We
Then Dined; Such A Fat Coloured Man Mr. Ross Has In His Car!
He could
hardly squeeze through the narrow passages, but he managed to give us
something to eat.
Mr. Ross received a telegram later to say Mr. Angus,
our host at Montreal, Mr. Donald Smith, both directors of the Canadian
Pacific Railway, Mr. Cyrus Field, &c., &c., were at Calgarry, and wanted
to _come on_, so all is arranged for them, and they are expected
soon, and we hope to return with them this afternoon to Laggan, to our
own car. Last evening E - - suddenly said, "I wish we could sleep in a
tent?" Mr. Ross answered, "I can easily manage it for you," and
accordingly two men of business (I think contractors for food, &c.),
were turned out of their tent, and came to our car, and John and E - -
slept in their small tent near the river. I don't think they will want
to do it _again_, and I was better off in a nice room all to
myself, where I could dress comfortably, but had not many appliances for
that end. We all met at eight o'clock breakfast, and our black man (who
looked more than ever like a large bolster, well filled and tied at the
top for his head), cooked us an eatable beef-steak, and after this John
and Mr. Ross's brother "_Jack_" rode off to penetrate as far as
they could beyond "construction." I am a little nervous about his ride,
for the road is a mere track, and very rough, however, wagons and mules
_do_ travel on it. E - - has made many pretty sketches; mine are
scanty and perfectly horrid. I don't improve at all. The sun is trying
to come out. We are on a siding, close to numbers of tents and mules and
wagons, a sort of depot for provisions, clothes, &c. I have never seen a
tipsy man or woman since I landed at Quebec! and in many parts of Canada
alcohol cannot be bought, and the penalty is _always_ severe for
selling or giving it to an Indian. Further on I passed yesterday quite a
"city" of tents; over one was printed "Hotel Fletcher," another,
"Restaurant, meals at all hours," "Denver Hotel," "Laundry," "Saloon,"
&c. These are _speculations_, and are not connected with railway
officials. Some of the men (one was taking a photograph of "the city,")
have the American _twang_. Mr. Rosa is going off directly the
directors arrive, far into the interior, on an exploring tour into the
Selkirk range, &c. The line is "graded" about fifty miles further on,
and the bridges and tunnels are making. They are working the other end
from Port Moodie on the Pacific, and will meet by the spring of next
year. What a pity the British Association's visit to Canada was not in
1885 instead of 1884? Some day are going to carry the line higher up, so
as to avoid the steep incline down which we travelled so cautiously, but
they are very anxious to get the line done _somehow_, and it is
really wonderful at what a pace they go.
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