1897-8- TRANSACTIONS. 29 



who during four centuries have been the place-name fathers 

 of the country, on a large scale. It would be to tell of the 

 Browns, the Smiths, the Joneses, the Robinsons and all the 

 other individuals who became "men of light and leading: " in 

 a thousand Canadian communities, whose virtues are perpet- 

 uated in the Smithvilles, the Bell's Corners, the Bellevieux 

 Coves, the Baker's settlements, etc., and who, by their super- 

 ior energy or by accidental environment, have given their 

 names to many of our Post Offices. I made a count of these 

 and found that there are over 500 post offices in the country 

 whose names correspond to those of the Post Masters actually 

 ministering to the demands of the several communities for 

 epistolary correspondence and for the ever-welcome family 

 newspapers. 



Such stories of the place-name fathers, great and small, 

 would be replete with interest to young and to old alike, each 

 having ij;s full share of moving incident by sea and by land, 

 by flood or by field. 



With Cabot, on board the Matthew^ we would have to 

 scout along the shores of north-east Canada, now cautiously 

 entering unknown straits, now exultingly sailing into broad 

 and deep harbours, disturbed by many storms of wind, but 

 happily undisturbed by the vapourings of a Harrisse or the 

 disquisitions of a Dawson on the landfall question. With 

 Basques and Portugese we would have to visit almost surrep- 

 titiously (modern fishermen-like), rivers such as the St. Law- 

 rence and Miramichi, and follow porpoise and whale far up 

 their courses. With Cartier we would have to venture through 

 the gloomy portals of the Saguenay and pass through the 

 forest-lined waters of the great river, giving names to frown- 

 ing cliffs, heated bays, luxuriant islands and glorious promon- 

 tories. With Vancouver we would have to wander, on board 

 the " Discovery " or the " Chatham," amidst the floods and 

 mazes of the Straits of Georgia — now sweeping on under full 

 sail, now moving cautiously and heaving the lead at every 

 point, and now making preliminary explorations in cutter 

 and rowboat, watching the water for hidden rocks and shoals 

 and the land for ambushed natives. With Wm. Baffin or 

 John Davis, or Martin Frobisher* or Henry Hudson or I^uke 

 P'ox or George Back or Capt. Dease or Edward Perry or John 

 Franklin or Francis McClintoch or Thos. Simpson, we would, 



*Whose tomb in St. Giles Church was threatened by the great fire 

 in London, Nov. 1897. 



