Journal of a Tour in the United States, Canada and Mexico ... Illustrated

Front matter

JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND MEXICO. EL CAPITAN, YO SEMITE. P. 94. 3,300 feet from valley. Frontispiece. JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND MEXICO BY WINEFRED, LADY HOWARD OF GLOSSOP ILLUSTRATED LONDON SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY, LIMITED §t. THunstan's Jjoust; Fetter Lane, Fleet Street,|E.C. CHISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COl'RT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. 2DeDtcateD TO THE LADY ADELIZA MANNERS. May, 1897. CONTENTS. Chapter I. PAGE Tlie "Lucania" — Arrival in America — New York— Hudson Eiver — Albany — Saratoga Springs — Lakes George and Champlain — Railway travelling 1 Chapter II. Canada — Quebec — Montmorenci Falls — Montreal — Ottawa — Rideau Hall — Toronto 10 Chapter III. Niagara 17 Chapter IV. Chicago — Denver — Colorado Springs — Manitou — Pike's Peak — Garden of the Gods — Cheyenne Canon .... 27 Chapter V. Royal Gorge of the Arkansas — Leadville — Glenwood Springs —into Utah 40 Chapter VI.

Utah — Salt Lake City — Salt Lake — Park City— Ontario Silver mines — Mormon Sunday service — Fort Douglas — Ogden — Over the Siena 47 Chapter VII. California — San Francisco — Monterey — Del Monte • . CONTENTS. Chapter VIII. PAGE San Jose — Mount Hamilton— Lick Observatory — Santa Cruz Redwood Big Trees 68 Chapter IX. Raymond — Awaunee — Wawona — Yo Semite — Inspiration ' Point 81 Chapter X. Yo Semite Valley — Mariposa Big Trees — Fresno ... 89 Chapter XI. Los Angeles — Santa Monica — Pasadena — Echo Mountain — San Diego — El Paso del Norte • 101 Chapter XII. Mexico — Chihuahua — Bull-light — Zacatecas — Aguas-caiientes — Tajo di Noehistonga — Silao — Valley of Mexico . 112 Chapter XIII. Mexico City — Chinampas — Museo Nacional — San Carlos — Chapoltepec — "Arbol de la Noche triste " — Guadalupe- Hidalgo 127 Chapter XIV.

Puebla de Ios Angeles— Jalapa — Vera Cruz .... 152 Chapter XV. Paso del Macho — Cordoba — Fortin — Barranca de Metlac — Orizaba — Esperanza — Puebla — Cholula .... 165 Chapter XVI. Museo Nacional — Aztec Calendar — Palemke Cross — Indian Paintings — Texcoco — Netzahualcoyotl . . . .176 CONTENTS. Chapter XVII. PAGE Academy of San Carlos— Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz — Tula— Queretaro— Guadalajara 198 Chapter XVIII. Guadalajara— Juanacatlan — "Barranca" — Hospital de San Belen — Hospicio — San Pedro Tlaquepaque — Tampico — Eagle Pass 213 Chapter XIX. San Antonio — New Orleans — Florida — Jacksonville — Pablo Beach — St. Augustine — Fort Marion .... 227 Chapter XX. Florida — Indian River — Lake Worth — Winter Park — Tampa Bay — St. Petersburgh — Tarpon Springs — Silver Springs — Oklawaha River — Palatka 236 Chapter XXI.

Chapter I

The " Lucania " — Arrival in America — New York — Hudson River — Albany — Saratoga Springs — Lakes George and Champlain — Railway travelling. LAST autumn,1 having a little time to spare, and greatly desiring to see " that which licks creation," my brother Gr. and I suddenly made up our minds to cross the " Herriug Pond," for the purpose of seeing, some por tion at least, of the vast Continent of America. So we took our places in the great Cunard Liner " Lu cania," and on September 22nd, met at Liverpool, and at 4 p.m. proceeded on board, by tug. It was a quiet, gray afternoon, and as we neared the great ship it was astonishing to see how small she looked ; we had pictured to ourselves something so very much bigger, and could scarcely believe in her 12,950 tons ! However, once on board, one began to realize her huge size, and to admire her enormous engines and decks, and the splendour, rather, perhaps, than comfort, of her state saloons.

The drawing-room was provided, uot only with a 1 This was written in 1895. B grand pianoforte, but also a fine organ, upon both of whicli, during the voyage, divers amateurs discoursed sounds sweet, or otherwise. They also sang, and occasionally recited. My " state-room " was airily situated on the " deck promenade," with a delightful bath-room just opposite. These cabins on the " promenade deck " are considered the best, and are all that is nice as long as the weather is fine ; but, one rough day, when the Atlantic rollers hap pened to be splashing in full swing across the entrance to them, I tried in vain to dodge "between waves," and reached the haven drenched ! So, unless you know that the weather will be calm throughout, and no encroaching waves washing the deck, I think the state-rooms on the saloon-floor preferable, as they are always accessible, what ever the weather.

It is true, it is possible to get to the deck-cabins by another way ; but it is such a tortuous, hot and roundabout route, that, except in the case of being battened down, one hasn't the patience to try it. We had started, a well-filled shipload, at about 4.30 p.m., with a calm and quiet run to Queenstown, where we arrived on Sunday morning, staying just long enough to take in mails and passengers, after which, in perfectly quiet and sunshiny weather, we left the harbour with its bright green hills, and steamed out more and more rapidly, into the wide ocean. Soon all land was left behind ; and on we rushed, entirely alone on the pathless sea. So smoothly does the great ship move, that it is not till night sets in, and you pace up and down watching the gleam of the electric light on the swirling, madding water, that you realize, with a sensation of awe, the wild pace through the waves at which you are rushing, on and on, into the darkness.

NEW YORK. 3 In the daytime, you recline dreaming and reading on your chaise-longue, and only feel the beauty and boundless rest of the glittering, sunlit sea. Once or twice it curled up with displeasure ; and one dav our foghorn blew fearful blasts unceasingly ; but on the whole the voyage was delightful and passed like a dream, out of which, at 7. p.m. on Friday 28th, we awoke to find ourselves at New York. No tug this side the Pond, but straight to the landing stage, and into the custom-house, where our boxes some how having got mixed, we were kept hours and hours ; but when at last found there was no trouble at all, and without even looking into them the amiable officials, on our simple declaration of "nothing to declare," chalked them, and we passed out with them safely to the " Broad way Hotel," to which we had been advised to go, as being in the centre of all the traffic of cars and elevated railways — which would facilitate the hasty scamper we proposed making over New York, before starting north-eastward. ' One thing had surprised me before leaving the ship.

I had expected to see, instantly on arrival, troops of " Inter viewers," prowling in search of " strangers," to inquire their " opinion of America," before they had landed. None such appeared, rather to my disappointment, for one likes to see the " Institutions " of a country ; but we heard afterwards that several had been waiting, but quite absorbed in trying to secure the first news of a member of the " Four-Hundred " elite of New York, who had come over for the facilities of American divorce. Later on, we had superabundant experience of " Inter viewers ! " We found the Broadway quite comfortable, cuisine good, and the waiters attentive, all negro, and rather picturesque ; one of whom, who particularly waited on us, was a perfect Adonis, " black but beautiful," and always stood, between whiles of serving, in the most elegant and æsthetic of attitudes, smiling sweetly upon us.

The next morning, Saturday 29th, was perfectly lovely and very hot ; we devoted it to making a survey of the city from the elevated railway which circles it entirely, aud occupies almost every other street — as much to the dis figurement of the town as to the convenience of the pas senger, who, seated aloft, in the cool of the air, enjoys a bird's-eye view of the place. In addition to the elevated railways, every street is crammed with electric-cars and " horse-stages ; " there are cabs too, which you see standing in long rows, but nobody ever seems to use them ; for not two steps will they go without the payment of 2^ dollars (10 shillings). Bp the famous Fifth Avenue you progress in what is called a " stage," a ramshackle old contrivance, not worthy to be named in the same century with the yet not ideal London 'bus.

It is untidy and crowded. When all the sitting room is occupied, people still keep crowding in, one on the top of the other, and standing all along the narrow space between, till you absolutely suffocate and scramble out as best you can, and walk on for perhaps a quarter of an hour before another " stage " comes lumbering by, possibly as crowded as before. These " stages " show a touching belief in the honestv of the passengers, who each deposit a " dime " (ten cents) in a pocket placed for the purpose — or not, as they please ; there being no conductor or anybody to see that they do. As we proposed to see the museums and picture galleries thoroughly on our return, we only glanced at the outsides of the various buildings, and spent some time arranging at ALBANY. 5 " Cook's " the details and railway coupons for our pro posed travels.

On Sunday we went to the high mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is considered a very fine structure; and it is fine, but it somehow looks, like so much of modern Gothic, as if it had been put into a mould and " turned out " very correctly. It is, however, by far the most striking and important church in the city, and was crowded, although the music was indifferent. In the afternoon we went by rail to Brooklyn, and drove over Greenwood cemetery, very fine and well kept, and from which there are extensive views, enhanced that even ing by a gorgeous crimson sunset. We returned by ferry-boat, and next morning, October 1st, started at 9 a.m. in the swift and comfortable river boat up the Hudson. The weather was perfect ; the sun hot, and the sky a cloudless Italian blue, reflecting the loveliest colour into the sparkling river ; the trees and shrubs beginning to assume their autumnal reds and golds, picturesque banks and a delicious fresh breeze, as far as Albany, the capital of New York State ; where we arrived towards sunset, just in time to fly up the handsome State Street, on the highest point of which commandingly stands the magnificent, new and still unfinished Capitol, in the French renaissance style, the interior of which, from the designs of H. H. Richardson (the architect of most of the finest buildings in the United States) is Cyclopean in bulk and superb in effect.

The most gorgeous marbles and onyxes, finely carved huge staircases and marble-arched chambers, which we only had time to run hurriedly through before flying off by train to Saratoga Springs, which we reached at 9 p.m., and left the following morning at 9.30, after having spent two or three hours walking from spring to spring — one more celebrated for cures than another — tasting the water of each, all very nice and refreshing, and all the streets delightfully shaded by very fine trees. We continued our way north by steamer, up Lake George (so called after George III.), 33 miles long by about 31 wide, bordered on both sides by prettily shaped and wooded mountains ; the boat winding in the midst of more than 200 lovely little islets, covered with trees and ornamental shrubs and flowery gardens and some little villas, which, on a small scale, comforted us for not having, later on, seen the " Thousand Isles " in the St. Lawrence.

After leaving Lake George and traversing the short space of land between the two, we embarked on a larger steamer, up the much grander and wider Lake Champ lain, 120 miles long, with an occasional breadth of 12. Lovely paeeps of the Adirondack and Green Mountains, passing the picturesque ruins of Fort Tieonderoga, notable for the famous exploits of Colonel Allen of Vermont and his " Green Mountain boys," in 1775 ; and, previously, for many fights during the wars with the French, especially for the unsuccessful attack upon it made by General Abercrombie in 1758, which cost the lives of 2,000 men and of the young and gallant Lord Howe, second in command ; a model to all, and whose loss was a great blow to our forces -but of which we gained final possession a year later. From Lake Champlain we proceeded by train, and had our first experience of American " sleepers " and cars, vaunted by natives as the " perfection of travelling com fort ; " although all who can afford it take care never to enter them, but have private " cars " of their own, con taining* dining, drawing, and bedrooms — roomy and com- SLEEPERS. sortable, with kitchen-cars attached — the whole forming a little separate train, which is shunted or tacked on to the ordinary cars as required ; so that they travel in their own " home," as it were, and know nothing of the discomforts of ordinary travellers.

Never later than 10 p.m., and often earlier, the negro who acts as " porter " to the " sleeper" puts on his white cotton garments, in which he looks very neat, and comes up to you with the usual grin on his shiuiug face, " it 's time to fix up for the night! " In vain you remonstrate and explain that you cannot piossibly go to bed at such a pre posterously early hour. He only grins the more and repeats, " I guess it 's time," and before you know where you are down comes the upjuer berth upon your head, and as you would have to sit half doubled up, you are com pelled to allow the bed to be made up and the curtains closely drawn ; after which some man or woman mounts up into the berth above you, and others into the ones oppiosite, with only a narrow gangway between, with the temperature up to any height (always kept up, by com mand of the authorities, to not less than 75" Fahr.).

You then pass through a long night of suffocation, not to say asphyxiation. Happy for you if you are able to persuade the porter to open your window. Luckily, each lower berth has its window ; not so for tunate the unhappy tenant of the upper berth, where there is none. But often you ask in vain. The other passengers " scent " the night air, and call the conductor to insist on its being instantly shut out. In desperation you fling open a part of your thick curtains, which, as often as he periodically passes through, the porter carefully re-closes. How one longs for an English first-class compartment, or even second or third ! At earliest dawn you fly to be first in the one very tiny apartment in which ladies can make some slight sort of toilette, whilst the men have one to themselves at the other end of the car.

In short, no words can describe the discomfort and suffocating desagrements of the " sleepers ; " and, to avoid them, we several times preferred to sit up in the crowded long cars, where, at any rate, you can read, the lights not being ruthlessly veiled ; or look at the passing scenery, as well as starlight or moonlight will allow. But we found that, although this might be done with some sort of com fort (comparatively) up to midnight — almost invariably, after that hour, two or three of the long cars were drojiped at some station, and the whole of their occupants turned into the one or two cars left on the train. Every kind of being comes tumbling in ; six or more seat themselves, somehow, where there is only room for four ; heathen Chinees, negroes, Yankees of least refined type, who all proceed to smoke, etc.

Every window is shut, the atmo sphere becomes that of an inferno, and in desperation you make a rush to find the conductor, to beg him, " at the eleventh hour," to find you, after all, a berth in the dis agreeable but comparatively preferable " sleeper; " to which he answers reproachfully that he guesses there 's no room there now, but goes to see, usually with the result that a berth is found unoccupied, or some good-natured man gives up his in your favour, and there you take refuge, gasping with heat, for the remainder of the night. It really is sometimes exasperating to hear the " comfort of American railway travelling " extolled, as if there were nothing comparable to it in the whole civilized world ! for, be it understood, there is but one " class," and the RAILWAYS. " sleepers ; " so that, either one or the other, you must go iu, or you must undertake the very considerable expense of hiring a " car " to yourself.

It is true that on some lines there are " coloured cars," reserved entirely for the " coloured " travellers ; and woe to you if, by mistake, seeing a quite empty one, you estab lish yourself in it ; the outraged black conductor comes to you with an injured and majestic air : " Ma'am, you must just get out of this ; this car is for the coloured ladies and gentlemen. White men and women go there ! " scornfully pointing to the adjoining car. In the daytime, when the trains are not crowded, you can make yourself quite happy in the long cars, in which the seats are ordinarily of green or red velvet, and not uncomfortable, and plenty of windows on each side, through which the views are well seen ; but nothing can accustom one to the inexcusable and painful want of cleanliness caused by the inordinate use of tobacco, and the repulsive ness of the precautionary measures necessitated thereby.

It is everywhere more or less the same— museums, churches, picture-galleries, all ! It is the great, and one, drawback to travel or residence in America. In less " advanced " Mexico, on the other hand, there is nothing of the kind.

Chapter II

Canada — Quebec — Montmorenci Falls — Montreal — Ottawa — Rideau Hall — Toronto. AT 6.30 a.m., on October 3rd, we found ourselves at Quebec, and drove straight to the sumptuous chateau rather than hotel of " Frontenac," magnificently situated on the top of a perpendicular precipice, the citadel to the right, and the grand St. Lawrence in front, with its further picturesque shore, beyond which again it winds in divers wide channels to the ocean. We looked down upon the almost perpendicular path up which Wolfe's twenty-four volunteers silently scrambled during the night of September 12th, 1759, driving oft' the French guard at the top ; whilst the remainder of the English troops stealthily followed in their footsteps, holding on by the scanty bushes till they were all drawn up on the Heights of Abraham, where, next morning, the great battle was fought in which Wolfe was struck down at the moment the French were flying — his last words : " Now, God be praised, I die in peace !

" whilst his antagonist, Montcalm, mortally wounded at the same moment, was carried into Quebec rejoicing that he " should not live to see its surrender," which took place on the 18th, after his death. It is sad to remember that the very next year saw the defeat of our forces on these same plains of Abraham by QUEBEC. 10,000 Frenchmen, followed by the siege of Quebec, saved, happily, from capitulation by the timely arrival of the British fleet. In the governor's garden stands the monument erected in 1827 to the rival commanders, Wolfe and Montcalm — giving equal honour to both ; an equality, however, not altogether deserved by the French General, whose fame had been, two years previously, indelibly tarnished by his non-prevention, if not encouragement, of the savage treachery of his Indian allies, after the British surrender of Fort Wrilliam-Henry ou Lake George — who, notwith standing his solemn guarantee of life and safe retreat to the garrison (which included great numbers of women and children), were not hindered from falling mercilessly upon the refugees, massacring the greater number, and carrying the remainder into slavery and torture.

The fort had been previously greatly weakened by the withdrawal, by order of Lord Loudoun, at that time General-in-Command, of large numbers of the garrison, for the prosecution of his unsuccessful siege of Louisburg. To return to the " Frontenac," most comfortable and luxurious, excellent French cuisine, and the waiters all French — as indeed seems to be the whole town. The grand Citadel, which we were shown over by an amiable and very smart (French) artilleryman, commands superb views ; thence to the Houses of Parliament, very fine, inside and out; French is mostly spoken, the greater number of the Ministry as well as of the members, being of that nationality. It makes one rather wonder what would happen if war should ever unfortunately break out between the two nations ! After an excellent dejeuner, we started in a queer sort CANADA. of little half-covered cart, with a capital trotting pony, in lovely sunshine, to see the Montmorency Falls ; but long before we reached them clouds had gathered, and in the midst of a terrific downpour of rain we arrived at the little inn, from which a pretty path through flowery woods leads to the Falls.

We started to walk in the drenching rain and deep mud, a short distance to the summit, from whicli you descend perpendicularly by slippery wooden steps, and are rewarded by a magnificent coup-d'œil — a grand sheet of foamy water, plunging from a height of 265 feet, with a width of 150, bordered on each side by cliffs of rugged deep-red rock, their summits crowned with graceful trees brilliant with autumnal gold. After revelling in the beauty of it as well as the pitiless rain would allow, we made the best of our way back to the little inn, where the French landlady kindly dried our wet things, after which, much regretting the impossibility of attempting the further scramble to the " natural steps " higher up the river, we returned the ten miles' drive to Quebec, where, in defiance of the still pelting rain, we wandered into various churches, all remarkable here for their bright tin-covered roofs and spires, giving much the appearance of silver ; and into several shops, principally of very fine furs and Canadian curiosities.

We likewise drove, the rain slightly abating, beyond the Heights of Abraham, to various parks and villas, all fine and well-kept, with beautiful trees and lovely views of the rivers and distant country. We dined late at the "Frontenac," and afterwards started by train in the " sleeper " again to Montreal. It was pleasant to remember that Quebec had been once honoured by the presence of our glorious Nelson, then a very young man, on the point of marrying a young Canadian lady, aud MONTREAL. 13 retiring from the Navy, which, happily, he was dissuaded from doing. The weather at Quebec had been fresh, not to say cold, but during the night the rain cleared, and the day broke lovely and hot, with a cloudless sky. At 6.30 a.m. we reached Montreal, and drove straight through fine wide streets charmingly bordered with trees and handsome houses — the beautifully-wooded Mount Royal (from which the city takes its name) towering grandly in the back ground ; past cathedrals and churches, with their glittering tinned spires, to the fine Hotel Windsor, in the great galleries and dining-hall and "parlours" of which huge Christmas fires were blazing, in spite of the thermometer at 80° !

An excellent breakfast, in stifling heat, after which we sallied forth to see the imposing Court-House and City- Hall, and the principal churches, in one of which a piano did duty for organ ; in another, an " elevator " saved you the fatigue of walking up to the top of one of its great towers ; and a third was labelled all over " Church to let ! " The residences are substantially and handsomely built, each with its pretty garden, rising in terraces towards the lovely Mount Royal Park, through w-hich an excellent road winds up terraces to the summit of the Mount (900 feet), from which the view is one of the most beautiful in the world. We stood on a raised platform overlooking the loveliest green turf, the entire hill one mass of the most graceful trees gorgeous with every conceivable hue of pure gold and scarlet, delicate rose-pinks, greens and green-golds, looking down upon the descending terraces to the admirably laid out city, with its great domed cathedral, dominating it as CANADA.

St. Peter's dominates Rome ; spires and towers and tree fringed streets, all seated on a green island, encircled, as it were, by a silvery snake — the grand St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, winding and shining through plains of the vividest verdure, stretching away to the furthest horizon, in which rise faint, distant hills of misty blue — the whole lovely scene bathed in sleepy golden sunshine, sublimely reposeful ! But inexorable Time forced us away, and we made the round of the Mount through the lovely, gorgeously tinted woods back to the city, passing, amongst other pleasant villas, the unpretending red-brick house taken for the winter months by the Viceroy, but not yet occupied. With great regret we left this charming city, nearly as French as Quebec, and full of every mark of prosperity.

We arrived late the same evening at Ottawa, the capital of Canada, although vastly inferior in almost every respect — except that it is English and not French — to both Quebec and Montreal ; and proceeded, for the night, to the principal hotel, " Russell House," sufficiently good and comfortable, but on avery different scale from the splendid hotels at the two former cities. It is excellently situated, just opposite the magnificent group of Parliament Houses and other government build ings, all finely massed together on high ground command ing the river Ottawa. The next morning, which was again fine and warm, we started early ou a voyage of discovery through the city, and, it being too early to find the Parliament Houses open, proceeded by tram as far as the entrance to the grounds of Rideau Hall : a very small, unpretentious, and plainly-built house, with no good reception rooms, and altogether, we thought, quite unworthy to be the OTTAWA. chief residence of the representative of the Queen in Canada.

It is surrounded by a small, and not particularly orna mental garden, and woods containing no fine timber. There are pretty vistas, and a skating-pond and toboggan slide — gay sights, we were told, in the winter ; the house was being repaired, in the absence of its occupier at Winnijjeg, and seemed in somewhat dilapidated condition. Each succeeding governor brings his own decorations — tapestry, pictures, etc., and carries them away with him at the termination of his appointment. After seeing the rather pretty Rideau falls, we trammed back to the city, and saw the Chaudicre falls and lumber department ; went over the exteriorly-fine and imposing Gothic Parliament Houses, built of a beautiful cream-coloured sandstone, diversified with deep red — the whole presenting a rich effect of colour, enhanced by the beautiful green lawns in the midst of which it stands.

A fine library adjoins, containing 20,000 volumes. Next we visited the Geological Museum, containing, among many other interesting objects, a huge meteoric stone, 25 per cent, nickel, which, before being cut, weighed 300 lb. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, with two fine towers, 200 feet high, but poor interior with the exception of a fine reredos ; and various other sights. The next day (October 6th) we left Ottawa by the 6 a.m. train to Prescott and Kingston, whence we had intended going by boat to Toronto, but found it would start too late, so took the next train and arrived there at 9 p.m., and stayed the night at the Queen's Hotel, only very so-so ; baths exorbitantly dear, whereas at Ottawa they were had for nothing. This hotel is certainly not worthy of so phenomenally a rising city, scarcely below Chicago in CANADA. commercial importance ; from its advantageous position ou the north-west shore of Lake Ontario, gathering to itself the entire trade of north-west Canada, whilst in full communication with the American frontier on the southern side of the Lake.

October 7th being Sunday, we went to the early service at St. Michael's Cathedral, possessed of a lovely spire, but a somewhat gaudy interior, in which we heard charming hy inn-singing by the school children, accompanied by an excellent organ. We had been told that in the " Queen City," as Toronto is designated, Sunday was so strictly kept that there would be some difficulty in getting about — all locomotion bv trams or cabs being tabooed. However, we managed to get a carriage, which took us to Victoria Park, and one of the great lumber yards, crammed with huge stacks of fresh -smelling planks cut to various sizes, the produce of the great forests of Ontario, with a charming foreground of broad river and sand, beyond which, fringed with masses of tall trees of brilliant gold, towered the enormous and picturesque pile of municipal and parliamentary buildings, and the magnificent University of Toronto, with its superb central tower and many turrets, aud Observatory, School of Scieuce, Library, etc. ; all of which we visited and greatly admired, as well as the too short time we had to spare allowed.