28 
can I call the tour wholly a pleasure excursion. An excursion 
on pleasure implies dawdling, moving and resting at will; a 
forced march, would, I think, more aptly describe our tour, the 
arrangements for which had all been made for weeks beforehand, 
and the members of which were required to obey orders with 
military obedience, and moving through the country at such a 
rate as rendered it doubtiul, if one were once left behind, whether 
he would be able to again overtake his party. We had an 
itinerary given to us covermg a period of six weeks, from August 
22nd to October 38rd. This was the ‘red book’”’ in which were 
all our instructions. Everything was arranged (for our con- 
venience, of course), without our having the trouble to think for 
ourselves. From this book we could find out where to go, where 
to stay, and what to eat, drink, and avoid. 
The most striking feature of Canada is the sparseness of her 
population compared to ber immense area. Canada is nearly as 
big as the whole of Kurope, being 3,650,000 square miles in area, 
against the 3,700,000 square miles of Hurope, while her popula- 
tion is only about that of London, viz., 54 millions. 
From east to west the country is about 3,000 miles across, and 
may be roughly divided into three sections of 1,000 miles each. 
The first, or easterly section, is the section that contains the 
bulk of the population, and is said to be most like England. It 
is broken, undulating country, contains the chief cities, and is 
the section of manufactures, mixed farming, and fruit growing. 
The middle section contains the great level wheat growing and 
prairie land, where one may travel for days in the train and see 
no more variety in the scenery than if he were looking out to 
sea. Winnipeg, Brandon, and Fort William are the chief cities 
in this section, and are centres from which are shipped to all 
parts of the world the produce of the great wheat growing 
territory by which they are surrounded. From Brandon in 
Manitoba, the centre of the wheat district, 150 miles further 
west than Winnipeg, wheat can be landed at Liverpool at 16 
cents (8d.) per bushel; as showing how low is the rate, I may 
say that if cotton pieces could be carried from Burnley to Man- 
chester at the same price, the rate, instead of being 10s. 10d. 
per ton, would be the incredibly small sum of 14d. per ton, a 
striking illustration of the difference in cost of land and water 
carriage. 
The third or western section, on to the Pacific coast, is the 
land of the Mountain and the Flood, of Ranching, Fishing, 
Mining, and Lumbering. Of its cities, Calgary, Banff, Vancouver, 
Victoria, and Nelson are the most important and best known. 
To reach this coast from Montreal, we have a longer land 
journey before us than is the ocean trip to Montreal from here. 
