Monday night, Sep 19/98, Toronto, Ont.
I see from the above you will have to refer to page 12 to get the connection, only the half of page having been written on. I hadn’t detached it last night & as I often envelope each contingent after writing, it did not occur to me this morning when I made my mind up to mail what I had ready. I had just taken the envelope as it was & after adding on note paper a line to Mary, sealed it up & off with it, there it keeps you in close touch & there’s no need to hold any back now, seeing you get them so speedily. Well, I was up betimes this morning 7, had breakfast [7:14] at 8 then posted what was ready, including 2 spools, in 1 parcel, 1 paper, you’ll see a paragraph xd. I’m amused beyond measure. Not one word did I communicate to a soul & Ogilvie says ditto. Ogilvie & Eustace Swanwick were at Repton College together. The coach came to door at 9 o’clock to drive around the city to view, however, passengers were not forthcoming, so it was deferred till 2:30. It was a fine morning, so I viewed about, trams very delightful, I think the best system I’ve yet seen & certainly a fine service. I spent some time in the government buildings & was much pleased with the House of Representatives within the buildings, which are free to all & sundry without a question asked. These stand in a beautiful park, well gardened, & very lovely with flowers in perfection even now. Then I went to view the university & was well satisfied. It is a fine building, & very imposing, & surrounded with colleges, technical & otherwise, & these grounds were rich in foliage. Now it was nearing 12, so I took tram citywards, called at Cook’s, & to my great delight, a letter from Willie, Sep 9th, which had arrived at Toronto yesterday, Sunday. Sorry was I to read of the death of Mrs. Windrim. I wrote him a letter after lunch & a p/c to Willie, & with these I posted my latest diary as manuscript, so you will get experience how it arrives. I don’t fear as the post people was [sic] [7:15] satisfied. I shall have 2 or 3 but they are in my big portmanteau[1] & there they will remain till I get home. I thought I would try the manuscript from Canada. I should have done so with the others from Hong Kong, but I feared going astray. I was pleased to have Albion‘s agent’s address, & I have written him tonight & given him particulars of my movements, & what to do if he gets the letter before I reach New York. Also I was pleased Alderman Furness had received my N. Zealand letter. Glad Mr. Nawton is well & his folk at Pickering, & that all of you are A1. It was nearly 2:30 by now & the coach turned up, & 6 passengers were the complement, a rare team of 4 spanking horses, driver, trump[e]ter, & guide, who sat on top & described every incident en route. It was a genuine treat & Toronto is without doubt the finest city that I have ever seen, & in every respect a delightsome place. A city of churches, learning, industry & streets few, very few, & these the principal business ones, that haven’t rows of the most magnificent trees you ever saw. I don’t mean for size, but for beauty, & so well trimmed & cared for. Rowan in berry, hundreds of them, maple & oak &c., & beautiful beds of well “lawned” grass each side of the streets, & such streets, length 3 & 4 & more miles, with houses detached & every sight filled up, & such delightful taste exhibited everywhere. [7:16] The only objection I saw, & I gave expression to it, was great ugly poles at short intervals in lots of fine streets (not business ones) supporting telegraph & phone wires, but the trees screen these in many streets, & I was told that within 12 months these will all be removed & the wires run underground. If you refer to the little but remarkable guide book enclosed with the manuscript, & which each passenger gets more if he asks, you will get some idea of the buildings, all of which are true. We covered much of the tram track to see the busy parts but went some miles suburban way & through parks, & to the principal buildings. I noticed on the rubber mat in the driver’s foot board a nice arrangement, a pretty little clock in the leather case screwed on to the mat & between the driver’s feet. We were away 2 ½ hours, going all the while, & I really enjoyed it so much that on my return here I shall repeat it. These excursions are very popular in the summer, & many charabancs[2] & dregs run twice daily. I saw a dreg during the forenoon while I was viewing. Then, at every street crossing or wherever seeming obstruction is, the guard blows the long trumpet & it’s quite exciting to pedestrians. No doubt the turnout looked handsome & so it was. Now I will close for tonight & hope in my next to give you some notes on the Great Niagara Falls & my impressions.
[7:17]
[1] A portmanteau is a large travelling case made of leather. Originally designed to carry (porter) your coats (mantles), the portmanteau stands on end, so that the coats are hung vertically, and opens up like a book to make a pair of mini-closets joined by hinges.
[2] Etymology: French char à bancs, literally, wagon with benches. British : a sight-seeing motor coach