148 
CANADA 
We had on board a vulgar girl, who hailed from Chicago; she 
was the possessor of a particularly unpleasant voice, and one after¬ 
noon at tea she behaved in a noisier way than usual. A very 
taciturn man at my side said: “ If I had that voice I would hire 
myself out as a fog-horn on the Banks of Newfoundland.” It is 
said to have been the misanthrope’s only remark at meal times 
during the whole voyage. 
Another of our first-class passengers, an Englishman, paid a visit 
one day to an Austrian gentleman in the second-class, when the 
following conversation took place :— 
Austrian: “ Dere is one Professor von Mesmerism on board; I 
would take some lessons, but he says I must pay £5.” 
Englishman: “ Of course you won’t do that.” 
Austrian: “ Ach! no, two or dree will join togedder and make 
one class. How much do you tink we should pay ? ” 
Englishman: “ I wouldn’t pay a d-n.” 
Austrian: “ How much is a d-n ? ” 
Englishman : “ Two shillings and fourpence.” 
[Exit Englishman to first-class , leaving Austrian considering 
ways and means, and the difficulties of the English coinage .] 
We reached Victoria, Vancouver Island, on May 31st, 1904. 
CANADA. 
Victoria, Vancouver Island, lat. 48° 25' N. 
June 1st, 1904. 
Notwithstanding the many excellent points of the good ship 
“Empress of Japan,” we were none of us sorry when the cold, wet, 
weary voyage came to an end, and we got our first sight of British 
Columbia. 
The park of Victoria was one glorious blaze of gold, such Broom 
I never saw. Introduced not very long ago, I am told, it now bids 
fair to oust many of the native shrubs. Here I saw a number of 
Whites of very ordinary appearance, but flying among the grass 
were many of a Heath new to me, Coenonympha elko, f. ampelos, 
W. H. Edw., like a large pale pamphilus. 
In the afternoon an old friend, Dr. George Hewlett, B.N., of 
1T.M.S. “ Bonaventure,” then lying at Esquimalt, took me for a 
