THE WEST SHORE.
277
red brick in the Swiss style of architecture. They are
reached by a substantial bridge across 'the bny. An
obelisk of gray granite Btands at the foot of the well-kept
lawn, erected in memory of Sir James Douglas, first Gov
ernor of the colony. The buildings belonging to the
Dominion, comprising the Custom House, Tost Office and
Marine Hospital, are solid, serviceable structures. The
school buildings and churches are also attractive edificoa
The publio school, which is under the goneral supervision
of a board of trustees and has an efficient corps of
instructors, occupies a.two story brick building command
ing a fine view of the harbor. The class rooms, play
grounds, etc., are well appointed The school is main
tained free of expense to the parents of children attend
ing. A high school, where all the advanced grades are
taught, occupies a lnrge and handsome brick edifice
recently completed. From this school are graduated
many of the teachers of the Province. There are several
private seminaries, and a movement is now well pro
gressed for the erection of commodious buildings in
which to establish a college, under the auspices of the
Anglican Church. The Sisterhood of St Ann have an
excellent institution for the education of girls, occupying
a large and attractive structure in the southern purlieus
of the city. Eleven religious congregations, representing
various denominations, are regularly organized, nearly
all of them having good houses of worship. They are
divided as follows: Two Anglican, one Ileformod Episco
palian, two Roman Catholio, two Presbyterian, two
Methodist, one Baptist and one Jewish synagogue. The
general air of the city is one of neatness, cloanlinnss and
quiet taste. The residences, notably that of the Lieutenant-Governor,
are attractive and often elegant, faith as
regards the buildings and their surroundings. Lawns
are well kept, flowers abound on every side, and shado
and fruit trees exist in profusion. Great building activ
ity is now being displayed on all sides, faith in the
matter of business structures and residences. A stock
company has just subscribed 850,000 for the erection of
an imposing opera house, which will be commenced im
mediately. The Driard House will also begin the oroc
tion of a building adjoining the one now occupied, which
will give them double the present capacity. Tourists
will find superior hotel accommodations in Victoria.
Victoria is well served with newspapers, the various
journals being large, well conducted and enterprising,
furnishing complete local and telegraphio news. The
Cohniat, daily and weekly, is the most oomploto estab
lishment in the Northwest It occupies all of a now and
handsome building recently erected by the proprietor,
and does a goneral job printing business, a specialty
being the printing of the hundreds of thousands of colored
salmon laliels used by the canneries of British Columbia.
The Slumlord is a well-established daily and weekly
journal, and the Pout is an evening daily, well conducted.
The Time, daily anil weekly, 1ms recently been founded,
and exhibit enterprise, neatness and good businow
ability in the management The Jlewura of BrMh
Columbia is a monthly illustrated journal, devoted to the
development of the Province, and is doing good work
in mr.kicg known i'u uuVui.tMi Lulu ul homo and
abroad.
The city enjoys tho fullest mail, telegraph and tele,
phone facilities, is connected with San Francisco by a
regular line of stijamers, and with Portland by tho way of
Puget Sound and tho Northern Pacific liailroad, and
within two years will have direct communication with tho
Eastern Provino b of the Dominion over the Canadian
Pacific Railway. A splendid system of water supply has
boon obtained at an oxicuso of $'2(X),(XM), water lieing
brought from Elk Lake, seven miles distant An efficient
fire brigade is thus enablod to furnish the fullest protec
tion from oxtonsivo conflagrations. Coal and wood for
fuel nre both plentiful and cheap, Gas works supply
light foi both public and private uses, and several power
f ul electrio lights aro susiondtHl uhhi high masts in
different portions of the city, The Mechanics' Institute '
lias a valuable library and spacious reading room, and
there are a number of fraternal and benevolent associa
tions. Iron works, brass works, planing mills, soap
works, boot and shoo factory, match factory, cigar fac
tory, glovo factory and a number of other manufacturing
industries nre in full operation. Pour banks and two
express companies aro of great ussistanco in tho transac
tion of business. Tho universal impression of all visitors
to Victoria is that here will grow up a city, so combining
commercial imiMirtanco with beauty of location and ele
gance of apMiintments, as to mako it tho most attractive
on tho Pacific Coast
Tho town of EsquimaU is distant three and one-half
miles from Victoria, and lies on a iieuiusula separating
Esquimalt Harbor from tho Itoyal Roads. Tho super
iority of its harbor facilities caused tho British Admiralty
to select it for a naval station many years ago. Hero are
an arsenal building, whore largo quantities of naval and
ordnance supplies are stored, a naval hospital, a dock
yard and a jiowdcr magazine, the latter on an island in
tho northern portion of tho harbor. Tho Dominion Gov
eminent is building an imuienso dry dock, tho second
largest of the publio works undertaken lu tho Province.
Its dimensions are: Length, 400 feet; depth, '20 feet;
width of entrance, 00 feet It is being substantially
built of concrete, facod with sandstone. Threo hundred
and fifty thousand dollars have ul ready faien expended,
and its completion is confidently expected within threo
years. Esquimalt has two churches, a public school and
a number of business buildings and residences. Its ad
vantages as a terminal joiut for a railway aro well known
snd appreciate!, and will soon lie utilized by tho con
struction of tho Island Railway. The jiossibility of iU
tiecoining the practical terminus of tho Canadian Paciflo
is also facing considered
In tho Esquimalt District aro tho agricultural dis
tricts of Colwood, whero aro a publio school snd tho largo
tannery of the Belmont Tanning and Boot ami Shoo
Manufacturing Company; MuU:lionin, including the farm
ing settlements of Rocky Point and Happy Valley;
Hooke, containing a sawmill, barrel factory, numerous