Intercolonial Railway

“ From its turrets, dormers, pierced towers and hundreds of windows a prospect meets the eye that is uplifting and irresistible in its appeal to those who love that rare combination, man’s work at its best and nature in her grandest mood. The panorama of the great river carrying its proudly floating ships to and from the ocean, the Lévis shore, the citadel, the terrace with its ever-varying throngs, the old town away below in the giddy depths, the mountains, the distant country dotted with its white houses, the fleecy clouds, the shimmering haze and the far away perspective of varied beauty ”

“ Nova Scotia is indeed a summer country, par excellence. It has splendid woodland and a fine system of rivers and lakes. Go where you will in any part of it and you are never more than thirty miles from the shore. Sea life is, therefore, a prominent feature, and with all the forms of recreation and amusement so bountifully provided, summer days passed in the Atlantic province go all too quickly by.
“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar.” ”

“ Some seventeen miles above stands Cape Eternity, with Eternity Bay between it and the giant twin-brother Cape Trinity. Many have felt that here the ‘climax of the awe-inspiring scenery of the Saguenay is reached.’ A huge wall of limestone here towers up and projects boldly over the river. Those who pass beneath it give a shudder of apprehension as they realize that a fall would mean annihilation for all below. The great column has been likened to a colossal stairway of three enormous treads, fit ascension to the clouds for the giant gods of the early Indian’s dream. ”

“ Irénée is essentially a summer place—there is neither town nor village. The main road to Pointe à Pic makes a very enjoyable course for a country ramble, as it abounds in by-roads and quiet paths that lead through hill and dale where may be heard the merry music of many a dashing cascade and sprightly rill. The bungalows are all prettily placed at varying heights—always in choice spots that command a direct view of the water and shore. There is no obtruding village life, and no place where ‘shopping’ may be done. All the signs of life are contributed by the summer residents. ”

“ The balustraded promenade, high up, with its projecting bastion or observation terrace, its garden, walks, seats and prettily arranged grounds, is a delightful point from which to enjoy a commanding view of the shore, the wharf and the broad vista of waters. A short walk from each end of the main or shore promenade brings out at little hamlets or groupings of cottages of the native residents. They present many points of interest for visitors, and pleasant rambles may thus be enjoyed by those who would see how quaint a life the people of remote parts in this province still enjoy. ”

“ On the way from Tadousac to Chicoutimi, the mouth of the Marguerite River is passed. This river is distant from Tadousac about 14 miles, and it has a beauty of its own claimed by some to compare with that of the larger river, but, of course, on a smaller scale. The scenery is romantic in the extreme. Swirling eddies and foaming rapids turn sharply around the high cliffs, which are water-worn and smooth below from the action of the dashing foam. Here and there are quiet pools, deep and silent; and some are in almost perpetual shade from overhanging cliff and woodland. ”

“ Looking up, and following the wave of sound with straining eyes, we search for the cause, without perceiving it. Far up we gaze, where the trees and the fleecy white clouds are outlined against the deep blue of the sky; and then we realize that an Intercolonial train has passed high up in the air, somewhere between sky and valley, but entirely concealed by the dense forest growth—so much so that not even a trace of smoke or vapor can be seen, so effectually have they been filtered and dissipated by the thick woodland screen. ”

“ It has been said that the village is placed like a nest in the midst of granite rocks that surround the mouth of the Saguenay. It is built on a crescent-like terrace, backed and flanked by mountains, and has a fine view over the harbor, river, and distant shore of the St. Lawrence. The whole life of the place is so tranquil and uncommercial that it does not intrude on the visitor’s pleasure. It does not follow from this that there is an absence of life here—quite the contrary, for Tadousac is a favorite resort of thousands ”

“ In such a large, well-wooded and splendidly watered province as Quebec, the facilities for camping, boating, hunting and fishing are some of the best the world affords; and with a river as vast as an ocean, and widening out grandly until it meets the Atlantic, there is an unlimited choice of bathing and summer life at almost any reasonable temperature. The peninsula of Gaspé, too, with its legends and tales of adventure, is one of the world’s choicest fishing and hunting regions ”

“ The pleasing effect of the tree-dotted sand bars running out from the shore—making lagoons whose tranquil silver surfaces, protected by tiny headlands, show in delightful contrast with the deep blue of the more ruffled outer waters—must be seen before an adequate conception of their great beauty can be formed. There is a great difference between coast scenery and that of what may be termed an inner coast shore, such as that of the Bras d’Or Lake. ”

“ Across the little stream the stray logs that have grounded, the rocks, the cottages on the hill, the rustling trees, the soaring height of the near-hills, the bright green of the small point, the darker green of the great cape beyond, the dim outline of the far-away mountain range and the broad stretch of cool waters dotted with gracefully floating vessels; all these make ideal summer surroundings. It is a pleasant spot. A great charm for many will be the simplicity of all, unspoiled by crowds—fashion left out. Children may here realize all the joys of early youth ”

“ Irénée is very fine. The shore is green and fresh. There are no unsightly landslides, and no bare rock. The elevation is a bold one, with high mountains behind fading into grey and blue. The gentle-sloping shore dotted with white cottages runs to a point at the south that is shaped like the bastion of a fort. The shore is of rock and gravel, with sand in some places. A stone road extends along the shore and makes a pleasant promenade. A short distance from the wharf, north and south—in fact directly at the wharf—is the open country where the habitants still live the simple life of other days. ”

“ As it is most convenient to make this particular excursion from Fredericton, that place is taken as the starting point from which the canoe puts out.
It is a bright morning, the air is playing in a gentle breeze, and the St. John River gleams with many a dancing ripple as we take our way well up stream to drop down quietly with the current as we drink in the glorious view on every hand. ”

“ How bright the planets show when seen from a deep valley on such a night, and how marvellous and grand the sight when from almost total darkness and confused or indistinguishable detail the whole beauty of the view steals out, line by line, giving time to admire each new feature as it springs into sight, until finally the whole glorious landscape and wondrous river are spread before in a soft blending of light and shade impossible to adequately picture or describe. ”

“ Yonder is a rocky bluff, tipped with green, and down its face trickles a little rill, wetting the projecting edges of the rock and causing them to glisten like silver. Just opposite are even bolder heights that are clothed in a wealth of woodland growth reaching up to the very top.
Here the park brook turns off into more secluded ways, and following it, instead of the road, a charming sylvan dale is found where not one sound intrudes save the music of the birds and the gentle ripple of the water—surely a fit retreat for artist, poet or dreamer. ”

“ For driving and country rambles, woodland walks, botanizing, gathering ferns and wild flowers, observation of the habits of birds 308 and animals, and for the student of nature, the artist, the nature-lover and all who appreciate the profound thought and concentration promoted by the quiet and tranquility of woodland, forest and secluded country lane, the Maritime Provinces offer all that is beautiful in nature, combined with cool days and glorious nights. Who that walks about by day, in such a climate, can help feeling the buoyancy of spirit and feeling as of walking on air ”

“ Here is a charming spot, Camp Bedford, only seventeen miles from St. John, and just the place for the summer homes or bungalows of those who like some social life, and who do not wish to “commune with nature” alone in some more remote spot. A number of pleasant cottages line the heights by the shore, and as the occupants throng the wharf to greet us, the enjoyment they find in life is reflected in their happy faces. ”

“ The process known to our English cousins as ‘knocking about,’ which is to saunter where you will, on foot and without haste, is the best way in Old Quebec. It is on foot that terrestrial things are seen intimately, and when we have made a dozen ‘rounds’ of the lower town, walked along the ramparts again and again, rambled in the 30 citadel, promenaded on Dufferin Terrace, quenched our thirst at the Frontenac, climbed the glacis, walked the parapets, viewed the majestic scene from the King’s Bastion, sauntered over the Plains of Abraham, and circled the city until every spot is known ”

“ Fine mountain ranges and magnificent scenery make Cape Breton a delightful country for summer pleasures. A drive along the ‘Arm of Gold,’ and in almost any part of the island, is a delightful experience. Baddeck, Whycocomagh, Arichat, Louisbourg, the Sydneys, Ingonish and Mabou, as well as the Margaree and Middle Rivers, are all places of delight for vacationists. Fine forests of oak, birch, maple and ash, with plenty of the woods more commonly seen, are here in great profusion. ”

“ The roar of the water, the foaming curtain of the descending torrent and the spray that floats some distance down—all combine to make a striking scene; while the sight of the river rolling away in the shuddering depths below has a strong fascination for all. Above the Grand Falls there are picturesque rapids where by walking over the great rocks—and over giant tree trunks that have lodged in immovable positions in their descent of the river from the lumbering region higher up—a good view of river and hilly banks may be obtained. ”

“ The mountains rise higher and higher, and as the train turns in and out, far-away glimpses of the silvery stream are frequently caught. Just below the railroad a mass of rocks has fallen from the mountain side into the bed of the river, almost closing the way. Leaning out of the window, as we slow up, the spray is almost at hand.
At times the stream broadens considerably, and the mountains run to foot-hills that diminish to gentle slopes at the river’s brink. Looking along the valley at such points, a grand panorama of mountain, hill, dale, valley and winding stream enchants the artistic eye. ”

“ Everything is quiet but the swish of the lines. The fish are lively but small; and just as we are tiring of that kind of sport our hearts are gladdened to see, peering through a cloud, the bright full moon. Her silver light replaces the fading after-glow of the sunset. The small fish suddenly pause and disappear as if they had gone to their bed; and silence reigns in the forest.
Trout Stream—Prince Edward Island
Now we know that the real fun will begin, if there is to be any. ”

“ This system may truly be called the fairy godmother of the Maritime Provinces, for with outstretched arm it has placed the five extended fingers of a fostering hand over the important commercial centres of Montreal, Quebec, St. John, Halifax and Sydney, causing them to pulsate with life, and bringing them into intimate relation with the great centres of the sister provinces from Atlantic to Pacific.
Merely to sit in one of the numerous comfortable trains, and observantly tour the main line, is a novel experience, a revelation of beauty and an education in itself ”

“ The sky overhead is clear, while near the horizon beautiful clouds of grey and sun-lit white lend enchantment to the distant mountain range on the north, now drawing nearer and nearer and gradually becoming distinguishable. To the west a barge is crossing south, and its long trail of black smoke reaches down to the Hare Islands where it mingles with the white fleece of the cloud horizon and reflects a glint of sunshine over the island slopes. ”