Beau, Fort 143 Service, church, at coast settle- ment 162 Settlers of Minas Basin . . . 145 Shakspeare, anecdote of . . . 74 Sharp, Cape 34 Siege of Louisburg . . . . 142 Sieur de Monts 36-48 Song, old French 157 Sound, Somes 191 Split, Cape 34 State in Schuylkill Club ... 110 St. George's Channel .... 166 St. John 179, 180 " St. John, 1647. •' part of Whit- tier's poem 54 St. John's Island 148 St. Mary's Bay 154 " "" " ancient voyagers in . . '. . . 167 " " " species of fish in 168 Styx 34 Subercase 55 Taking life easilv . . . 102, 103 Teintang River .' 20 Tides of Fundv 20 To tempt the taste .... 88, 89 Tradition of church bells, An- napolis 69 INDEX. 215 Troubles leading to banish- ment of Acadiaus .... 140 Unikas, Great Lake of . . . 32 United States money .... 91 Utrecht, treaty of 140 Victoria Bridge 116 Village festival, coast settle- ,, ment 137^ 133 Villebon. De 55 Voyages, ancient, St. Marv's Bay, etc " . 167 Ware, latten . . . . Whittier, part of poem . Windmills, peculiar . . Windsor, desolation near " former name . Winslow, Me Wishing rock .... 75 54 169 123 144 o;j 93 Yarmouth 173, 174 University Press : John Wilson & Son, Cambridge. -'^ ■-lo a J '»- %^l^ \%^" t J ,* ^-'f%