Mr. Galt,
Pere, Was So Very Large A Man That Mr. Archibald Prentice, Of
The "Manchester Times," Used To Tell A Story About His Pointing Mr.
Galt Out To A Little Humpbacked Scotchman In The High Street Of
Edinburgh:
"Eh!
Jamie, mon, there's the great Galt, author of the
'Annals of the Parish.'" "'Annals o' the Payrish,' Archie, hech, sirs,
he's big eneuch to be the Payrish itself - let alone the annals o' it."
Mr. Galt, the Finance Minister, has done great services to Canada, and
is doing them still, in developing the mineral resources of the West,
and in other ways. Our conversation on Grand Trunk affairs was long and
anxious. I could see that Mr. Galt would do everything in his power;
but the public prejudice was strongly against the Grand Trunk. The
Grand Trunk Arrangements Bill was passed, as herein stated, in May,
1862; but, alas, the question of postal payments by Canada stood over
till the end of 1864.
In reference to my visit, of 1861, so far as my personal journeyings
were concerned, I will merely transcribe a few letters sent home.
"STEAMSHIP 'PERSIA'
"(in the Gulf of St. Lawrence),
"Sunday noon.
"I have not had a pen in hand for a week - not since I wrote just as we
were coming to Cork.
"Just now the weather is as like that of last Sunday as one pea is to
another - rain and mist - mist and rain! Yet we have, on the whole, had
wonderful weather - little sea - little wind - little of anything very
unpleasant - nothing unbearable.
"Our church-service is just over: the Captain reads prayers and a
sermon, and does it very well: the sailors are dressed in their best,
and behave with great decorum, but show some sleepiness: the day is
wet, and that, and the general devoutness, draws a large congregation,
- indeed, the cabin is full.
"And now for a long letter: -
"When I left off, before, we were coming to Cork. It was blowing and
raining, and the atmosphere was thick with mist. We went on till six.
Captain looked anxious - the Cork pilot bothered, the passengers ill-
tempered, and everything had a dismal dampness about it. At last we
stopped, and the big boilers sent out their steam through the waste
pipe with a loud roar. Around us was nothing but mist - the, to
me, nastiest form of fog. We could not see more than three times the
length of the ship. We tried the lead twice, and the second time got
soundings. We then fired a gun - then another - then a third. Then we
moved on - then stopped - then moved on. The Captain sent for his chart,
and put on his eye-glasses. The pilot stared out into the fog, and
pointed first in one direction, then in another. All no use. We knew we
ought to be outside the Queenstown harbour - but we could see
nothing. At last we heard a gun, and then in quick succession appeared
a row boat and a steam tug with the passengers and mails; and, the mist
breaking a little, we saw the land right a-head of us, about half-a-
mile off. It was disagreeable, but it got over; and now came the
transfer of bags, luggage, and passengers - only two or three of the
latter. The tug came alongside and made fast, but there was a good deal
of swell, and as she bobbed up and down it became highly amusing to see
the crew and passengers scramble up the ladder, which sometimes was
perpendicular, and at other times almost flat, as it followed the
altering level of the tug. The ladder got broken - two or three ropes
snapped - a deal of profane swearing took place - but it got over, too.
"The tug brought the news - the Confederates had defeated the Federal
forces at Manasses Junction - three thousand killed and wounded -
prisoners taken - artillery captured, &c., &c. I went up to one of the
Misses Preston and hoped the news was happy - for she seemed delighted
at what she had heard, and which then I had not. She said she 'did not
quite know - it was for the South.' I replied that such news hardly
could be happy for both sides, and, unless the news were peace,
was unhappy for all the world. She did not quite agree - and then told
me the tidings. But what a strange effect in such a little ship-
confined community!
"The Southern people collected together in delight - the Northern in
anger and disgust. The former predicted an early possession of
Washington for the Palmetto flag; the latter talked of raising half-a-
million of men, and 'crushing out' the South, right amain; while, as in
any disaster, there is always someone to be blamed, many of the
Northern men laid all the responsibility upon the 'lawyer-generals' and
'store-keeping-colonels,' who had assumed commands for which they were
never fit. It is a sad, unhappy quarrel!
"But I must describe our circle to you. First, I should tell you that I
have the honor to sit at the Captain's table, and on his left hand - a
Miss Ewart sitting on his right. Our set consists of the Captain,
Judkins - the right and left-hand passengers as aforesaid - Col. Preston,
Mrs. Preston and the three Misses Preston.
Mr. Stone, Col. Stewart, Miss Warde, Mr. Still, and Mr. Hutton, of
Sheffield, and his daughter. We have 134 passengers, only, on
board - a slack muster, caused by the evil times in America - and all
were at dinner on Saturday, the day we sailed, but the wind, rain,
mist, and misery of the next three days sent many of them below, and
for those days we had plenty of elbow-room. The weather, however,
improved, the sun got now and then out, though it has, so far, been
anything but warm, and out came the sick people again in renovated
appetite - some epicurean and dainty, many others with a ravenous, all-
devouring maw, reminding one of the 'worm that never dieth.'
"Now, Col.
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