POINT PLEASANT PARK, HALIFAX. 



65 



Fig. 2253. "Or Agdn Sweeping Under Grand 

 Old Pines." 



ing- under grand old pines, with glimpses 

 through the open woods of the outside 

 world. Besides these, numberless walks 

 intersect each other in every direction, mak- 

 ing it possible to reach almost any desired 

 spot with a bicycle if one is thus mounted. 

 There are few buildings within the park 

 and such as there are fit harmoniously into 

 their surroundings. It has been said the 

 park is leased to the City of Halifax by the 

 Imperial Government, but the right to use 

 the park, or any part of it, for military pur- 

 poses is still maintained by the Government, 

 and as if to remind the writer of this fact he 

 finds fortifications in several parts of the 

 park. The cannon are pointed toward the 

 open sea and piles of cannon balls stand in 

 readiness as though hostile warships were 

 expected at any moment. But the most 

 interesting building of all is the " Martello 

 Tower," a round stone building of myster- 

 ious and antiquated appearance, which 

 stands in the midst of an open spot in the 

 Park, like others both in England and 



America. It was built in those days when 

 England dreaded a landing of Napoleon 

 upon British Territory, and it is to these 

 buildings that Campbell refers in his "Ye 

 Mariners of England," — 



' Britannia needs no bulwarks — 

 No towers along the stetp, 

 Her march is o'er the mountain waves, 

 Her home is on the deep." 



Another most interesting feature of the 

 Park is the abundant growth of Scotch 

 heather in a certain part, where sixty years 

 ago a Scottish regiment, fresh from the 

 land of the thistle and the heather, spent 

 some time in tents while their barracks 

 were being repaired. Here it has grown 

 and thriven, with only enough attention 

 from the authorities to see that it is not 

 carried away entirely by the ever present 

 tourist with a thirst for souvenirs. 



So long a time has elapsed since the 

 Park was established that most of its 

 founders have passed on to their reward. 

 Yet their names should ever be held in 

 grateful remembrance by those who enjoy 

 the beauties which they have preserved, — 

 Sir John S. Thompson, Sir William Young, 

 Judge Ritchie, Hon. William Stairs and 

 John Doull, Esq. Their work was "a labor 

 of love " and certainly the result is a " vision 

 of loveliness." 



Fig. 22.,4 " 1 he Martello Tower a Grand Stone 



Bu Iding of Mysterious and Antiquated 



Appearance." 



