After the training was over, I sold out my furniture by auction, and proceeded by the North British Railway to Glasgow, where I took an intermediate passage for Canada for my wife, daughter and myself, on board the steamship "St. Andrew," Captain Scott, one of the Allan line, which was to sail on Tuesday, 14th July, 1868, for Quebec. This left us five days to wait in Glasgow, during which time I took the opportunity of visiting many interesting places in this industrial metropolis of Scotland, and one of its largest and most important cities. It is situated on the Clyde, in Lanarkshire. This river divides the north from the south side of the city, and is crossed by five bridges, much admired for their light and graceful architecture, and suspension bridges besides. Below the bridges ferry-boats ply at all hours. The city has somewhat a smoky aspect, while many of the streets are continually thronged with passengers, and noisy carts, cabs, and omnibuses. In other respects it has many attractions.
The houses facing the river stand well back, leaving spacious thoroughfares on each side, and affording full and noble views of the bridges, and of the harbour with its steam funnels and forests of masts; most of the leading streets run from east to west parallel with the river, and almost all the streets are laid off in straight lines. The houses are generally lofty, and built of freestone; the floors of each tenement, being occupied by separate families, are entered by a common stair.
Many of the public buildings deserve notice. The Cathedral, is one of the finest churches in Scotland. The Royal Exchange on Queen street, several of the banks, and many of the churches, likewise present fine specimens of architecture in a variety of styles.
The several equestrian statues, include those of William III., of the Cross, the Duke of Wellington, in front of the Royal Exchange, and Queen Victoria, in George's Square. In the Green there is an obelisk 144 feet high, to Nelson, forming a conspicuous object in the landscape. In George's Square there is a statue of Sir Walter Scott, a fine statue of Sir John Moore, a statue of James Watt, and a statue of Sir Robert Peel. Charitable institutions and benevolent societies abound. There are several theatres and museums, and numerous halls in which soirees and concerts are held nightly during the winter.
The wealthier inhabitants migrate to the coast in shoals during the summer, and cheap Saturday excursions by river and rail, are extensively taken advantage of by the working classes. To the north-west of the city is a botanic garden, which is thrown open every summer during the fair holidays, at a mere nominal charge. With the additional attractions of the conservatory, large numbers visit these gardens. There are several cemeteries in the vicinity of which Sighthill is the most picturesque.
There are besides, four public parks, one in each quarter of the city, namely, the Green, occupying the level next the Clyde at the east end; Queen's Park, finely situated on a rising ground in the south; Kelvin Grove, rounding the face of the hill, crowned with noble terraces, and sloping down to the Kelvin, at the west end of the city. Our time here was short; the ship sails at six o'clock this evening.
After paying the landlord at the George Hotel, we drove to the Broomielaw, where the ship lay alongside the wharf, when we went on board, and at 6.15 p.m. we sailed with the tide. As we steamed out slowly among the shipping in the harbour, the town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever and never got uncoiled, the Clyde, as the tide receded, looked like a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, and vast piles of buildings full of windows where there was a rattling and trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam engine worked monotonously up and down in a state of madness. It was a lovely evening in July. The sun was throwing a hazy light across the landscape on either side of the Clyde as we proceeded; where rich golden harvest fields waved, and the perfume of a thousand flowers was wafted by the zephyrs, which sighed among the young leaves, and a thousand songsters sent forth their melody in joyous chorus. As we passed Greenock we could not help admiring the large rectangular buildings, containing an endless number of windows garnished with machinery, pipes puffing steam, and long chimneys vomiting smoke. As we steamed down, so narrow and crooked was the river in places that we ran aground at 7.15 p.m., when we had a delay until two tug steamers came and pulled us off, when we continued our course and cast anchor off the tail of the bank at 8.15 p.m. Here we were delayed until 2 p.m. next day, when we weighed anchor and steamed down the Firth of Clyde, with one hundred and seventy passengers on board, westerly, and a head wind, making eight knots an hour. The night was lovely, the clear, bright moon threw a silvery light athwart the face of the deep glistening waters, as our ship dashed onwards, reaching Kingstown at 10 a.m. next day, where we cast anchor and witnessed a regatta. The harbour was so crowded with yachts that we had to anchor at its mouth.
At 11 a.m. we weighed anchor again and were piloted outside of Howth. A head wind; passed the Isle of Man and Calf-lights at 4 p.m., cast the log at 5 p.m., ship making nine knots; arrived at Moville in Lough Foyle at 5 a.m. on 17th, where we took more passengers on board, and steamed out at 11.30 a.m., passed Instrahull lighthouse at 2 p.m., head wind, heavy Atlantic swells, most of the passengers got sea sick, passed Tony Island at 5.45 p.m., three absent from supper with sea sickness; 18th, Saturday, rough sea, head wind, most of the passengers sea sick; 19th, Sunday, Divine service at 10 a.m., weather fine, head wind, distance made 157 miles in 24 hours; 20th, Monday, passengers getting over sea sickness, although the ship rolls and pitches a good deal, distance made 162 miles; 21st, Tuesday, Lat. 54° 24', Long. 28° 00', distance 203 miles, fine weather, stiff breeze; 22nd, Wednesday, Lat. 53° 18', Long. 32° 48', distance made 184 miles. At 4 p.m. the wind changed, when all the canvas that could be put on was hoisted, and we ran at 11½ knots during the night; 23rd, Thursday, head wind, and a cold, damp, thick, heavy fog covered the broad Atlantic, distance 232 miles, Lat. 50° 16', Long. 42° 50', 5 p.m., wind changed, ship making 10 knots, stiff breeze from the North; 25th, Saturday, fair wind, making 10½ knots, 10.30 a.m., ten large icebergs in view, at 2 p.m. we saw two large whales close to the ship; 26th, Sunday, Lat. 46° 25', Long. 53° 42', distance 231 miles, soundings 50 fathoms, wind favourable, cold, wet, and miserable weather, at midnight sighted St. Peter's light; 27th, Monday, Lat. 47° 18', Long. 58° 18', distance made 206 miles, at 10 a.m. sighted Cape Ray. Newfoundland coast looked very bare with small trees and underwood. Passed Port Basque at 4.30 p.m. This small village is the telegraph station of the Atlantic cable from Ireland, via Heart's Content, Newfoundland, from thence to Cape Breton on to Nova Scotia and Canada. The island looked cold and barren, with heaps of snow on several of the hills, entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence at 6.30 p.m., steering North, light head wind, our ship runs onward very smoothly, making 8½ knots, all hands over sea sickness and in good spirits, with good appetites, passed the bark Arctic at 6.45 p.m., homeward bound.
The water seems like a mirror, and the night fine, crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence; 28th, Tuesday, morning beautiful, came in sight of the Island of Anticosti at 6 a.m., and at 11 a.m. sighted the coast of Gaspé, passed Cape Rozier at 4 p.m., night fine, not a ripple on the face of the deep; 29th, Wednesday, steamed along the coast of Lower Canada, but a thick fog came on which caused much delay, at 10.30 a.m, we reached "Father Point," where we fired a gun for a pilot to come on board, when we were answered in the thick fog by one from the pilot, whose boat we had passed some distance, the fog being so thick we did not see him. However, after he answered we lay too and took him on board at 11.20 a.m., then steamed forward at 10 knots, coasting along the bank of the river, where we had a view now and then, as the fog cleared, of small villages along the coast. The houses were all white and built of wood; the land for the most part appeared covered with thick forests, but near the villages were some spots cleared and under cultivation, which were green with either grass or crops, but owing to the fog we could not well make out the coast, however, now and then the fog cleared away for a short time as it were to let us have a bird's-eye view of the country on either side of us. The pilot brought on board some newspapers which we amused ourselves reading while the fog lasted. Passed Cacouna at 5.30 p.m., it is a watering place on the banks of the St. Lawrence, about 80 miles from Quebec; it appears a pretty place with one church which we could see plainly. Passed the Brandy Pots at 5.45 p.m., and River Du Loup at the opposite side, at the same time. This village is a French settlement, and is the terminus of the Grand Trunk Railway, distance made 250 miles.
At eleven a.m. we weighed anchor again and proceeded on our way, and after a pleasant voyage of 15 days, arrived at Quebec, on the 30th of July.