north america-1-第19章

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uspended。　　But　unfortunately　they　were　suspended　in　the　early　part　of　Octoberon　the　first　of　October　whereas　they　might　have　been　continued；　as　far　as　the　season　is　concerned；　up　to　the　end　of　November。　　We　reached　Ottawa　on　the　third　of　October；　and　more　than　a　thousand　men　had　then　been　just　dismissed。　　All　the　money　in　hand　had　been　expended；　and　the　governmentso　it　was　saidcould　give　no　more　money　till　Parliament　should　meet　again。　　This　was　most　unfortunate。　　In　the　first　place　the　suspension　was　against　the　contract　as　made　with　the　contractors　for　the　building；　in　the　next　place　there　was　the　delay；　and　then；　worst　of　all；　the　question　again　became　agitated　whether　the　colonial　legislature　were　really　in　earnest　with　reference　to　Ottawa。　　Many　men　of　mark　in　the　colony　were　still　anxiousI　believe　are　still　anxiousto　put　an　end　to　the　Ottawa　scheme；　and　think　that　there　still　exists　for　them　a　chance　of　success。　　And　very　many　men　who　are　not　of　mark　are　thus　united；　and　a　feeling　of　doubt　on　the　subject　has　been　created。　　Two　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　pounds　have　already　been　spent　on　these　buildings；　and　I　have　no　doubt　myself　that　they　will　be　duly　completed　and　duly　used。　We　went　up　to　the　new　town　by　boat；　taking　the　course　of　the　River　Ottawa。　　We　passed　St。　Ann's；　but　no　one　at　St。　Ann's　seemed　to　know　anything　of　the　brothers　who　were　to　rest　there　on　their　weary　oars。　　At　Maxwellstown　I　could　hear　nothing　of　Annie　Laurie　or　of　her　trysting…place　on　the　braes；　and　the　turnpike　man　at　Tara　could　tell　me　nothing　of　the　site　of　the　hall；　and　had　never　even　heard　of　the　harp。　　When　I　go　down　South；　I　shall　expect　to　find　that　the　negro　melodies　have　not　yet　reached　〃Old　Virginie。〃　　This　boat　conveyance　from　Montreal　to　Ottawa　is　not　all　that　could　be　wished　in　convenience；　for　it　is　allied　too　closely　with　railway　traveling。　　Those　who　use　it　leave　Montreal　by　a　railway；　after　nine　miles；　they　are　changed　into　a　steamboat。　　Then　they　encounter　another　railway；　and　at　last　reach　Ottawa　in　a　second　steamboat。　But　the　river　is　seen；　and　a　better　idea　of　the　country　is　obtained　than　can　be　had　solely　from　the　railway　cars。　　The　scenery　is　by　no　means　grand；　nor　is　it　strikingly　picturesque；　but　it　is　in　its　way　interesting。　　For　a　long　portion　of　the　river　the　old　primeval　forests　come　down　close　to　the　water's　edge；　and　in　the　fall　of　the　year　the　brilliant　coloring　is　very　lovely。　　It　should　not　be　imagined；　as　I　think　it　often　is　imagined；　that　these　forests　are　made　up　of　splendid　trees；　or　that　splendid　trees　are　even　common。　When　timber　grows　on　undrained　ground；　and　when　it　is　uncared　for；　it　does　not　seem　to　approach　nearer　to　its　perfection　than　wheat　and　grass　do　under　similar　circumstances。　　Seen　from　a　little　distance；　the　color　and　effect　is　good；　but　the　trees　themselves　have　shallow　roots；　and　grow　up　tall；　narrow；　and　shapeless。　　It　necessarily　is　so　with　all　timber　that　is　not　thinned　in　its　growth。　　When　fine　forest　trees　are　found；　and　are　left　standing　alone　by　any　cultivator　who　may　have　taste　enough　to　wish　for　such　adornment；　they　almost　invariably　die。　　They　are　robbed　of　the　sickly　shelter　by　which　they　have　been　surrounded；　the　hot　sun　strikes　the　uncovered　fibers　of　the　roots；　and　the　poor；　solitary　invalid　languishes；　and　at　last　dies。　As　one　ascends　the　river；　which　by　its　breadth　forms　itself　into　lakes；　one　is　shown　Indian　villages　clustering　down　upon　the　bank。　Some　years　ago　these　Indians　were　rich；　for　the　price　of　furs；　in　which　they　dealt；　was　high；　but　furs　have　become　cheaper；　and　the　beavers；　with　which　they　used　to　trade；　are　almost　valueless。　　That　a　change　in　the　fashion　of　hats　should　have　assisted　to　polish　these　poor　fellows　off　the　face　of　creation；　must；　one　may　suppose；　be　very　unintelligible　to　them；　but　nevertheless　it　is　probably　a　subject　of　deep　speculation。　　If　the　reading　world　were　to　take　to　sermons　again　and　eschew　their　novels；　Messrs。　Thackeray；　Dickens；　and　some　others　would　look　about　them　and　inquire　into　the　causes　of　such　a　change　with　considerable　acuteness。　　They　might　not；　perhaps；　hit　the　truth；　and　these　Indians　are　much　in　that　predicament。　　It　is　said　that　very　few　pure…blooded　Indians　are　now　to　be　found　in　their　villages；　but　I　doubt　whether　this　is　not　erroneous。　　The　children　of　the　Indians　are　now　fed　upon　baked　bread　and　on　cooked　meat；　and　are　brought　up　in　houses。　　They　are　nursed　somewhat　as　the　children　of　the　white　men　are　nursed；　and　these　practices　no　doubt　have　done　much　toward　altering　their　appearance。　　The　negroes　who　have　been　bred　in　the　States；　and　whose　fathers　have　been　so　bred　before　them；　differ　both　in　color　and　form　from　their　brothers　who　have　been　born　and　nurtured　in　Africa。　I　said　in　the　last　chapter　that　the　City　of　Ottawa　was　still　to　be　built；　but　I　must　explain；　lest　I　should　draw　down　on　my　head　the　wrath　of　the　Ottawaites；　that　the　place　already　contains　a　population　of　15；000　inhabitants。　　As；　however；　it　is　being　prepared　for　four　times　that　numberfor　eight　times　that　number；　let　us　hopeand　as　it　straggles　over　a　vast　extent　of　ground；　it　gives　one　the　idea　of　a　city　in　an　active　course　of　preparation。　In　England　we　know　nothing　about　unbuilt　cities。　　With　us　four　or　five　blocks　of　streets　together　never　assume　that　ugly；　unfledged　appearance　which　belongs　to　the　half…finished　carcass　of　a　house；　as　they　do　so　often　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　Ottawa　is　preparing　for　itself　broad　streets　and　grand　thoroughfares。　　The　buildings　already　extend　over　a　length　considerably　exceeding　two　miles；　and　half　a　dozen　hotels　have　been　opened；　which；　if　I　were　writing　a　guide…book　in　a　complimentary　tone；　it　would　be　my　duty　to　describe　as　first　rate。　　But　the　half　dozen　first…rate　hotels；　though　open；　as　yet　enjoy　but　a　moderate　amount　of　custom。　　All　this　justifies　me；　I　think；　in　saying　that　the　city　has　as　yet　to　get　itself　built。　　The　manner　in　which　this　is　being　done　justifies　me　also　in　saying　that　the　Ottawaites　are　going　about　their　task　with　a　worthy　zeal。　To　me　I　confess　that　the　nature　of　the　situation　has　great　charms；　regarding　it　as　the　site　for　a　town。　　It　is　not　on　a　plain；　and　from　the　form　of　the　rock　overhanging　the　river；　and　of　the　hill　that　falls　from　thence　down　to　the　water；　it　has　been　found　impracticable　to　lay　out　the　place　in　right…angled　parallelograms。　A　right…angled　parallelogramical　city；　such　as　are　Philadelphia　and　the　new　portion　of　New　York；　is　from　its　very　nature　odious　to　me。　I　know　that　much　may　be　said　in　its　favorthat　drainage　and　gas…　pipes　come　easier　to　such　a　shape；　and　that　ground　can　be　better　economized。　　Nevertheless；　I　prefer　a　street　that　is　forced　to　twist　itself　about。　　I　enjoy　the　narrowness　of　Temple　Bar　and　the　misshapen　curvature　of　Picket　Street。　　The　disreputable　dinginess　of　Hollowell　Street　is　dear　to　me；　and　I　love　to　thread　my　way　up　the　Olympic　into　Covent　Garden。　　Fifth　Avenue　in　New　York　is　as　grand　as　paint　and　glass　can　make　it；　but　I　would　not　live　in　a　palace　in　Fifth　Avenue　if　the　corporation　of　the　city　would　pay　my　baker's　and　butcher's　bills。　The　town　of　Ottawa　lies　between　two　waterfalls。　　The　upper　one；　or　Rideau　Fall；　is　formed　by　the　confluence　of　a　small　river　with　the　larger　one；　and　the　lower　falldesignated　as　lower　because　it　is　at　the　foot　of　the　hill；　though　it　is　higher　up　the　Ottawa　River　is　called　the　Chaudiere；　from　its　resemblance　to　a　boiling　kettle。　This　is　on　the　Ottawa　River　itself。　　The　Rideau　Fall　is　divided　into　two　branches；　thus　forming　an　island　in　the　middle；　as　is　the　case　at　Niagara。　　It　is　pretty　enough；　and　worth　visiting　even　were　it　farther　from　the　town　than　it　is；　but　by　those　who　have　hunted　out　many　cataracts　in　their　travels　it　will　not　be　considered　very　remarkable。　　The　Chaudiere　Fall　I　did　think　very　remarkable。　　It　is　of　trifling　depth；　being　formed　by　fractures　in　the　rocky　bed　of　the　river；　but　the　waters　have　so　cut　the　rock　as　to　create　beautiful　forms　in　the　rush　which　they　make　in　their　descent。　Strangers　are　told　to　look　at　these　falls　from　the　suspension　bridge；　and　it　is　well　that　they　should　do　so。　　But；　in　so　looking　at　them；　they　obtain　but　a　very　small　part　of　their　effect。　　On　the　Ottawa　side　of　the　bridge　is　a　brewery；　which　brewery　is　surrounded　by　a　huge　timber…yard。　　This　timber　yard　I　found　to　be　very　muddy；　and　the　passing　and　repassing　through　it　is　a　work　of　trouble；　but　nevertheless　let　the　traveler　by　all　means　make　his　way　through　the　mud；　and　scramble　over　the　timber；　and　cross　the　plank　bridges　which　traverse　the　streams　of　the　saw…mills；　and　thus　take　himself　to　the　outer　edge　of　the　wood…work　over　the　water。　　If　he　will　then　seat　himself；　about　the　hour　of　sunset；　he　will　see　the　Chaudiere　Fall　aright。　But　the　glory　of　Ottawa　will　beand；　indeed；　already　isthe　set　of　public　buildings　which　is　now　being　erected　on　the　rock　which　guards；　as　it　were；　the　town　from　the　river。　　How　much　of　the　excellence　of　these　buildings　may　be　due　to　the　taste　of　Sir　Edmund　Head；　the　late　governor；　I　do　not　know。　　That　he　has　greatly　interested　himself　in　the　subject；　is　well　known；　and；　as　the　style　of　the　different　buildings　is　so　much　alike　as　to　make　one　whole；　though　the　designs　of　different　ar