The Idea
Is That England Will Advance The Money, And That The English House
Of Commons Will Guarantee The Interest, With Some Counter-Guarantee
From The Colonies That This Interest Shall Be Duly Paid.
But it
would seem that, if such colonial guarantee is to go for anything,
the colonies might raise the money in the money market without the
intervention of the British House of Commons.
Montreal is an exceedingly good commercial town, and business there
is brisk. It has now 85,000 inhabitants. Having said that of it,
I do not know what more there is left to say. Yes; one word there
is to say of Sir William Logan, the creator of the Geological
Museum there, and the head of all matters geological throughout the
province. While he was explaining to me with admirable perspicuity
the result of investigations into which he had poured his whole
heart, I stood by, understanding almost nothing, but envying
everything. That I understood almost nothing, I know he perceived.
That, ever and anon, with all his graciousness, became apparent.
But I wonder whether he perceived also that I did envy everything.
I have listened to geologists by the hour before - have had to
listen to them, desirous simply of escape. I have listened, and
understood absolutely nothing, and have only wished myself away.
But I could have listened to Sir William Logan for the whole day,
if time allowed. I found, even in that hour, that some ideas found
their way through to me, and I began to fancy that even I could
become a geologist at Montreal.
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