previous to the time of their expulsion. It is a mistake, however, to presume that the whole Acadian interest centres in one part of the Bay of Fundy side of the province. Such is not the case; for Acadian families and villages may be found in many parts of the Maritime Provinces.

The City of Halifax—the Cronstadt of America—has become the Mecca for annual thousands of visitors from all parts of the world. With its quaint and old-time appearance, its military and naval interests, its magnificent situation, its World-Harbor, its picturesque environs, lakes, forests and grand water privileges for yachting and boating, Halifax is unique as a centre of attraction. Moreover, it is the most convenient place from which to start for excursions down the romantic south-shore, as well as for the Annapolis Valley, and for all the great fishing rivers and hunting districts that lie east between the Atlantic and the line of the Intercolonial Railway, and extend as far as Guysboro and the Strait of Canso.

Nor must the beautiful country around Truro, and east and west of it, be forgotten; nor that along the northern water front of the province from Tidnish to Tracadie, with all the restful shore places included in that water-bow.

Nova Scotia is indeed a summer country, par excellence. It has splendid woodland and a fine system of rivers and lakes. Go where you will in any part of it and you are never more than thirty miles from the shore. Sea life is, therefore, a prominent feature, and with all the forms of recreation and amusement so bountifully provided, summer days passed in the Atlantic province go all too quickly by.

Cape Breton was originally called L’Isle Royale by the French in the time of the Grand Monarch, Louis XIV. Its history is an eventful one.

At Louisbourg on the east coast, once known as the Dunkirk of America, titanic conflicts have taken place. Its fortifications erected there in the early part of the eighteenth century, from plans by Vauban the celebrated military engineer, took over twenty years in construction. Citadel, massive stone bastions, a protective moat and huge gun batteries once existed there; and powerful fleets have battled in front of it for New-World supremacy.

As in other parts of the Maritime Provinces, the New England Colonials have left their impress on the history of Cape Breton. Here, too, are many Acadian settlements, made up of the descendants of those who fled from the mainland while this land of refuge was still a French possession.

It would be difficult to find a summer climate more agreeable than that of Cape Breton. The days are bright and sunny, tempered by cool and refreshing sea-breezes. There is no scorching heat at any time, and it affords a delightful contrast with the torrid conditions that prevail in districts a few hundred miles to the south.

House Boat on the Bras d’Or Lake

It is the land of the mountain and the sea, and has been aptly likened to the Scottish Highlands in its general character.

The great salt-water lake known as the Bras d’Or, or ‘Arm of Gold,’ runs through the whole extent of the island, with many ramifications; and it has connection with the Atlantic by two narrow channels. It is almost a ‘tideless ocean,’ for before the water can lower itself to any appreciable extent, the Atlantic low tide has turned and is becoming high again. It is therefore an ideal place for yachting and motor boating; while in the pretty rivers and lagoons are found choice waters for boating and canoeing.

Fine mountain ranges and magnificent scenery make Cape Breton a delightful country for summer pleasures. A drive along the ‘Arm of Gold,’ and in almost any part of the island, is a delightful experience. Baddeck, Whycocomagh, Arichat, Louisbourg, the Sydneys, Ingonish and Mabou, as well as the Margaree and Middle Rivers, are all places of delight for vacationists. Fine forests of oak, birch, maple and ash, with plenty of the woods more commonly seen, are here in great profusion.

A climb up the great height of Old Smoky, the Cap Enfumé of the French, lands one almost in the clouds; and on a clear starlit night when the moon is in the heavens, a view is spread out below that can never be forgotten. The walks and drives in the lovely valleys, with towering mountains ever visible—the white gypsum at their base—a shimmery halo above; they, too, take a deep and fond hold on the memory.

The Intercolonial Railway forms the greater part of the system known as the Canadian Government Railways. With the road known as the Prince Edward Island Railway, together with other shorter branch lines gradually coming under Government control, to their betterment, the whole system gives ready access to all of Central and Eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces.

This system may truly be called the fairy godmother of the Maritime Provinces, for with outstretched arm it has placed the five extended fingers of a fostering hand over the important commercial centres of Montreal, Quebec, St. John, Halifax and Sydney, causing them to pulsate with life, and bringing them into intimate relation with the great centres of the sister provinces from Atlantic to Pacific.

Merely to sit in one of the numerous comfortable trains, and observantly tour the main line, is a novel experience, a revelation of beauty and an education in itself; but if to that is added a sojourn in one or more of the localities best suited for the individual preference of the traveller, the result will be satisfactory and exhilarating.

While it is true, in a measure, that almost any part of the Intercolonial summer country will amply satisfy all general requirements for vacation pleasures, it should be remembered that an intelligent choice should be made of a district that is rich in those things essential for the enjoyment of those who intend going there.

To this end the present book has been written. It will be found accurate and reliable; and a careful perusal of its contents will give full information on all points of interest. Through its pages are distributed Indian legends, Acadian tales, and stories of hunting, fishing, boating, canoeing, and camp, tent and bungalow life, etc., embodied in the description of the districts to which such incidents properly belong. The natural history, or nature-interest, in animal, bird, fish and wild-flower life is a feature of the book that must give pleasure to those who go to a country like