240 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



"CALGARY, indjune. 



This morning it was glorious ; the air reminded 

 me of the desert. It is just the same strong, pure 

 air, blowing over the prairies. Douglas and I went 

 off to fish and caught two trout. The view of the 

 Rockies is very like the Pyrenees, oiily from here not 

 so fine. To-morrow, I think, Douglas and I will drive 

 out to the ranches for two or three days. This is 

 a very funny place and would amuse you. You 

 see nothing but cowboys and ranchemen in the 

 roughest costumes lolling about round the bar, and a 

 more illiterate-looking lot you never saw. It is no life 

 for any one, but a failure in civilised countries, and still 

 it takes cuteness to get on here too. The place is 

 growing very fast, and it will be all settled in ten years, 

 and Calgary a large town." 



"CALGARY, 



We are back from the ranches after the most 

 delightful time ; I would not have missed it for any- 

 thing. We went to three ranches, one of which was 

 Stimson's. I never met with more kindness, and 

 found I was quite at a premium, as they are the least 

 opinionated people I ever met, and were very glad to 

 get one's opinion about the breeding, etc. On the 

 old ranches the life is still very rough, as they are 

 regular old squatters, but you can make yourself com- 

 fortable. The air is simply heavenly on the prairies, 

 exactly like desert air, very dry, and the sun is hot 

 enough for you. Douglas and I hired a trap which they 

 call a * democrat,' a four-wheeled thing, very light and 

 immensely strong, and two horses and no one with us, 

 and drove away from ranche to ranche. There is 



