VICTORIA 



60SO 



VICTORIA 



1856) ; the enfranchisement of the Jews (1858) ; 

 the disestablishment of the Irish Church (1869) ; 

 the Chinese, Abyssinian, Ashanti, Afghan and 

 Zulu wars; the passage of a number of parlia- 

 mentary reform measures; the establishment 

 of a large measure of British control in Egypt ; 

 Australian federation (1900), and the South 

 African War were some of the additional events 

 that rendered this reign of supreme impor- 

 tance. Even' part of the Empire was affected, 

 and it may be said truly that Great Britain 

 at Victoria's death was a new Great Britain, 

 differing in very many of its ideals and prin- 

 ciples from that over which she assumed sway 

 in 1837. 



After the death of Albert in 1861 Victoria 

 withdrew from social life, but never failed in 

 any of her essential duties as queen. With 

 impressive ceremonies the people of the Em- 

 pire in 1887 celebrated the golden jubilee of 

 her reign, and ten years later her diamond jubi- 

 lee was attended with even greater splendor. 

 Her death, on January 22, 1901, at her winter 

 home on the Isle of Wight, was profoundly 

 mourned throughout the world. Among all the 

 sovereigns of history none is held in higher es- 

 teem by Christian nations. E.B.P. 



Consult Tooley's The Personal Life of Queen 

 Victoria; Lippincott's Queen Victoria: Her Girl- 

 hood and Womanhood; Hird's Victoria, the 

 Woman. 



Related Subjects. In connection with the his- 

 tory of this reign the reader may consult the fol- 

 lowing articles in these volumes : 

 Albert, Francis Charles Opium, subhead 

 Chartism Opium War 



Connaught, Duke of Rebellion of 1837 



Crimea, subhead Sepoy Rebellion 



Crimean War South African War 



Great Britain, subtitle Union, Act of 



History 



VICTORIA, the capital city of British Co- 

 lumbia, is, with the exception of Vancouver, 

 the largest city in the province. It is situated 

 on a small but safe harbor at the southeast 

 end of Vancouver Island, which is separated 

 from the mainland at this point by the Strait 

 of Juan de Fuca. It is the largest manufactur- 

 ing center on Vancouver Island, but it is also 

 one of the most attractive residential cities in 

 the Dominion. Its climate is delightful ; vio- 

 lent extremes of temperature are almost un- 

 known, and flowers blossom outdoors practi- 

 cally throughout the year. Population in 1911, 

 31,660; in 1916, about 60,000. 



Commerce and Industry. Victoria is the ter- 

 minus of two railways, the Esquimalt & Na- 



naimo (Canadian Pacific), running northward 

 to Courtenay, and the Victoria & Sydney, run- 

 ning to Sydney, eighteen miles away. With 

 the Canadian Pacific, the Canadian Northern 

 and other railways of the mainland it has con- 

 nection by steamer with Vancouver, 84 miles 

 northeast, and with Seattle, 80 miles to the 

 south. By far the most important part of its 

 shipping is with other Pacific ports in the 

 United States and in Canada, and with China, 

 Japan and Australia. Victoria's commercial 

 importance is due to the products of the mines, 

 the forests and the fisheries of Vancouver 

 Island and the adjacent mainland. It is the 

 first port of call reached by incoming steanu i> 

 to Vancouver and ports on Puget Sound, and 

 is visited by all outgoing steamers. The city's 

 imports are worth about $10,000,000 a year, and 

 the exports nearly $2,000,000. 



Ship building and repairing is naturally a 

 large industry, and a dry dock is one of Victo- 

 ria's important plants. The city has over 150 

 factories, with products ranging from canned 

 fish, biscuits and soap to lumber, furniture, tents, 

 paints, brass articles and machinery. From 

 1901 to 1911 the value of Victoria's manufac- 

 tures increased from $2,617,000 to $4,244,000, 

 and the annual average is now considerably 

 over $5,000,000. 



Features of the City. Victoria is not only a 

 commercial and manufacturing center, but is 

 one of the most attractive residential cities in 

 Canada; it is chosen as a home by many per- 

 sons of independent means, and is a resort for 

 tourists from all parts of the world. The most 

 conspicuous feature in Victoria is the parlia- 

 ment buildings, overlooking James Bay. In 

 addition to the legislative chamber and the 

 government offices, the building contains the 

 provincial library and fine collections of natu- 

 ral history, minerals and agricultural specimens. 

 It was completed in 1898, and was formally 

 opened on February 10 of that year. The cost 

 was over $1,000,000 (for illustration see BRITISH 

 COLUMBIA, page 939). Near by is the mag- 

 nificent Empress Hotel, owned by the Cana- 

 dian Pacific Railway, the two buildings mak- 

 ing an imposing picture for travelers arriving 

 by steamer. Government House (the residence 

 of the lieutenant-governor), the Jubilee Hos- 

 pital, city hall, customs house and post office 

 are other handsome buildings. 



Beacon Hill Park, a natural pleasure ground, 

 deserves special mention. It faces the Strait of 

 Juan de Fuca, and affords one of the most 

 magnificent views in the world over the waters 



