VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
CHAPTER XIV.
Victoria and Vancouver, B. C.
After remaining in Seattle a few days, I decided to view the country across the line, in British Columbia. One bright, sunny morning I took the steamer Majestic for Victoria, the capital, situated on Vancouver Island.
There was an almost endless variation in this sail on the inland waters of Puget Sound, in sight of the mainland and the many islands, with the Olympic and Cascade mountains in the distance.
I made a short stop at Port Townsend, the port of entry. Nearer the Pacific ocean is Port Angeles, on the strait of Juan de Fuca.
An amusing incident to me was the porpoises continually following the steamer while crossing the strait. On landing at Victoria, first being detained to have my grips examined, then stepping out on the wharf, the first evidence of life I met was "Mary's little lamb." I exclaimed, "All the same Can-a-da!" as we do not have sheep meeting strangers coming into our town. Then, after my cordial greeting with the lamb, I looked around for a coach, but there was not one in sight. In a moment, however, I heard musical voices calling out: "Want a coach, lady? Want a coach, lady?" I looked up and standing on a high hill above me, were a number of coachmen. I answered, "Yes, I certainly do. Get a move on you and come down here," but they said they could not come down. Then the only thing left for me to do was to pay the porter of the boat two bits to pack my grips, which they called bags, more than a block up hill to reach these lordly coachmen. This was the first city where I did not find coachmen ready to help a lady traveling, and gives a poor impression of the city to strangers.
Overlooking Victoria harbor are the magnificent capitol buildings, erected on a beautiful ten acre lot, at a cost of $900,000. These form a group of three buildings, the center one, which is surmounted by a dome 150 feet high, contains the offices of the several departments, and the legislative hall, with committee rooms and library. The side buildings, which are connected with the central one by covered colonnades, are devoted to the printing department and the Provincial museum. The foundation is of local granite, and the superstructure is built of a beautiful light colored, close grained sandstone, from the Haddington Island quarries, near the north end of Vancouver Island. The columns supporting the interior ceiling are of Italian marble, while the walls of the treasury and rotunda are finished in Tennessee marble, and native woods are used for the interior finish. Beautiful lawns, walks and shade trees, surround the structure.
A strange occurrence happened as I stepped in the main building. A gentleman stepped up, seeing I was a stranger, and kindly offered to show me through the buildings. I presented him my card, and as we were climbing the long marble stairs, I somehow in the conversation mentioned Oregon. He turned and looked at me with surprise, wanting to know if that was my home. "Oh! no," I answered, "my home is in Butte, Montana." He then told me that his former home had been in Albany, Oregon, and, I being acquainted with so many at that city, our trip through the buildings was very pleasant. I will say right here, of all the grand buildings I have gone through in my travels, that Victoria's parliament buildings excel them all. To stand under the dome and gaze into the assembly hall beneath, was a sight of such magnificence, I would not attempt to describe it.
Victoria is a model residence city, with its broad streets, beautiful lawns and parks. Near here are the government fortifications of Esquimault. A railroad extends north on Vancouver Island, to Nanaimo, Alberni and Sidney.
My visit coming to an end on the island, I took the steamer Charmer and crossed the straits of Georgia, a distance of eighty-four miles to the city of Vancouver, the western terminus of the great transcontinental line stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the Canadian Pacific Railway, with one continuous line from Halifax, Nova Scotia, a distance of 3,762 miles, besides its numerous branches to every city and section, in that vast Dominion of Canada. The same company has its own line of steamships and connections to every important harbor on the globe.
Their harbor is one of the finest in the world, it being possible for the Briton's entire navy to ride at anchor within her land-locked waters.
The great salmon fishing industry of the Fraser river, is at its very doors.
I enjoyed my street car ride and an afternoon well spent going through Stanley Park. The perfume was so fragrant and pure as I wandered among the immense trees, occasionally stopping to have a swing, viewing all the different animals that I could not begin to mention. Here is also an immense wire netting, with every species of bird imaginable confined therein. Then I wandered down to the placid lake to view the stately swan and others of the web-foot tribe, as they glided along in peaceful simplicity. From there through a continuous stretch of nature's own product of flowers. As I was leaving the park, I looked back with a sigh for having to leave this bright spot of nature.
While in the city I stopped at Hotel Vancouver, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, and for attention and grandeur around the entire hotel, with its spacious dining room, nothing better can be found.
A pleasant feature to me was that I was in Canada to celebrate with them their Thanksgiving on October 16th, which meant two Thanksgiving dinners for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my second one a month later in Butte.
A short distance south of the city, on the Fraser river, is New Westminster, an old established town, with valuable trade in lumber and salmon, and important manufactures.
My festivities ending here, I crossed the Canadian line back to my stars and stripes, making a short stop at the enterprising town of Blaine, Washington; then on to New Whatcom and Fairhaven.