Part 18

Proceeding now to the most easterly railroad point in peninsular Nova Scotia, the village of Mulgrave is reached. Mulgrave is on the Strait of Canso, the much-travelled marine highway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and by the use of which the long voyage around the Island of Cape Breton is rendered unnecessary. It has been termed the “Golden Gate of the St. Lawrence,” and without doubt is a most picturesque waterway. Thousands of vessels pass through here every year, and at almost any hour of the day the sight is a pleasant one and full of variety. Bold and plentifully wooded hills flank the splendid waterway for a considerable length of its fifteen-mile course. Here the Intercolonial Railway ferry crosses and recrosses to Cape Breton Island on the opposite shore of the Strait, carrying over passengers, cars, etc., to and from Sydney and intermediate stations on the island. There are many pleasant trips from Mulgrave by steamboat to Guysboro, Canso, Arichat, Port Hawkesbury and Port Hastings, Bras d’Or Lake by way of St. Peter’s, Port Hood, Margaree and Cheticamp on the West shore of Cape Breton, and to Montague and Georgetown on Prince Edward Island.

The town of Guysboro is quite an old settlement, for Nicholas St. Denys had a fishing station at the place now known as Fort Point. The fisheries here have always been very valuable, and Chedabucto, at the head of which Guysboro is, has been the resort of many vessels engaged in fishing for mackerel, herring, codfish and pollock. The settlement itself with its long street of most generous width lying along the water, at a little distance from it, and the grassy little streets on the overlooking hills, is very attractive as a quiet summer resort, with good boating and canoeing. As a centre for sailing and excursions by water, and also for drives in every direction, it is excellent. Being somewhat remote, it is a place where a restful summer may be spent, with cool air and genial surroundings. Like Antigonish, it is a place with a homelike air that takes the fancy from the very first; and here, of course, boating and fishing are at the very door. There are pleasant water trips nearby to Milford Haven and Boylston, and innumerable longer excursions to places on Chedabucto Bay, to Isle Madame and other Cape Breton points, as well as to Hawkesbury and Mulgrave on the Strait of Canso. There are good drives, also, with fishing sport, to Salmon River and surrounding lakes, as well as to Whitehead, Tor Bay and other places on the outer Atlantic coast. In summer the water of Chedabucto Bay is ordinarily quiet and smooth, and it takes just a moment to pass out into the open bay from Guysboro’s little shelter-harbor. When a gale blows from the east, the sea piles up in rollers and sweeps up to the harbor entrance in fine commotion. It is a place half-country and half-shore, with sea life predominating.

“I picked up shells with ruby lips That spoke in whispers of the sea, Upon a time, and watched the ships, On white wings, sail away to sea.

The ships I saw go out that day Live misty—dim in memory; But still I hear, from far away, The blue waves breaking ceaselessly.”

The coast line west of Chedabucto Bay is rich in bays and roomy inlets, with numerous lakes and rivers in communication. The St. Mary’s River waters a fine tract of country, and connects with the beautiful Lochaber Lake some thirty miles inland. A stage-coach drive across the peninsula from beautiful Antigonish to the head navigation waters of the St. Mary’s River at Sherbrooke is an enjoyable summer outing. The scenery is finely varied, and the whole district is full of interest.

On the middle St. Mary’s River good salmon fishing is often found at the Crow’s Nest, a typical interior country place.

Considerable salmon fishing with nets is carried on in the lower waters of the river between Sherbrooke and Sonora on the coast, a distance of about nine miles.

The village of Sherbrooke has a very pleasant situation on the river, and it is one of those quiet and remote places where a thoroughly restful vacation may be enjoyed by those who love country life and pleasant rambles. There is excellent boating at Sherbrooke, as well as above and below it. Motor-boats have a fine nine-mile run to the ocean, with numerous excursion points within easy reach of the mouth of the river.

The canoeing waters of Sherbrooke are excellent. A delightful holiday may be spent by making headquarters in the village to explore the upper waters of the river. There are pleasant settlements all along the course up to its head waters. Being remote from regular travel routes, the district is fresh and unspoiled; and those who enjoy absolute quiet, unconventional life and a friendly welcome will be sure to feel at home in Sherbrooke.

Country Harbour to the east, and Sheet Harbour, Port Dufferin and Musquodoboit to the west are all pleasant little places.

A railroad is to be built, along the south-east shore between Halifax and Guysboro. When it is finished, the fine harbors and the rugged and romantic places along the shore will be brought within easy reach of the summer visitor. In the meantime such places are fairly accessible by stage-coach from points on the Intercolonial Railway between Shubenacadie and Heatherton or Antigonish; and they may also be reached by steamboat from Halifax and Guysboro or Mulgrave.

_Cape Breton Island_

Cape Breton Island, lying at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, has been termed the “front door” of Canada; a distinction that should properly be shared with Newfoundland; for the naval power that holds these Atlantic outposts could destroy or dominate the whole maritime trade of the great river.

If the Norse voyagers discovered North America, and sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence a thousand years ago, as many believe, they must have passed by and seen Cape Breton; and, in all probability, they must have been the first Europeans to land upon its shore.

The first name of the Island, Baccalaos, is held by some to indicate an early visitation of the Portuguese, much earlier than Cabot’s time; for Baccalaos is a Portuguese word meaning “cod fish,” and it is well known that early European fishermen frequented these waters, and engaged in the cod fishing. The Portuguese are believed to have made some attempt to found a settlement at or near the present village of Ingonish. It is not certain whether Cabot landed here on his voyage of discovery in the year 1497; nor has it been established that Verazzano, the Florentine navigator, landed at or near Cape Breton in the year 1524. It is not even certain that Jacques Cartier landed on the island in any of his three American voyages, although he is thought to have given the old French name of Loreine to a cape at the northern end of the Island.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth a British mariner is said to have visited Cape Breton. His name was Richard Strong, and he came in his little bark, the _Marigold_, of 70 tons. He is supposed to have landed near where the town of Louisbourg now is. About this time fur-trading commenced to attract European sailors, and by the close of Queen Elizabeth’s reign fully two hundred English vessels were engaged in bartering for furs, and fishing for cod and other fish in upper North American waters.

Cape Breton received its present name from the Breton fishermen who either “discovered” the Island, or, what is more likely, fished in its waters. It is easy to understand that where they congregated to fish might most readily be named the Bay or the Cape of the Bretons. During the time that it was a French possession it was by them called L’Isle Royale, but since 1758 it has been known by the name it now bears.

With the exception of some low lying and undeveloped places on the south shore, the whole Island offers all that the summer visitor holds dear, bold scenery and fine prospects, charming vale and river districts, beautiful woods, romantic gorges, sparkling waterfalls, sunny skies, delightful temperature, and invigorating air. The summers from May to October are probably as enjoyable as those in the most favored part of the world that may be chosen for comparison. For its northern and eastern position there is remarkable immunity from fog. The southern end is where fog may be seen when it prevails.

Only those that have gone over the whole ground can realize the wealth of picturesque beauty and variety found in Eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and this variety is again exemplified in Cape Breton; for after passing from Quebec to New Brunswick, from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, and thence to southern and eastern Nova Scotia, and finding constant variety at almost every stage—here in Cape Breton the contrast is still maintained. The growing popularity of these provinces is perhaps only natural when their situation and advantages are considered. They are rapidly becoming what nature evidently intended they should be—international vacation grounds for the people of the western hemisphere.

There are no fashionable resorts in Cape Breton. For the majority this is perhaps one of its strongest recommendations. There are luxuries in a few centres, and comforts in many more, with plain but substantial living in most of the smaller places. The railroad mileage is not very extensive, as yet, but it is supplemented by steamboat traffic along the east, west and south coasts, and over the waters of the Bras d’Or Lake. Carriages are used for reaching interior parts that are remote from rail or steamboat routes. Because of this a systematic description following the coast line, etc., is not advisable, and in place of it the plan is followed of describing the accessible parts of the island from the chief centres of railway, steamboat and carriage travel.

1. Kennan Bungalow, Baddeck 2. Webber Bungalow, Baddeck 3. Boating at Wycocomagh 4. In Sydney Harbor 5. At the Wharf, Baddeck 6. Marble Mountain Quarry

In some places, such as the Sydneys, Grand Narrows, etc., excellent accommodation is found. In other resorts, such as Baddeck, Whycocomagh, Louisbourg, St. Peter’s, Mabou and Ingonish, quite comfortable quarters may be found. In the Margaree, Middle River and North River districts, also, there are here and there little inns where very pleasant and comfortable days may be spent.

Whether seen on foot, or from train, steamboat or carriage, there can be no doubt that Cape Breton is one of the most enjoyable spots on earth. Gushing springs, dancing rills, plashing brooks, cascading rivulets, musical streams, murmuring rivers, everywhere. What a wealth of graceful ferns; what gardens of wildflowers; what splendid trees and noble forests; what tranquil vales; what majestic mountains! And the blue sea, the crested waves, the milky foam, the fleecy clouds! Surely such scenes as these were in Sir Walter Scott’s mind when he wrote his Highland Scene:

Here eglantine embalmed the air, Hawthorn and hazel mingled there; The primrose pale, and violet flower, Found in each cliff a narrow bower;

* * * * *

Aloft the ash and warrior oak Cast anchor in the rifted rock, And, higher yet, the pine-tree hung His shatter’d trunk, and frequent flung, Where seem’d the cliffs to meet on high, His boughs athwart the narrow’d sky. Highest of all, where white peaks glanced, Where glistening streamers waved and danced, The wanderer’s eye could barely view The summer heaven’s delicious blue; So wondrous wild, the whole might seem The scenery of a fairy dream.

The early settlement of Cape Breton was entirely French. At the time of the expulsion of the Acadians from the peninsular part of Nova Scotia, many took refuge in the then L’Isle Royale, or Cape Breton. The early French, and the Acadians by whom they were afterwards joined, have retained their old life in a remarkable degree. It is a delight to meet them in modern up-to-date America. Scottish Highlanders, too, are in Cape Breton in large numbers; and the virtues and customs of this rugged and estimable people may be studied against the pleasant background of mountain and flood, so like the home scenery of “Caledonia, stern and wild.” Micmac Indians are here, too; but not in such great numbers as formerly.

First, following the line of the Intercolonial Railway from Point Tupper by way of the Bras d’Or Lake to Sydney, the general appearance of the country may be noticed.

The first view of the Island when approaching by the railway ferry is quite impressive, although the peculiar features do not grow until the interior is gradually reached. After passing McIntyre’s Lake there is considerable up-grade to gain the height of the bold hills that are capped in the distance by a still higher formation. The scene as the height is gained is very striking, entirely distinct in character from either the open, soft beauty of the Wentworth Valley, or the combination of river, forest and mountain seen in the Matapedia district.

Here an immense valley lies in the very depths to the left. The tops of the trees are far below, and, although we climb up and up, the great trees still crowd the forest, with here and there a glistening stream showing through the valley rifts. The woodland view is one of unparalleled grandeur.

Descending, we skirt a huge mountain with tier after tier of woodland stretching up into the heights; and here we dash out on an elevated plateau to see a peaceful hamlet smiling in white and green in the tranquil depths below.

River Denys is a pretty stream of modest proportions running at the foot of, and almost shut in by tall trees that tower up majestically in all the glory of height and symmetry. A peculiar and picturesque aspect is given to the woodland by the tall and slender birches, like palm trees—devoid of branch and leaf below, and having only a feathery, outspreading growth at the top.

There is a pleasing water view at Orangedale, with a charming vista of green shores stretching out to the lake. The first impression of the Bras d’Or Lake is one of peaceful calm, as the evening sun crimsons the broad and far-reaching expanse of water.

The Great Bras d’Or Lake is about 45 miles long and nearly 20 miles wide. It is very deep in nearly every part of it, varying from 90 to 350 feet. In one place a depth of 1200 feet has been found, just a short distance from the shore. Old maps and references give the name “Labrador” for this beautiful lake. It may also be mentioned that Nicholas Denys published a book in Paris in the latter half of the seventeenth century in which he refers to the Bras d’Or Lake as “Le Lac de Labrador.” The present name is undoubtedly founded on the old one. It is almost identical in pronunciation, too; and as it has a meaning, “arm of gold,” that describes the appearance of the lake at sunrise and sunset, it has come into general use.

The Little Bras d’Or Lake, exclusive of channels, is about ten miles long; its breadth nearly six miles. It has a depth of 700 feet in places. Two peninsulas nearly meet at the Grand Narrows and thus almost separate the Great from the Little Bras d’Or. The two lakes are called the Bras d’Or Lakes; but because their waters communicate so that a passage from one to the other may easily be made through the Grand Narrows channel, the whole water system is now frequently called the Bras d’Or Lake.

The Bras d’Or Lake is really an inland sea, or, more correctly, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. In the waters of the upper or smaller of the two lakes is the long and narrow island, Boularderie, some 28 miles long, and nearly three miles wide at its northern end, where it fronts on the Atlantic. East and west of it are channels or inlets from the ocean. That on the east, tide-swept and impassable for large boats, is the Little Bras d’Or or St. Andrews channel. The wider channel on the west side may be traversed by any vessel afloat, as it has a depth of from thirty to two hundred feet. Both channels lead south through the Grand Narrows into the larger of the two lakes, where at the southern end the narrow isthmus has been cut, and where a canal with locks enables vessels to pass in and out.

It has been said of the Bras d’Or that it is the most beautiful salt-water lake ever seen. The substance of Warner’s comment is seen to be true by all who visit these shores. “The water runs into lovely bays and lagoons, having slender tongues of land and picturesque islands. It has all the pleasantness of a fresh-water lake, with all the advantages of a salt one.” There is practically no tide, the comparatively narrow sea entrances acting to resist the flow of water out and in. The difference in level is usually less than a foot.

One or more of the numerous cruises on these waters, described later, should be taken, as well as the journey over the railway, now resumed.

The view of the lake as McKinnon’s Harbor is approached is beautiful. The tree growth is larger, fantastic little islands dot the smooth water, and the whole panorama of mainland, island and broad lake is indeed magnificent. Nearing Iona the peculiar appearance of the landscape whitened by the outcroppings of gypsum or plaster rock is very noticeable. In many places the shore view of headland and water is very similar to that on the Atlantic coast, except in the placidity of the water. At Ottawa Brook a lovely view of island-dotted lake is seen stretching out in a far-away and pleasing vista to the south. At a small siding, nearby, a small meadow stream meanders fantastically through a verdant plain that is dotted with haystacks, and has here and there little bridges raised high above the general level to keep them secure in the time of spring and flood—a time of utmost consequence to farmers of intervale, for it brings rich deposits of alluvial mud to fertilize the low-lying fields.

From Iona, and Grand Narrows on the opposite shore, the steamer _Bluehill_ makes connections for Baddeck, and from Grand Narrows another boat leaves for St. Peter’s and other points. At Iona station, by the “narrows,” passengers may take the opportunity of alighting to see the fine Intercolonial Railway bridge that spans the channel. It has a “draw” near the Grand Narrows side to allow vessels to pass from upper lake to lower, or the reverse. Grand Narrows attracts tourists to its comfortable hotel on the water, as it makes a good centre for seeing the surrounding country. It is also a place of call for the lake steamboats. There are fine views to be had in the vicinity.

The run over the railway from Grand Narrows by Boisdale, Barachois and George’s River to Sydney is a pleasant one along the eastern shore of the upper lake; and it should be made both ways in order to see the water after sunrise and at sunset—the two effects being quite different. Journeying and looking out on the shore, at times a sandy crescent is seen to run out into the lake and terminate in gentle mound, green sward and comely tree-growth. Often there are small lakes, and frequently a little chain of such; and at these places, with the boats of the fishermen drawn up on the strand between the great lakes and the lakes in miniature, the scene is novel and most striking.

Here are two sandy arms running out, and drawing together at their outer ends—forming a harbor within a harbor—where a little flotilla of brown-sailed fishing craft rides snugly, protected even from the windy scud of a stormy day.

1. Woodland Scene 2. Brook Scene 3. An Old Mill 4. Farm Paddock 5. Mira River 6. Catch of Salmon, Margaree River 7. River Denys 8. Middle River 9. St. Ann’s Bay

Over there a small headland of some forty feet in height has lost its crown of brown rocks that lie in picturesque disorder at its base, lapped by the gentle ripple of the tide, and mimicking the giant scenes of the rugged Atlantic shore. Nor are bolder effects wanting, for yonder, across the channel, a huge mountain rises proudly to the sky; and it, too, has thrown part of its rocky cap down and far out into the deeper tide.

No more beautiful view of mountain, blue water and gently-sloping wooded shore can be seen than that between Barachois and Sydney River; and on a morning when the bright sun has dissipated the early mists, and rides resplendent in a sky dotted here and there with fleecy clouds, the picture is truly superb.

The pleasing effect of the tree-dotted sand bars running out from the shore—making lagoons whose tranquil silver surfaces, protected by tiny headlands, show in delightful contrast with the deep blue of the more ruffled outer waters—must be seen before an adequate conception of their great beauty can be formed. There is a great difference between coast scenery and that of what may be termed an inner coast shore, such as that of the Bras d’Or Lake.

If the scenery of outer coast is striking and grand in its rugged majesty, that of the calmer and more protected inner shore compels admiration for its softer effects—no less striking in their tranquil beauty—scenic miniatures in nature’s most exquisite setting.

The city of Sydney has become the centre of a district that is rapidly increasing in population and commercial importance. It is the capital of Cape Breton, and the great mining and manufacturing industries of the Island centre altogether in this eastern district. It is the present terminus of the Intercolonial Railway. It has an exceedingly fine harbor. This harbor is divided into two arms, known as the ports of Sydney and North Sydney, and the average depth of water is fifty feet. The water area is very extensive, so much so that Sydney ranks as one of the world’s great harbors. The north and south bars at the entrance act as natural break-waters, and the inner waters are easy of access.

While it is generally known that the distance from Sydney to Liverpool is much less than that from New York to the British port, it will come as a great surprise to most when they learn how much closer Sydney is than New York to points in South America and South Africa. For instance, Pernambuco, at the most easterly projection of the South American continent, is nearer to Sydney than New York by 24 miles. New Orleans, an extreme southern port of the United States, is even more distant from the South American point named by a stretch of over 575 miles; and, strange as it may seem, the voyage to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa is very much shorter from Sydney than from United States ports.

Sydney River offers a broad and pleasant stream for boating. The country by the lower part is flat, but becomes hilly and nicely wooded as the upper waters are gained. For some distance inland there are excellent runs for motor-boating, sailing, rowing and canoeing. Crawley’s Creek is also a good boating place. There are many pleasant drives to the lakes in the vicinity, as well as to many pretty inlets on the coast, and by the inner waters of the harbor. There is an excellent view from Victoria Park at the end of the peninsula. The district surrounding Sydney has a number of pleasant features, and the city itself may be chosen as a centre for excursions to Port Morien, the Mira River and Louisbourg.