Chapter 1

Produced by Joshua Hutchinson, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION'S VISIT TO MONTREAL, 1884.

LETTERS BY CLARA LADY RAYLEIGH,

Printed for Private Circulation.

INTRODUCTION.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

(Reprinted from The Times, 1884)

It seems early to begin to speak of the arrangements for the next meeting of the British Association, but it is a far cry to Montreal, and a proportionately long start must be made before the final leap is taken. So heartily have the Dominion Government and the Canadian _savants_ entered into the preparations that everything is ready; all the presidents, vice-presidents and secretaries of sections have been selected; all arrangements made with steamship companies and American railways; all excursions have been planned, and all possible routes provided for; instructions of the most detailed kind have been drawn up for the guidance of members; nothing has been left, indeed, except what depends on contingencies of time and place, so that Professor Bonney and his legion of officials may at any moment take up their portmanteaus and walk on shipboard. All this forwardness and completeness are largely due to the zeal of the High Commissioner, Sir Charles Tupper, and his energetic and obliging secretary, Mr. Colmer. When the decision was come to at Southampton to hold the meeting of 1884 in Canada there was widely expressed disapproval of the step, and doubt as to its legitimacy; but the prospect of entertaining the upper thousand of English science has evidently so greatly gratified our Canadian brothers that even the most stiff-necked opponent of the migration must be compelled to give in if he has a shred of good nature and brotherly feeling left. There are doubtless a few grumblers who will maintain that the Montreal assembly will not be a meeting of the _British_ Association; but after all this Imperial Parliament of Science could not be better occupied than in doing something to promote science in one of the most important sections of the British dominions. Indeed, since some maintain that so far as this country is concerned it has almost ceased to have a _raison d'etre_, might it not extend its functions and endeavour to exercise the same effective influence on the promotion of science in other parts of the Empire as it has undoubtedly done in the past in the Mother Country? It can scarcely hope ever to hold a meeting either in Australia or India, nor even, we fear, in South Africa; but there are other means Which it might adopt more appropriately than any other body to encourage the progress of science in these parts of the Empire, and make accessible to the public interested in it the good work which is being done, at least in some of the Australian colonies. In Canada itself there are several important scientific societies; but so far as we know, they have no common bond of union. Seeing that there is already an efficient American Association, we should not advocate the formation of a separate Canadian body; but possibly the Montreal meeting might be able to do something to federalise the separate Canadian societies. We suggested some years ago that the Association might do such a service to the numerous local societies in this country, and we are glad to know that the suggestion has borne fruit, and that already a real advance has been made in this direction.

But whatever may be the results of the Montreal meeting, it is clear from the programme which has been drawn up that everything possible is being done to render the occasion one of genuine enjoyment to all who are fortunate enough to be present. The Canadian Parliament has voted so handsome a sum for the entertainment of the Association that its expenses are likely to be less than at an ordinary meeting. Provision has been made for free passages and free living for fifty of the officials, who need not spend a penny from the time they set foot upon the steamer until they step ashore again upon their native land. Not only so, but a sum of $14,000 has been allotted for the reduction of members' passages to Canada in addition to any abatement of fares allowed by the steamship companies. The most important of these companies, sailing not only to Quebec and Montreal, but to New York and Newport, offer reductions averaging about 10 per, cent, on the ordinary fares. The companies who offer these advantages are the Allan, the Dominion, the Beaver, White Star, Cunard, National, Anchor, Guion, Inman, Monarch, and Union lines; so that intending visitors have ample choice of route. On the other side, again, all the railway companies have shown the greatest liberality. The Government railways are free to all who produce members' vouchers. The Canada Pacific Line will from July 1 up to the date of the departure of the special free excursion to the Rocky Mountains, grant to visiting members free passes over its lines to the northward (Rocky Mountains, Lake Superior, &c.) and intermediate points. This company also offers to one hundred and fifty members of the Association a free special excursion to the Rocky Mountains, by way of Georgian Bay, Thursday Bay, and Winnipeg, providing that those places passed during the night on the outward journey will be repassed during the day on the return. The only thing members will have to pay for will be meals, which will be provided at a rate not exceeding 2s. Arrangements, moreover, will be made for trips and excursions from Toronto, across Lake Ontario to Niagara, under the direction of local committees to be formed in both places, giving to all members an opportunity of visiting the Falls. Various other excursions have been liberally arranged for by the company, so that visitors will have ample opportunity of seeing most that is worth seeing in Canada for practically nothing. The Canada Atlantic Railway has also arranged for several free excursions, while the Grand Trunk, the North Shore, the Central Vermont, and other railways in the States offer tickets to members at something like half the usual rates; thus those who proceed to New York may visit various parts of the States before proceeding northwards to Canada at extremely cheap rates. At all the Canadian cities to be visited local committees will be organized to receive the excursionists and to care for them during their stay. The circular prepared for the members gives every information as to routes, distances, fares, &c., so that they may make all their arrangements before leaving England. The telegraph companies, not to be behindhand, undertake to transmit messages during the meeting for members from Montreal to all parts of Canada and the United States free of charge.

Of course, it is not to be expected that all those advantages will be given indiscriminately to all who may apply, and doubtless the great accession of members at the Southport meeting was partly due to the prospective visit to Canada. But only those members elected at or before the Southampton meeting will share in the benefit of the $14,000 allotted for reduction of passage money, and until further notice no new members or associates can be elected except by special vote of the Council. This is as it should be, otherwise the meeting would be largely one of mere "trippers," instead of genuine representatives of British science. The Council have taken every precaution to render the Montreal Meeting one of real work, and no mere holiday; from respect to itself as well as to its hosts, the Association is bound to show itself at its best. At the same time, the Council have extended all the privileges of associates to the near relatives of members to the number of three for each, so that members will have no excuse for doing Canada _en garcon_. Of course those applying for the privileges mentioned must produce satisfactory evidence of their identity, and in return will receive vouchers which will serve as passports on the other side. Those desirous of obtaining information as to hotels and other local matters, must apply to the local secretary, care of Mr. S. C. Stevenson, 181, St. James's Street, Montreal.

Already somewhere about six hundred applications nave been received, and it is quite probable that at least one thousand members and associates may be crowding across next August. Those members who wish to share in the subsidy of $14,000 must apply before March 25, and no voucher will be issued after July 20. We may say that the reduced railway fares mainly extend from August 1 to the end of September. The active and courteous secretary, Professor Bonney, on whom so much depends, will arrive in Montreal three weeks before the opening of the meeting, August 27, for the purpose of securing that everything is in train. It is expected that all the addresses will be printed here in time for transmission to Montreal. So far at least as the officials are concerned, the Canada Meeting will be a representative one. The President elect, Lord Rayleigh, one of the most solid exponents of British science, will certainly prove equal to the occasion. The vice-presidents show a large Transatlantic contingent; they are, his Excellency the Governor-General, Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir Alexander Gait, Sir Charles Tupper, Sir Narcisse Dorion, Hon. Dr. Chauveau, Principal Dawson, Professor Frankland, Dr. L. H. Hingston, and Professor Sterry Hunt. Sir Joseph Hooker, we may say, has also been nominated by the Council a vice-president, in place of the late Sir C. W. Siemens. Perhaps it is scarcely necessary to state that the general treasurer, Professor A W. Williamson, and the general secretaries, Captain Douglas Galton and Mr. A. G. Vernon Harcourt, will be present. There are five local secretaries and a local treasurer. The presidents of the sections are all men of the highest standing in their particular departments; it would be difficult, indeed, to suggest a better selection. In Section A, Mathematical and Physical Science, it is a great thing that Professor Sir William Thomson has been persuaded to preside. No more representative chemist than Professor Roscoe could have been obtained for Section B; in C, Geology; Mr. W. T. Blanford, the head of the Indian Geological Survey, is sure to do honour to his subject; in Section D, Biology, Professor Moseley, a man of thoroughly Darwinian type of mind, will preside; in F, Economic Science, Sir Richard Temple will be a host in himself; while in G, Mechanical Science, Sir F J. Bramwell is sure to be vigorous and original; finally, in the new section H, Anthropology, Dr. E. B. Tylor is the very man that ought to have been selected. Lord Aberdare, we regret to say, has been compelled to retire from the presidency of the Geographical Section; but for a Canadian meeting no more suitable president could be obtained than the veteran Arctic explorer, Sir Leopold McClintock, who, we trust, will be persuaded to take the place of Lord Aberdare. All the vice-presidents and secretaries of sections have been chosen with equal care; and thus the Association has taken the very best means of proving to the Canadians how highly they, appreciate the honour of the invitation, and in what respect they hold their prospective audiences. For the public lectures, the popular feature of the meetings, it is hoped to secure the services of Professor W. G. Adams, the able Professor of Physics in King's College, London, who it is hoped will be able to go; Dr. Dallinger, the well-known-biologist, and Professor Ball, the witty and eloquent Astronomer Royal for Ireland, who will deliver the popular lecture _par excellence_.

Thus it will be seen that every possible arrangement has been made that could be made beforehand to insure complete success, and there can be little doubt that neither the Association nor the Canadians will be disappointed. Section A is following the example set last year in Section D by Professor Ray Lankester. The Committee, as we have already announced, are sending out a circular inviting mathematicians and physicists to co-operate with them in sustaining discussions and contributing papers; one of the special subjects for discussion in this section on September 1st will be the vexed one of the connection between sun spots and terrestrial phenomena. In conclusion we may say that the American Association will meet in Philadelphia on September 3rd, and those who have not had enough of science at Montreal can enjoy another week of it at the Quaker City. The Philadelphia Committee have sent a cordial invitation to the members of the British Association to attend their meetings, offering to do the utmost in their power to make the visit at once pleasant and profitable. This will be a red letter year in the history of both Associations.

Letter No. 1.

_Thursday, August 21st, 1884; on board "PARISIAN,"--getting near Newfoundland._

My beloved Mother.--I sent you some lines from the train on Saturday 16th, and a card to Clara after we arrived on board. This is a capital ship, and lucky for us it is so, for we have had a regular gale. I little thought it was possible that I should dislike any sea as I do this Atlantic! It has been dreadful weather--grey in the clouds above and waters beneath, and blowing hard, without anything to brighten the vast waste of waters, and I have heartily wished myself away from it. This truly humiliating state of things will cause you to triumph over me, no doubt! I became uncomfortable and headachy and could do nothing, nor bear to stay in the saloon, and the drawing room, such as it is, is taken possession of by the men, who lay themselves down full length on the seats and leave no room for any ladies, so I have stayed in my cabin. Dr. Protheroe Smith has been quite a comfort to me. He is such a good man, and so pleasant, and has given me things to read, and relates interesting medical and religious experiences. While I write, an enormous wave has dashed against my port light and given me a flash of darkness. Hedley has been rather ill, but has never quite lost his appetite. Gibson and the two others have held out well. Evelyn has been in her berth since Monday, when it began to blow, but she has not been really ill. John and Dick have braved the storm on deck, and say the sight of the waves from the stern was magnificent, but I don't care for this kind of awful uncomfortable magnificence, which makes me feel a miserable shrimp, whose fate it is to be swallowed up by these raging waves, and who well deserves it. So I only made a feeble attempt to get to the deck on Monday, and was glad, to leave it in half an hour when it rained. I went down to the drawing room to look at some men playing chess, but as the others stared at me as if I had no right to be there, and the motion was very bad, I had soon to leave ignominiously. Mr. Barrett has entertained me with some ghost stories, well authenticated and printed for private circulation. I have begun writing this to-day because there seems some chance of posting it on Saturday or Sunday, when Sir Leonard and Lady Tilley and two sons are to be landed at New Brunswick as we pass down the Straits of Belle Isle, I think. I shall not see your birth-place as we shall be too far off.

_Friday, 22nd._--I went upon deck after breakfast in a great hurry to see an iceberg. I was greeted with great kindness by every one after my three days' seclusion, and thoroughly enjoyed the day and the ocean for the first time. It was very cold but clear and sparkling, and there was no motion to speak of; after the gale, and the great hills and valleys of the Atlantic roll in a storm, it seemed impossible it could be so smooth; but we are to have every experience of weather, as a fog came on and we steamed very slowly and blew fog signals for an hour! However, the sun broke forth and lifted the curtain of fog, and within a quarter of a mile we saw a beautiful iceberg twelve or fifteen hundred feet deep, they said, and so beautiful in its ultra marine colouring. The shape was like a village church somewhat in ruins. Miss Fox, a sister of Caroline Fox, is on board and sketched the icebergs and the waves during the storm very cleverly. They were also photographed by Mr. Barrett and a professional. After dinner we were all on deck again and watched for the lights on the coast of Labrador, which mark the entrance into the Straits of Belle Isle, and at last a twinkle caught my eye and we all greeted it with joy! Isn't it wonderful that a ship can be steered across that vast expanse of water straight to this light, in spite of clouds and storms and without the sight of sun or moon or stars? If I was teaching a class I should quote this as a good illustration of "God's mysterious ways." We wander on through all the changes, and chances of this mortal life, and we don't know the why, or when, or where, but at last we see the lights of heaven looming on our horizon and are at the haven where we would be. Then we realize that all the time He was guiding us by ways that we knew not! In the evening we heard an auction amusingly carried on, though I did not approve of the gambling connected with it; and then Mr. Barrett gave a short account of apparitions, and there was a discussion.

I am now writing after breakfast on Saturday and we expect to reach Quebec on Sunday night. It will be a dreadful disappointment if we don't see the first view, which is so fine, by daylight. We entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence last night (Friday). I give you a list of our saloon fellow passengers and you will see that I knew a good many of them before.

LIST OF SALOON PASSENGERS PER S. "PARISIAN," (CAPTAIN JAMES WYLIE,) FOR QUEBEC, AUGUST 16TH, 1884.

Mr. H. Alabaster Mr. A. H. Allen Dr. J. T. Arlidge Mr. Atchison Mr. B. Baker Major E. Bance Miss Barlow Mr. W. F. Barrett Dr. Beamish Mr. G Belyea Mr. G W. Bloxam Miss Bodman Dr. H. Borns Mr. Stephen Bourne Miss E E. Bourne Miss E. M. Bourne Mr. A. H. Bradley Sir Frederick Bramwell Mr. R. G. Brook Mr. Robert Capper Mrs. Capper Mr. G. C. Chatterton Mr. W. H. Clemmey Mr. C. Cooke Mrs. Cooper Miss Cooper Mr. F. B. C. Costelloe Mr. Crampton Mrs. Crampton Mr. Crookshank Mr. W. C. Davy Miss Daw Mr. W. Boyd Dawkins Mr. Thomas Denman Prof. Dewar Mrs. Dewar Mr. G. E. Dobson Mr. R. Edminson Mr. E. Farnworth Mr. J. Fewings Prof. G. Forbes Mr. R Formby Mr. C. Le Neve Foster Mr. Howard Fox Miss Fox Prof. Fream Hon. C. W. Fremantle Capt. Douglas Galton Mr. John L. Garsed Dr. J. H. Gilbert Mrs. Gilbert Mr. J. H. Gladstone Miss Gladstone Miss Gladstone Miss Gladstone Mr. J. H. Glover Mr. A. G. Greenhill Mr. Egbert de Hamel Mr. N. C. Hardcastle Mr. B. W. Hardcastle Dr. G. Harley Mr. N. B. Harley Miss Harris Mr. R. T. Herford Miss A. C. Herford Mr. Horniman Mr. W. Hurst Mr. John Jones Rev. Harry Jones Mr. George Oliver Jones Miss Fanny Jones Mr. R. H. Jones Hon. Mrs. Joyce Rev. A. G. Joyce Mr. Simeon Kaye Mr. J. W. Leahy Mr. B. T. Leech Mrs. Leech General Sir J. H. Lefroy, K. C. M. G. Lady Lefroy, and Maid Mr. James A. Love Mr. William Lukes Mr. W. Macandrew Mr. G. Mackay Mr. U. Mackay Mr. Harry Mackeson Mr. James Mackrell Mr. Samuel Marsden Mr. James Mactear Mr. W. P. Marshall Dr. W. R. McNab Mr. C. T. Mitchell Mr. W. J. Muirhead Mr. Hugo M. Muller Mr. E. K. Muspratt Miss J. Muspratt Mr. J. S. O'Halloran Admiral Sir E. Ommanney Mr. W. H. Perkin Mr. W. H. Perkin, Jun. Mr. L. G. Pike Mr. Benjamin Pilling Mr. John Pilling Mrs. Pilling Mr. John Powell Mr. W. H. Preece Mr. P. Price Mrs. Price Lord Rayleigh Lady Rayleigh Clara Lady Rayleigh, and Maid Mr. J. B. Readman Mr. A. W. Reinold Mr. C. Richardson Mr. R. Richardson Mrs. Richardson Mr. A. Rigg Mr. A. F. Riddell Mrs. Riddell Rev. J. Robberds Prof. W. Chandler Roberts Mrs. Roberts Mr. G. H. Robertson Mrs. Robertson Canon Rogers Mr. W. Rogers Earl of Rosse Mr. P. L. Sclater Mr. W. L. Sclater Mr. Sydney C. Scott Mr. A. Sedgwick Prof. H. S. Hele Shaw Prof. J. P. Sheldon Mr. George Smith Dr. P. Smith Dr. H. Smith Prof. W. J. Sollas Mr. E. Sollas Mr. Sowden Mr. A. Sowden Dr. W. D. Spanton Mr. Russell Stephenson Mr. T. H. Stockwell Hon. R. Strutt Hon. H. V. Strutt Mr. A. Summers Mr. R. W. Cooke-Taylor Mrs. Cooke-Taylor Mr. T. H. Thomas Dr. Alex. S. Thomson Mr. William Thomson Mr. W. J. Thomson Dr. H. G. Thompson Sir Leonard Tilley, K.C.M.G., C.B. Lady Tilley Master Herbert Tilley Master Leonard Tilley Mr. W. Topley Mr. W. Tribe Mr. G. S. Turner Capt. H. S. Walker Mrs. Walker Mr. Ward Miss Ward Mr. C. A. Wells Rev. E. Wells Mr. Westgarth Mrs. Westgarth Mrs. Westgarth Mr. W. Whitaker Miss E. H. Williamson Mr. E. S. Williams Miss Wilson Rev. H. H. Winwood Mr. Alfred Wood Mrs. Wood Mr. H. T. Wood Mr. A. W. Worthington Miss Worthington Mr. T. Wrightson Mr. F. York Mrs. York

This afternoon was very dull and grey. I played a game of four chess, and there was a concert in the evening,--every two or three minutes broken in upon by the roar of a wild beast called the fog horn. It was very funny to hear the apropos way it came in when Canon Rogers was reciting Hiawatha. "Minnihaha said ----" then a roar! One of the party read a paper, and a really witty burlesque on this supposed wild beast and its anatomy. John is so well and, I think, very popular: Evelyn is a much better sailor than one anticipated. Captain Douglas Galton told me John's address was admirable, but I would not read it, as I want to judge of it as others will, when it is delivered. I have had no _whist!_ think of that--at first people were too ill, and then so much on deck, and they play in the smoking room, I hear, and perhaps gamble for higher stakes than I like!--which perhaps you will say is not surprising as I never play for anything.