The American vessels that ply on the Upper Lakes have been steadily increasing in size for some years past; for experience has proved that the larger class, especially the propeller, is the cheapest for the transport of grain and other heavy freight which seek water communications. The Welland Canal will only admit the smaller vessels, unless, indeed, those of greater tonnage are prepared to unload a considerable part of their cargo at Port Colborne, for transport by the Welland Railway, and then go through with the remaining portion. This trans-shipment at Port Colborne has, in fact, become an important feature of the trade in that sec- | tion of the country. We learn from the latest report of the Minister of Inland Revenue that during the three months ending on the 30th of June, 1871, 133 vessels, carrying 78,425 tons of grain, transhipped the whole or a part of their cargo. Of these fifty transhipped the entire cargo--amounting to 24,037 tons. The remaining ninety-three transhipped so much as would enable them to pass the Canal with the remainder. These vessels drew from eleven feet six inches to twelve feet of water, whilst the Canal only admitted the passage of vessels drawing ten feet or less. When laden to twelve feet, their cargoes would vary from 19,000 to 24,000, and when drawing only ten feet from 14,000 to 18,500 bushels of wheat. To enable such as could otherwise pass the Canal to do so, they have transhipped from 300 to as much as 7,500 bushels. The vessels that transhipped their entire cargoes were too large for the locks, irrespective of the draught of water. The Canal Commissioners, in their report, dwell particularly on the inadequacy of the Welland to meet the necessities of Western traffic, and refer to the class of vessels that it should benefit. "The tendency in ship-building," say the Commissioners, "for the last quarter of a century on the Upper Lakes, has been to construct larger vessels every-way, whether propelled by steam or sail; while the screw is super

:

Then,

seding the paddle everywhere on the lakes
as well as on the ocean-the relative number
and tonnage of screw steamers is gradually
increasing upon the sailing craft. The Lake
St. Clair Flats were in former years the ac-
cepted gauge of the navigation but by the
combined action of the Canadian and United
States' Governments the obstacles in the lake
have been so far removed that vessels can
now pass through, drawing 14 feet.
again, as the line of navigation is extended,
so the long voyage demands larger tonnage.
As an approximate rule for the size of a
vessel for any particular route, it has been
observed that any vessel, to be properly
adapted to its business, should have one ton
of measurement for every mile of her voyage;
and as an example, in illustration of the rule,
it may be remarked that the vessels plying
between Chicago and Buffalo, 916 miles,
now range between 600 and 1,500 tons;
while many persons of considerable experi-
ence in the trade are of opinion that a me-
dium size of about 1,000 tons is best suited
for this route."

It has been the universal sentiment of the country for some years past that the canal system should be improved at the earliest opportunity when the condition of the finances warranted the outlay that such improvements would necessarily entail. The Quebec Convention in 1865 passed a resolution to this effect—and the Government of the Dominion in 1870 appointed a Commission composed of practical business men of high standing in the country, to examine into the whole question of canal enlargement. Their Report has been for a twelve-month before the people of the Dominion, and has been generally considered as doing complete justice to the great interests involved. The government, in fact, have adopted the report as the basis of improvements which are to commence forthwith, and which comprise the enlargement of the St. Lawrence and Welland canals, so that the large propellers and other craft which are now confined to

66

66

the upper lakes will be able to proceed from "solved in the turbid waters. At the same the western ports to Montreal and the At-" time the torrent of red water enters all lantic ports without trans-shipment at King-"the channels, creeks, and estuaries-surgston and other places. These canals will be "ing, whirling, and foaming, and often havenlarged on a uniform system, so that all the "ing in its front a white, breaking wave, or locks will have 270 feet length of chamber be- ""bore' which runs steadily forward, meettween the gates, 45 feet in width, and 12 feet "ing and swallowing up the remains of the of clear draught over the mitre sills. Mea- "ebb still trickling down the channels. The sures are also in progress to improve the navi- "mud flats are soon covered, and then, as gation of the St. Lawrence river between "the stranger sees the water gaining with Montreal and Quebec, with the view of al- "noiseless and steady rapidity on the steep lowing the largest ships to come up directly" sides of banks and cliffs, a sense of inseto the former city and, in order to attain "curity creeps over him, as if no limit could this result it will be necessary to deepen Lake "be put to the advancing deluge. In a little St. Peter to 24 feet, and otherwise make it "time,however, he sees that the fiat,“ hitherequal to the passage of the sea-going crafts "to shalt thou come and no farther," has in question. "been issued to the great bay tide. Its retreat commences, and the waters rush back as rapidly as they had entered." The extreme range of tides in Bay Verte does not reach beyond eight feet, while high water in Cumberland Bay rises about 23 feet above the level of medium tides. These and other obstacles, however, can be surmounted; and it is proposed to go on with a work which must give a remarkable stimulus to the commerce of the Maritime Provinces. The canal will render more accessible a vast amount of mineral wealth which now wants a market. By affording a shorter and cheaper route than that round the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, freights will be lessened and the transport of heavy merchandise to Canadian ports on the St. Lawrence stimulated. With the completion of this work, the inland navigation of the Dominion may be considered perfect for the large propellers of the west will be able to make a rapid and secure voyage without breaking bulk from Chicago to Boston or Portland.

A work of great magnitude is also to be constructed in the Maritime Provinces. If our readers will take up a map of Nova Scotia, they will notice how narrow is the Isthmus of Chignecto, that separates that province from New Brunswick, and will at once be struck with the fact that a canal across that neck of land must afford immense facilities to commerce. The total distance across the Isthmus is only fifteen miles, and the country is level and easily excavated; but, nevertheless, there have been some engineering difficulties suggested on account of the difference in the range of tides. Few spectacles of nature are more calculated to awaken awe in the mind of the spectator than the irresistible march of the tides of the Bay of Fundy into its various estuaries. "At low tide ❞—we quote from Dawson's geology-"wide flats of brown mud are seen to extend for miles, as if the sea had altogether retired from its bed, ' and the distant channel appears a mere 'strip of muddy water. At the commence'ment of flood, a slight ripple is seen to "break over the edge of the flats. It "rushes swiftly forward, and covering the "lower flats almost instantaneously, gains "rapidly on the higher swells of mud, "which appear as if they were being dis

Not only will Canada control the transport of the surplus produce of the Great West, but she must develope a large Intercolonial trade, the moment her canal system is enlarged and perfected from Erie to the Bay of Fundy. Commercial men have long

urged that we cannot see any extensive Two decades hence, there will be a steady trade between Ontario and the Maritime stream of traffic from those fertile regions Provinces until there are facilities for the which are now a wilderness, to give employpassage of craft drawing, at least, twelve ment to our shipping and our railways. feet of water. Ontario wants Nova Scotia | Then, no doubt-if indeed it is not done coal and minerals; but she cannot have very soon-the demands of commerce will them until a vessel can go direct from will require the construction of the Ottawa Pictou or Sydney to Hamilton or Toronto, Canal, which will afford a shorter route beand there unload and take in a return-cargo tween the Lakes and Montreal, and conof flour or barley. The development of In- siderably relieve the St. Lawrence canals. tercolonial trade and the control of the of the superabundant traffic which will be commerce of the North-Western States are waiting its turn to pass through the locks. the objects which Canadians expect im- Then the riches of the countries washed by mediately to attain by the improvement of the China sea will pass through our country these splendid works; but, looking into the on their way to Europe, in Canadian ships. future, we see the time, when they will be If the Maritime Provinces continue to exequally invaluable to that Great West which hibit the same enterprise they have hitherto— Canada claims as her own. The day is not an enterprise which has placed Canada in far distant when Manitoba will be the home the proud position of ranking only below of a large population; and energetic and France as a maritime power-they may prosperous communities will be settled expect to be the carriers of that immense from the head of Lake Superior, along the trade which must necessarily follow the St. line of the Canadian Pacific Railway-as far Lawrence route and the Pacific Railway. as the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Already All this is no fancy picture. The shrewdest words of the poet are in course of realiza- business men amongst us have pressed the tion:enlargement of our canal system and the construction of the Canadian Pacific, as certain to increase the wealth and population of the Confederation to an incalculable degree. All that Canada requires now is peace and security from all disturbing influences, to work out a career of prosperity unexampled in the history of the commercial. communities of the world.

"Behind the scared squaw's birch canoe,
The steamer smokes and raves,
And city lots are staked for sale
Above old Indian graves.

"I hear the tread of pioneers

Of nations yet to be,

The first low wash of waves, where soon
Shall roll a human sea."

TRANSLATIONS AND SELECTIONS.

IN MEMORIAM.—FREDERICK DENISON MAURICE.

By the REV. CANON KINGSLEY, from “ Macmillan" for May.

N Friday, the fifth of April, a note-worthy | but to the honour of the Church of England. assemblage gathered round an open His life had been one of rare sanctity; he was vault in a corner of Highgate Cemetery. Some a philosopher of learning and acuteness, unhundreds of persons, closely packed up the surpassed by any man of his generation; he steep banks among the trees and shrubs, had had done more than any man of that generafound in that grave a common bond of brother- tion to defend the Church's doctrines; to rehood. I say in that grave. They were no commend her to highly cultivated men and sect, clique, or school of disciples, held to- women; to bring within her pale those who gether by community of opinions. They were had been born outside it, or had wandered simple men and women, held together, for the from it; to reconcile the revolutionary party moment at least, by love of a man, and that among the workmen of the great cities with man, as they had believed a man of God. All Christianity, order, law; to make all ranks shades of opinion, almost of creed, were repre- understand that if Christianity meant anysented there; though the majority were mem- thing, it meant that a man should not merely bers of the Church of England-many pro- strive to save his own soul after death, but that bably reconciled to that Church by him who he should live here the life of a true citizen, lay below. All sorts and conditions of men, virtuous, earnest, helpful to his human breth. and indeed of women were there; for he had ren. He had been the originator of, or at had a word for all sorts and conditions of men. least the chief mover in, working men's colMost of them had never seen each other be- leges, schemes for the higher education of fore-would never see each other again. But women, for the protection of the weak and the each felt that the man, however unknown to oppressed. He had been the champion, the him, who stood next him was indeed a brother, organizer, the helper with his own money and in loyalty to that beautiful soul, beautiful face, time, of that co-operative movement—the very beautiful smile, beautiful voice, from which, in germ of the economy of the future-which public or in secret, each had received noble seems now destined to spread, and with right impulses, tender consolation, loving correction, good results, to far other classes, and in far and clearer and juster conceptions of God, of other forms, than those of which Mr. Maurice duty, of the meaning of themselves and of the was thinking five-and-twenty years ago. His universe. And when they turned and left his whole life had been one of unceasing labour body there, the world-as one said who served for that which he believed to be truth and him gallantly and long-seemed darker now right, and for the practical amelioration of his he had left it; but he had stayed here long fellow-creatures. He had not an enemy, unless enough to do the work for which he was fitted. it were here and there a bigot or a dishonest He had wasted no time, but died, like a valiant man-two classes who could not abide him, man, at his work, and of his work. because they knew well that he could not abide them. But for the rest, those from whom he had differed most, with whom he had engaged, ere now, in the sharpest controversy, had learned to admire his sanctity, charity, cour

He might have been buried in Westminster Abbey. There was no lack of men of mark who held that such a public recognition of his worth was due, not only to the man himself,