The
Grand Trunk Arrangements Bill was passed, as herein stated, in May,
1862; but, alas, the question of postal payments by Canada stood over
till the end of 1864.
In reference to my visit, of 1861, so far as my personal journeyings
were concerned, I will merely transcribe a few letters sent home.
"STEAMSHIP 'PERSIA'
"(in the Gulf of St. Lawrence),
"Sunday noon.
"I have not had a pen in hand for a week - not since I wrote just as we
were coming to Cork.
"Just now the weather is as like that of last Sunday as one pea is to
another - rain and mist - mist and rain! Yet we have, on the whole, had
wonderful weather - little sea - little wind - little of anything very
unpleasant - nothing unbearable.
"Our church-service is just over: the Captain reads prayers and a
sermon, and does it very well: the sailors are dressed in their best,
and behave with great decorum, but show some sleepiness: the day is
wet, and that, and the general devoutness, draws a large congregation,
- indeed, the cabin is full.
"And now for a long letter: -
"When I left off, before, we were coming to Cork. It was blowing and
raining, and the atmosphere was thick with mist. We went on till six.
Captain looked anxious - the Cork pilot bothered, the passengers ill-
tempered, and everything had a dismal dampness about it. At last we
stopped, and the big boilers sent out their steam through the waste
pipe with a loud roar. Around us was nothing but mist - the, to
me, nastiest form of fog. We could not see more than three times the
length of the ship. We tried the lead twice, and the second time got
soundings. We then fired a gun - then another - then a third. Then we
moved on - then stopped - then moved on. The Captain sent for his chart,
and put on his eye-glasses. The pilot stared out into the fog, and
pointed first in one direction, then in another. All no use. We knew we
ought to be outside the Queenstown harbour - but we could see
nothing. At last we heard a gun, and then in quick succession appeared
a row boat and a steam tug with the passengers and mails; and, the mist
breaking a little, we saw the land right a-head of us, about half-a-
mile off. It was disagreeable, but it got over; and now came the
transfer of bags, luggage, and passengers - only two or three of the
latter. The tug came alongside and made fast, but there was a good deal
of swell, and as she bobbed up and down it became highly amusing to see
the crew and passengers scramble up the ladder, which sometimes was
perpendicular, and at other times almost flat, as it followed the
altering level of the tug.
