OFF FOR THE WOODS 15 



her sweater resting upon her shoulder a good part 

 of the journey, while her husband actually wore his 

 sweater. How they must have suffered you can well 

 judge. 



We found the streams through this country nearly 

 dried up, the lakes looked more like stagnant ponds, 

 the fields were burnt brown by the sun and the leaves 

 of the trees were dull and lusterless with their covering 

 of dust. All nature was crying for rain. 



The quaint old city of Fredericton, our first stop, 

 is garrisoned by a force of Canadian soldiers, who 

 replaced the imperial troops shortly after the close of 

 the Boer war. This has always been a garrison town 

 from the earliest times. It is the capital of the prov- 

 ince, and therefore the seat of government. There's a 

 cathedral here of the established church and many 

 other churches. 



Upon a great occasion over a century ago, when a 

 distinguished guest was to honor the settlement with 

 his presence and a multitude of people had convened 

 to give him welcome, and the St. Johns Kiver, which 

 flows by the town, was alive with gaily bedecked 

 canoes and barges, while stately " four-masters," brigs 

 and barks from many foreign and domestic ports helped 

 with their festive display of bunting and with the 

 thundering of small cannon to make the day and the 

 occasion a memorable one in the history of the country, 

 a raft was seen coming, which had put out from the 



