The Henson Journals

[97]

Monday, June 28th, 1909.

We left Seattle at 9 a.m. by the C.P.R. steamer, & after 4 hours steaming up Fuget Sound arrived at Victoria. The day was unpromising at the start: but cleared soon: and we saw the extraordinary beauties of sea & land to great advantage. In two places we observed forest fires in progress. The volumes of dense smoke obliterated a very lovely view of the snow–touched Olympian range. These forest fires are one of the tragedies of America. The destruction they cause is so tremendous, & they appear to be so unavoidable that they take the heart out of every effort to stem the deliberate violence of the lumber men. 'We may as well take the trees while we can, for to spare them is only to give them to the fires' is an argument as common as it is plausible. Victoria has a very attractive appearance, curiously unlike the bustling Seattle. The gardens are enclosed after the selfish individualism of England, & so far one prefers the open aspect of the American suburbs. We went to the Empress Hotel, a fine new building recently opened by the C.P.R. After collecting some newspapers & a letter from the C.P.R. agent, & leaving my watch to be mended, we walked to the shore through a charming little Park. I wrote to Sir Henry Craik, Mr Fedarb, & Harold. Also I had an interview with a paper man!