NOVA SCOTIA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 August 1924, Page 8

NOVA SCOTIA.

HAEDIHOOD OF INHABITANTS. A LOVELY COUNTRY. AX AUCKLANDER’S IMPRESSIONS A large audience in the, Leys Institute listened with keen interest to a lecture on Nova Scotia delivered by Mr. C. 11. Poole, one-time M.P. for Auckland West, who lately returned from that country, where he made an extensive tour and delivered addresses in the interests of New Zealand. Dr. T. W. Leys presided. Iu the romance of the British Empire there was no portion so interesting as that of Nova. Scotia, said Air. Poole, who told how the British took possession of Arcadia and called it by the name it now bears. Boston, Mass., was the stepping off place for Nova Scotia, and while there he had seen New Zealand mutton being reshipped to the Homeland. On arriving at Yarmouth, Air. Poole travelled by the Blue Nose express to Halifax. The people in these parts cultivated the Blue Nose potato, it being a great industry, although fires had to be kept going in great storehouses for five months of the year, to keep the potatoes from frost bite ere they were marketed. Nova Scotia had, in proportion to the area of the country, the longest coastline in the Empire, which was rugged and very bleak in the winter. For six months of the year the sturdy settlers carried on in the fishing industry, and for the other half they were occupied in farming pursuits. In a dockyard at Halifax, the lecturer had sought and found the grandson of Donald McKay, that great designer of ships which had played such an important part in the colonisation of far-flung portions of the Empire. The home „of the Grand Banks fishing fleet was at Lunenburg, where vast hauls of sword and cod fish were landed. The romance of that fleet of fishing vessels could only be appreciated by those who knew the sea. When the ships were unloading the smell could be detected for many miles. The salted cod was put out to dry, and ultimately the smell became strong enough to drive a gas engine. (Laughter). It was stacked up like hay. The industry had brought millions of dollars to the people of Nova Scotia, but in late years codfish as a food was falling off in popularity, and the result was reflected in the trade.

Massive buildings aiicl fine old churches were to be seen in Halifax, said Mr. Poole. Special reference was made by him to the magnificent “attached” buildings which were to be found in Halifax. These served a great purpose for the working people, and were very popular, being almost equal to anything wealthy people could afford to pay for. The old Government House at Halifax had been converted into an institution for the care of child life, and Air. Poole had been assured that this was due to the • great lead given tlie world in this direction by New Zealand.

Up the coast towards Cape Breton, on Cabot Strait, the country Avas a beautiful one of lakes and mountains. The people of Nova Scotia were very proud of the late Graham Alexander Bell, inventor of the telephone, and early in the field of aerial development, who was born in that country. Air. A. Bonar Law was another of their countrymen of whom they were proud.

On the west side of Nova Scotia one found one of the loveliest places on God’s earth in the Valley of Annapolis, the setting for Henry W. Longfellow’s “Evangeline.” The' apples of the Annapolis were ‘exported to England in thousands of barrels every .year. The Bay of Fundy, tlie water of which washed this side of the coast, had the greatest rise and fall cf the tide in the world. It was one of the sights to watch the great fall of water rollingup the estuaries. The little village of Grand Pre, “on the shores of the Basin of Minas,” was the home of EA*angeline, and there could still be seen the

old well, supposed to be that near the home of Evangeline, and a little chapel, dedicated to her memory. The lecturer also mentioned Prince Edward Island, where he had met relatives of Ponsonby and other New Zealand people, the descendants of those sturdy pioneers who had migrated to this country. Mr. Pfiole made reference to the fox farms on Prince Edward Island. This was a lucrative business, there being a ready sale for every hide or pelt taken. New' Brunswick was a wilder and more unsettled place than Nova Scotia, famous for its timber and paper pulp. Towards tlwr close of his lecture, Mr. Poole spoke of the glowing splendour of the autumnal tints in Nova Scotia, the like of which he had never seen anywhere else. In speaking of the settlement of Nova Scotians at Waipu, Mr. Poole said that if anyone would send a picture of the church at Waipu and another of the grave of Dr. McLeod, the people of Nova Scotia would be extremely grateful. If forwarded to him lie would undertake to see that the photos reached the right quarter. They would be placed in the churcli where that greatly beloved minister laboured before leaving for New Ze: land.—Auckland Star.