The Henson Journals

[99]

Wednesday, June 30th, 1909.

Victoria:– The Canadian Club have asked me to lunch and make a speech: but they have specified no subject. I am not well disposed to the conventional speeches of compliment; and I cannot wisely embark on any subject of controversy. Politics are thought to be inconsistent with the clerical profession; & Religion would agree ill with a public luncheon!

About 30 men came to lunch. I made a speech on the subject of national defence, emphasizing the gravity of the present crisis. On the whole the speech was well received.

We spent the forenoon in visiting a saw mill. An obliging foremen took us in, and shewed us the working of the machinery. It was a remarkable, and in some respects a melancholy spectacle. Great trees which had taken centuries to grow, were seized by the strong arms of the machine, hurled on to the execution plank, gripped firmly thereon, and forced into the mutilating embrace of the saw. As the planks were stripped off, they were hooked by another Familiar on to a revolving platform, which speedily carried them out of sight. I seemed to be assisting at some monstrous scene of torture. The labourers were a strangely–assorted company. A grim tall Swede presided at the execution, & indicated by a [100] movement of his fingers the precise torture to be inflicted on the martyr, in plain prose, the precise width of the plank to be hewn from the trunk. The inferior officials were Chinamen: & they were assisted by a dubious German. The foreman himself had the aspect of a Scotchman.

The Chinese are a prominent feature in this town. Here in the Hotel they officiate as inferior waiters – jackals attending tigers. They carry their pigtails neatly folded round their heads. In the streets they have their pigtails flying loose & reaching almost to their heels. They are much in request as domestic servants, being reported to be faithful, intelligent, & industrious. As artisans, also, they are highly regarded. There is an immigration fee of no less than 500 dollars, which was imposed to keep them out of the colony, but I am told that it has only caused them to be more highly paid. They still come in, but they recover the fee from their employers. The Chinese boy is a quaint creature. I photographed one at a shop door, as I passed down the street.

After seeing the saw–mill, Mrs Robertson called to take us to the Provincial Parliament House, where an obliging official shewed us round, & took us to the cupola from whence a noble view of the country & sound was gained.

[101]

I wrote letters to Marion, Uncle Charles, & Reggie Still.

There is a modest little collection of Indian curios and stuffed beasts here. We looked at it this afternoon. The beast variously known as the puma, cougar, panther and mountain lion is represented by several specimens. Of these one was obtained in Victoria itself. On Christmas day one of these creatures was shot in a private garden here.

Ella went to a garden party at Esquimault, and I, having bade farewell to mine hosts of the Canadian Club, went to the flag staff in the Park to take a final view of the Olympic range, & snow–capped Mt Baker. This hill is nearly 11000 feet high, and makes a brave show. Today the clearness of the atmosphere permitted an excellent view.

---