Monday night, Oct 24th 9:30 p.m., on board the river paddle steamer Montreal, bound for Quebec & due there 8 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday). We left Montreal tonight at 7. I preferred to go by steamer down the grand St. Lawrence, rest all night, have a full day in Quebec, & leave again tomorrow night at 5:30, due in Montreal 7 a.m. Wednesday. Train takes over 6 hours to go, & during the day I should have travelled, & as the country now is very bare it would be uninteresting. The cost is more by steamer but the luxuriousness of this 4 decker is indescribable. She has a most magnificent saloon, furnished gorgeously, berths opening on each side, & a gallery above with berths opening from it, & 2 stair cases leads up. Piano & music now going on. We dined at 7:15 just after we got away from wharf. I’ve got a pretty menu as souvenir, on top of the 4th deck is the bridge, & she has a smoke “stack” towering above all. Very Frenchy all on board, passengers too. But Montreal is 2/3 French, Catholic churches & magnificent cathedrals. Of course, we knew that Quebec Province was Frenchy & at present they are in great excitement anent the threatened war.[1] One of our passengers is a priest & all conversation is conducted in French. Since dinner, I’ve been writing p. cards & letters, one to Mr. Sinclair’s brother at Salem. [8:14] Another reason for preferring the boat, I thought I would get my diary written up. I can’t do it on rail & even now the steamer is vibrating. Well, now to return to where I left off on Saturday afternoon, & then I only got to Saturday night. On Sunday morning, Oct 23, I arose in good time & had breakfast. It was a shade stormy & I did not go out till 10. I found the streets wet & dirty, & strewn with fallen leaves. The trees at Montreal were very bare & quite a change from where I had travelled from but it appears they had frost last week, & the rain & wind soon shifted the leaves. Churches open at 10:45, service at 11, so I made my way to St. James’s Catholic Cathedral, not 5 minutes from my hotel, & in close proximity to two fine Presbyterian churches, a Baptist & an Episcopalian. I had prospected the night before. Well, a grand sight I saw on entering this monster, for that’s the correct description: a large congregation, pomp & ceremony brilliant to witness, priests clad in golden braided habits, & the Bishop on his throne with red cape & mitre[2] on. To him the priests frequently made obesiance [sic] & some kissed his hand, which he held out. Then the acolites [sic] in great numbers attending on the priests, & so on, service going on all the while, then the sermon began at 10:30 & as it was in French I walked around & left. The hugeness of the [8:15] building both in & outside made me feel quite staggered, & the continual flow in was amazing. White & gold embellished the inside & made it look so bright & cheerful (Bishop Bruchisi[3]). I tell you religion has given me some concern through my tour & my disposition is much more charitable towards other than Protestants that [sic] it was to my mind before I left home. I made my way to St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, only a few strides from this cathedral. The Revd. Dr. Barclay, a comely looking divine & silvery locks, tho’ not old, & what a magnificient [sic] church, internally so comfortable & hallowed it seemed, rather dark for my taste, some fine stained glass & a grand organ a grandly played. Oh, we do need a change in our praise service at home. I’ve just been enraptured lately with Presbyterian praise – aye & the whole service – speaking for myself, I scarcely knew what it was till I saw & heard on my journey. I was bad always to satisfy with ours & now I find I was right, since I’ve seen my very desire abroad. Well, enough of that, as I am but one person. Choir in this church was finely blended & all young folk. As soon as the Jager[4] mounted the steps with the book, the choir began to sing, & only one verse, by which time the minister was in the pulpit. I couldn’t make the words out.
[8:16] Psalm 28 was sung, “O Lord to thee I cry”, reading Nehemiah, Chap 8.1-12. Prayer commencing “It is a good thing for us to give thanks unto the Lord &c. &c”. Hy. 141, “O Jesus thou art standing”. Reading, Luke 4.14 to 21 Hy. 172 “Weary of wandering from my God”. Lord’s Prayer. Sermon, Nehemiah 8.4, text “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood”: subject, the pulpit, a plea for it universal, what has been accomplished through the power from it, the strictures passed upon it, & the ministers’ & people’s responsibility. Some very hard speaking followed. A large congregation of most highly respectable appearance, reverent & patient, & intent on the minister. I felt very pleased with all (but you know I’m easily pleased). Hy. 119 “O Word of God Incarnate”. Collection, during which choir sung beautifully – male took the solo – prayer, intimations, sacrament next Sunday morning, appeal for large attendance, strangers invited to join next Sunday. Hy. 600 “Part in Peace” – benediction. 12:20 p.m. A most refreshing forenoon. I got some records & will fetch them home. Weather had improved: lunch at 1 p.m., then diary writing. Oh, this everlasting diary. Wrote till 3 p.m., then set out to pay a visit to Henry Hadley,[5] cousin to No. 10[6] & “29”.[7] Twice he has visited West H’pool & both times I saw much of him, first with his sister, 2nd with his brother Dan, who died [8:17] about 6 years ago. I hadn’t heard of it. I had no difficulty in finding him, tho’ I got to a cousin’s, same name, fortunately only 3 minutes apart. I sought up from hotel directory & noted names: a Henry was a milk man, & a Dan a butcher (these are brothers), then Henry Hadley, Mayor of Verdun, & this was he I wanted, & when found, he did not immediately recognize me unexpected of course, but I had no difficulty recognizing him, & on mentioning my name he did make me welcome & soon had me introduced to his wife, son & daughter, & a fine chat we had till 5, when I suggested leaving. However, they would have me stay tea & soon it was ready, & homelike it was, so I enjoyed it. I left at 6:15, promising that should, on my return from Quebec, I decide to stay the Wednesday in Montreal, I should put myself at his disposal & we would view. I took car for city & got there in time for service, 7 o’clock, & this time to “Knox” opposite the big C. Cathedral, & delighted I was with the church & service, & a grand minister Revd. Jas. Fleck BA. A very fine organ & mixed choir, well balanced, & a rare congregation. No wonder with such a brilliant minister & cheery church, carpeted throughout & all seats cus[h]ioned. Comfort to a degree. Choir sang one verse as minister ascended his pulpit, low & in front & on level with operator & choir. The verse was “Come then long expected Jesus”. Short prayer, Ps. 145 “to Duke St” [8:18] “O Lord thou art my God & King” & didn’t I sing!! Numbers 22.1 to 35, “Balak & Baalam”, & such an exposition, most delightful. I do like, & always did, to hear the lesson (one at least) expatiated[8] on. Mr. Rorke was grand for that. So instructive. Just what folk need. Choir sung “Holy Ghost the Infinite”, female solo then choir. Prayer. Hy. 235 “Take up Thy Cross, the Saviour said”. Intimations. Pastor’s class for young men every Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock. Collections. Solo by male member of choir. Prayer, “O Lord the Entrance of thy Word giveth light &c. &c”. Numbers 22 & 26, text “The Angel of the Lord went further & stood in a narrow place”. We all have our narrow places warning – preparation for the last of all narrow places: death & the grave. “As you live you die”. Prayer. Hy. 530 “Yield not to temptation”. Out at 8:25. Straight to hotel & wrote diary till 11:30. This Monday morning, Oct 24th, I got up at 6, breakfast 10 to 7, & went to the Grand Trunk depot, only 1 minute from hotel, & took train at 8 for Lachine Wharf, there to go on the steamer which runs the rapids. The morning early was bright but it clouded & as we got near to the river St. Lawrence, it was cold, dull & bleak. 8:30 brought us to the wharf & the steamer “Chate[a]uguay”, a fine paddle boat, 2 decker, was in the distance but soon approached & landed at the jetty, [8:19] & there I took a snap, got a peep of sun. She had quite a load of waggons & horses, all unyoked, 2 buggies, 1 waggon loaded hay, 1 potatoes, 1 corn, 3 empty & 12 horses, all but 5 horses & 3 conveyances were landed, & some cargo, & at 9:10 we started for Montreal [sic]. She was just ½ hour at the whf. Crew all French, captain a grey bearded dirty old fellow, just like Frenchmen crews in fishing boats at home. Every thing is so Frenchy all over, & every notice on railways, cars, streets &c. are both in English & French. Now we were out on the great St. Lawrence, went close over to the other shore. Here this part is inhabited by Indians, their settlement & of the Iroquois tribe. Some I could see on the shore. 3 were in a boat. Close too on the Ottawa side were pretty residences. This is the left bank & Montreal is on this side. We passed under a fine trellaced [sic] railway bridge spanning the river & terminating on the land where the Indians are, & soon, 9:35, we were running a great rate over the Lachine Rapids. Very exciting it was & sensational too. The boat pitched & swayed, & the beautiful raging rapids played around us & throwing the water well up the boat’s side, I ran left to get a shot. I took 3 but it was far too dull. Still I was eager to venture. I’ll never forget the rapids as it is a fine experience. I got my first at Niagara & enjoyed both, & pleased I feel having done both & so merely few I am acquainted with has done so much. It was really grand.
[8:20] Now I see it is 5 past 11 so I’ll “turn in” to my snug & cosy looking berth, white as snow. Good night! Good night! Good night!
[1] The Fashoda Incident between Britain & France on the Upper Nile, resolved 4 November 1898.
[2] A liturgical headdress worn by bishops and abbots.
[3] Louis Joseph Napoléon Paul Bruchési (1855-1939), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Montreal from 1897.
[4] Minister?
[5] Of the Clan Moffat, ancient Scottish borders clan.
[6] 10 Downing street? Cousin of the Prime Minister, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury?
[7] Which address is this a reference to?
[8] To speak or write at length or in detail.