This Morning I Am Feeling Quite Well, And It Is Pouring
With Rain.
_Friday Evening_.
- After luncheon Dr. P. Smith called and went
with me to Section A, but we were too late to hear John's paper - He told
me that he and E - - start for Quebec to-night after a lecture on "Dust,"
and stay at the Lansdownes for the festivities there (we three have
settled not to go), and return Sunday evening. We went then to Section B
to hear something of Chemistry, and to the Vicars Boyle's at the Windsor
Hotel, and found her at home. I have had a letter asking us all to go to
the Macpherson's at Toronto. Hedley and I called on the McClennan's
(Dick's hosts) and found her to be a nice clever woman, with seven sons
and two daughters. Mrs. Stephen had called in my absence and waited some
time to see me, and left a message for us to drink tea there Sunday, but
I shall probably be occupied elsewhere. Dick went to see the Victoria
Bridge to-day and dines here. Mr. Angus has been telling us delightful
accounts of some of the new routes through the Rocky Mountains down to
British Columbia, which the Canadian Pacific Railway will take, and
which will be finished by the spring of next year. Their surveyor, Mr.
Van Horn, has just returned from an exploration, and gave very curious
details in answer to Professor G. Ramsay's questions (brother of Sir
James Ramsay). Mr. Van Horn says the mountains sheer up eight to eleven
thousand feet; glaciers are eighteen to twenty miles long; trees two
hundred and fifty feet high and thirty in circumference. They have only
to cut one down and it makes a capital bridge at once. He told us a
curious story of a Mr. Rogers, who started with a young engineer to find
a pass for the railroad over the Rocky mountains which would, on its
discovery, make him famous. After their six days' provisions were all
exhausted, Mr. Carroll, the young engineer, said: "It is all very well
for you, but what shall _I_ gain by risking my life and going on?"
"Well," said Mr. Rogers, "let us go to that high plateau and think."
While there, he decided to go on, upon which Mr. Carroll again
expostulated. Mr. Rogers then exclaimed: "You see all these magnificent
peaks, which probably no human eye has seen before - now the grandest of
these shall be named after you if I succeed." Just then a caribou went
past. They gave chase and he took them nine miles into a valley where
they did not find _him_ but _did_ find a _cache_ of
food - and then the _pass_! And the highest mountain is called Mount
Carroll at this day. Mr. Angus does not encourage me much to go to the
Rocky Mountains, on the ground of fatigue and hardships.
_Wednesday, September 2nd_ - I must bring up my journal to this
date. On Saturday there were no sections.
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