Canada for Gentlemen | Page 8

him the points of interest of all the exhibits
in relation to which I was convinced that he was as ignorant as myself.
I am afraid, however, that he was rather inclined to treat my
explanations with levity, owing to a base and misleading practice
resorted to by the Committee, of hanging up beside the stalls, though in
not very conspicuous places, a statement of the supposed race or
species of each animal. These prejudicial placards for a long time
escaped my notice, so that I was unable to fortify his perceptions with
an account of the pig-headedness of Agricultural Committees in this
respect. The only thing that I was entirely unable to explain, and the
reason for which I could by no means fathom, was the pertinent enquiry
constantly occurring, "why should one cow be given a first prize and
another none at all," when the only difference to the mind of a just and
impartial observer consisted in the variety of their attitudes or colour.
Being thus baffled in my attempts at edification, we adjourned to see
some niggers manufacturing tobacco.
Thursday evening.--I have just had a letter from Allen, saying that he
had three letters and a parcel waiting for us, so Henry has gone down in
great excitement with a post-card to tell him to send them on as soon as
possible. I wonder if they are from any of you people, though I don't
know what should make you think of addressing to us there. It was
rather a rummy thing his finding out our address, for we didn't leave
any; but just the other day, when looking over the things in my
despatch-box, I found a letter to Allen in Mr. Horton's handwriting. I
had'nt the least recollection of his having given me anything of the sort,
but I posted it down to Sherbrooke forthwith, together with a note,
making the best excuses I could for not having delivered it before when
I was on the spot, and of course I put my address on the top. I should'nt
wonder if one of the letters was the lost introduction, which must have
been left behind by some mistake. We have been hunting about no end
since we came here; calling on everybody, from the man in the moon
downwards, but do not at present seem to have derived much benefit
from it. I daresay Henry has told you of a wild scheme in which Mr.
Barnes wanted us to engage. He is a most excellent old gentleman, the

personification of good nature and kindness, but is a good deal of a
visionary on the agricultural settlement question. When we called upon
him on Saturday, he pressed us most eloquently to up stick and go west
with a friend or connection of his, who was starting at nine o'clock on
Monday morning. He so far prevailed upon me that, in case there
should be anything in what he said, I went down to the bank and drew
sufficient money for our fares, and then returned to lunch with him and
the gentleman in question, a Mr. Deacon. In conversation with him
afterwards, he (Mr. Deacon) strongly advised us to do no such thing. A
branch line from the Canadian Pacific Railway, from Regina to a place
called Sussex, about thirty miles or so, which was to have been graded
this fall, and was to give me almost certain work for the winter, would
probably not be begun for some time, and the land which Mr. Barnes
had understood was along the railway in a tolerably well-peopled
district, turned out to be at the head of Long Lake, eighty-four miles
from Sussex, which is thirty miles from Regina, not that those distances
are anything great, but it meant, in plain English, going and starting a
farm 110 miles from the nearest railway station, without a particle of
knowledge or experience. Still, we should have got the land for nothing;
that much was promised; and had I seen any chance amounting to five
to one that I should not have to spend my own money during the winter,
I should have gone, and, once well acquainted with the country, I think
we should have been able to live upon our land in some way till I could
trust myself to invest in a few implements. There must be a fearful
amount of gammon in the talk about this country somewhere. I was
told--in fact we were all told--that living in the country was very cheap,
and that living in Montreal was dear, but according to Deacon it is just
the reverse. He said he did not think we could live in Regina, or
thereabouts, supposing we got nothing to do, under ten or twelve
dollars a week, instead