Mr. Rodolphe Lemieux, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons,
contributes an interesting letter to the Times, in which he lays stress on the facilities afforded by the port of Gaspe in Quebec Province, which he con- siders " the finest natural harbour on the Atlantic sea- board." He says that " Gaspe harbour is sufficient to hold the combined fleets of the world." Most travellers who have crossed the ocean to Canada in the comfortable Canadian Pacific steamers will recall Gaspe as the place at the mouth of St. Lawrence where the pilot is picked up. It is famed for its excellent salmon, which figure so prominently on Canadian menus. Mr. Lemieux points out that for seven months of the year when the harbour is open the sea voyage to Gaspe is approximately thirty-six hours shorter, given vessels of equal speed, than to New York. " With fast boats," he tells us, " the sea trip could be done in three and a-half days." Mr. Lemieux believes that many people who at present " are prevented from crossing the Atlantic owing to their dislike of the long sea voyage would be induced to face so short a crossing." What Mr. Lemieux omits to mention is that the thirty- hour journey up the St. Lawrence is the most delightful part of the voyage and one which even the greatest sufferer from sea-sickness can enjoy, while the suc- cession of French-Canadian villages and the farms of the Habitants, so reminiscent of the old world, add a special charm to the St. Lawrence route. It would be interesting to learn how Gaspe compares with Halifax in the matter of time occupied on the ocean voyage.
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