194 THE WEST SHORE. July. the city in this issue, is the largest, but perhaps not the handsomest, building on the street. It has been erected since the Province entered the confederation of the Dominion of Canada, at a cost to that country ol some $35,000 and is built in a very massive manner, of free stone obtained from the quarries on Tlietcs Island, situated in the Strait of Georgia. Besides containing the offi ces of the postal department, it also af fords excellent accommodation for vari ous Dominion ufliual,amungst them the Superintendent of Indians, the resident Dominion engineer and the Superin tendent of telegraphic lines, whilst -till mother portion of the buildings is known as the Dominion Savings Bank. There are two other banking establish menti in the city branches of the Hank of British North America and the Hank of British Columbia the former on Yates1 street and the latter on Government street, both in close proximity to the post-office, Messrs. Wells Fargo & Co. have also an ex tensive establish me ut on Goverment street and in the same building, Messrs. Garosche, Green tV Co., transact a gen eral banking and discount business) These are a few ol the more important Structures in the very heart of the city; hut that large and handsome buildin which rises proudly from its founda tion, situated at the distant head of View .street is the new public school, where upwards of 250 hoys and 350 girls ar e educated on the " free schools" system. The site of the building is one of the most beautiful which could have possibly been selected from the Innumerable delightful spots in which the suburbs of the city abound, and, as may be aeen from our engraving, the building graces its surroundings. It was erected a year or two ago at a cost of ?o,o), and is a lasting monument to the efficient educational policy adopt ed by our British neighbors, Owing to the already large number of pupils availing themselves of this admirable institution, an adjacent building, former ly Used m 11 branch of the boys1 scho -1, has, of necessity, to be utilized for high school purposes. Whilst the tourist is in the vicinity of the public ich ' !, be will doubtless learn that be is at no great distance from another building of general interest, both from us peculiarity of architecture, and from the faet of its being the residence of the representative of Queen Victoria in the Province. The building alluded to is generally known as Government House, from the fact of the Lieutenant Governor residing there, hut in formei day it was designated "Carey Castle," a mine which would at mice appear to refer alike to the name of the person wh'i erected it and to its resemblance, more or less, to the " castles " to be seen in a variety of places throughout Eng land and Europe. It standi on very high ground and commands an exten sive and delighful view Of surrounding lan land sea. ( ur engraving gives a very faithful representation of the structural but it is scarcely w ithin the lim't-of things possible that it should embrace it comprehensive scene of the lovely flower gardens, crmpict lawns aii'l shaded walks, w hich render the spot chamtng to I degree, and which, in d lys gOQ bye, have botfl the W.ir of in my outdoor entertainments given to the rtitf of the city by former occu pantS ofthchuildmg.which, by the wav, was originally erected by J, Hunter l.wn , r.sn., w run ne ie l the position 1 " V ol Attorncv-liener.il. Returning to1 . . k 1 it, ri Fori street, and after passing number of private residences, on eithc side, each W ith its well kept law r: OT ", , ' Jtreshed, as it were, with the gentle i'.ml.m and a hovering fragrance "t ,iir,.,rt u 1.1 t . . w 1 . , j nroe.'o which reaches him from the sweet tliwer. the Mecham.s l.lU ..- Straits of FttCft, the spectator turns his Institute is reached; r very desirable institution of its class, and one which offers, at the moderate COSt of $1.00 per month, an endless variety of useful and instructive mental food. A spacious skating rink is, at the present moment, in course of erection on the lot imme diately adjoining the institution, so that it would appear, certain parties are Strong in their belief of the future prosperity and popularity of this por tion of the city. At the foot of Fort street, a good view of the harbor is gained, but, notwithstanding the lovely verdure which fringe-, its opposite shores, and the broad sheet of water which would seem all sufficient, it is entirely inadequate to the commerce of the port, and the staging with its tem porary engine house, erected almost in the centre of the waters, point to the fact that some subaqueous strategy is being prosecuted. In reality, for sev eral years past, efforts nave been put forth to remove a mass of rock Which seriously interferes wit!-, the navigation of the harbor. The success resultin therefrom, has, however, as vet been only partial. The city possesses nat ural drainage, and when funds permit of the undertaking, a complete system of sewage may he carried out at much lighter cost than would attend an un dertaking of that nature elsewhere. The water supply is copious and is con veyed in iron pipes from Elk Lake, situated some six miles from the city. The cost, winch the corporation has been put to already in this connection, foots up to a total of $170,000. Vic toria is also well lighted by a private Gas Company. A volunteer tire de partment is another of its public insti tutions, and the immunity of the city, with its large majority of wooden build ings, from the ravages of the tire fiend, speaks volumes both fur the efficiency of the members of the various com panies and the excellence of the ma chinery with w hich they are provided. Itesiiles the Marine Hospital, already alluded to, there are St. Joseph's 1 lospi tal, a new stone building, beautifully clean, ami with admirable appointments throughout; the Royal Hospital and the French Hospital. The Royal is supported by public subscriptions and Government aid, whilst the French partakes more of the nature of a private institution, its advantages being open to members of the French Benevolent Society. There are also many other objects of interest to be een in every part of the city, amongst them mav be mentioned a tine building known as St. Ann's Convent, a most benevolent in stitution, situated on Humboldt street, and conducted by "Sistei- of Charitv." Almost every religious denomination has its church, and the general beauty of the city, as beheld from a distance. is greatly enhanced by the stately spires ami towers of several of the edifices. Beacon Hill, w hich lies about a mile from the center of the city, is a natural park of unsurpassed K el mess, and in iu part of the globe can the traveler And a place of resort, adjacent to an Im portant business conmuinitv, at once so charmingly rural and so easy of access til those who toil for their living in the heart ot the cilv. From the summit of the hill, at early dawn, a most maguih. cent view may he beheld. Facing the spectator who is look-tig south, the stately chiefs of the Olympian range rise in their grandeur; away to the left, Mount Baker and the Cascades cleave .u e .1 1 e r . . ,htf ;lir t,ir thousand or teet upw ards, , iU . . , , ,,. . anil on the right the lovelv foliage ot the oniMinir Vancouver Hills and the placid entrance to Ksquimalt Harbor, I,--, - ftkftSMM u.rl.1 .l O. face northward, or nearly so, and then he beholds, reposing almost at his feet, the city, its outskirts a little more than a stone's throw off, and yet so near to all the lovely verdure which surrounds him. Before he leaves he takes one more glance seaward, and now can just discern in the distance the white cliffs of Dungeness, which the rising sun has illuminated; and then again, look ing a little to the right, Race Rocks and the light-house, standing boldly out aT.ninst the misty background, catch his eye for the first time that morning. Hut apart from the beauty of the pano ramic view obtainable from Beacon Hill, the Park is very naturally a fashionable promenade, and being sur rounded by a race-track which by the wav requires to be graded it is often the scene of trotting and running matches, whilst the youth of the city enjoy its spacious levels with base-ball, football, cricket, and other athletic exer cises. The roads in the vicinity of the city arc excellent, and branch out in al most every direction; favorite drives are consequently numerous, ami in fact it would be difficult to select any road which has not its wav-side charms of scenery. Regattas are held during the summer months, and the stretch of water which reaches from the harbor to "The Gorge," a narrow rapid some three miles distant is rendered lovelv and picturesque beyond description by the overhanging banks of verdure. There are other charming spots to which allusion might well be made, but for the purposes of this article it must suffice to state that the city abounds in interesting features, and that the un precedented number of new residences which are at the present time being erected, shows that the place is appre ciated by those who live there, and that they have every intention of making it their permanent home. Already sash ind door factories, tanner ies, six brew eries, soap and ciffar lactones, iron foundries, shoe, match, wagon and boot factories, are beins successfully onductcd, and but a very slight ad Htional impetus to trade would doubt less provoke the erection of buildings for other industries and ventures. The population of the city as taken by the municipal authorities in 1S76, was some S,:oo, (exclusive of J ,000 Chinese and 1,000 natives,) but this number may be safely increased 50 per cent., as during many months out of the year a large Influx is felt from the mainland of Brit ish Columbia and neighboring States, The city has mail communication direct with San Francisco four times a month, for which the Dominion Government pay a subsidy of $50,000 per annum, 1 steamers ply between ports on Pugct Sound and Victoria at least twice 11 week, carrying the overland mails and passengers, thereby creating a traffic w hich tends materially to build up and sustain the general prosperity of the community. Tim: resources of Marion county are great that to enumerate them in de tail would be too tedious. She has un limited water power, exhaustless forests of tine timber for building or manufac turing, .in. I -..1 und dun. nc foi nrodue. all kinds of grains, fruits and vege tables of this latitude to perfection, and profitable as in anv country under the sun, having most excellent means of transportation by both water and railroad. "No," she said, and the wrinkles in net bee smoothed out pleasantly, "No, I do not remember the last 17-year locusts. I was an infant then." There is nothing but a plain slab at the head of the mound, but the simple inscription upon it task its own sad story: "He was umpire in a close game." FACTS CONCERNING OREGON. HEAI.THFULNESS Of THK CLIMATE. The experience of the early mission, aries, the employes of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the American set tiers that followed them, during the course of a period of thirty years, is that the climate of Oregon is a healthy one. In comparing the rates of mor tality in the Pacific States with that of some of the States east of the Rocky Mountains, the following facts are ob. tuined: The deaths in Arkansas in. 1S60, were at the rate of one person out of every 4S; Massachusetts and Lousiana lost one in 57; Illinois and Indiana, one in S7; Kansas, one in 68 Vermont, the healthiest State on the Atlantic slope, lost one in 92; Califor nia lost one in 101; Oregon, one in 172 and Washington Territory, one in 22S. " The equable temperature, sum mcr and winter, the absence of high cold winds and sudden atmospheric changes, render people less subject to bronchial, rheumatic and inflammatory complaints than they are in countries where the thermometer swing entirely around the circle. In July and August, as at the East, children are troubled with summer complaint, but the dis ease is ordinarily quite amenable to treatment, and seldom runs into dys entery . POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. Oregon is divided into twenty-three counties, viz.: Baker, Benton, Clacka mas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Lake, Linn, Lane, Marion, Multno mah, Polk, Tillamook, Union, Umatilla, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill. Eastern Oregon comprises the coun ties of Baker, Grant, Lake, Union Umatilla and Wasco. MAKKKT FACILITIES ASI) COST OF TRANSPOR TATION. The Columbia River forms the northern boundary of Oregon, and is navigable to the Willamette, one hun dred miles from the sea, at all seasons of the year for sea-going steamers; and for steamboats to Wallula, a displace of two hundred and forty miles, with two interruptions, one of six miles at the Cascades, and one of fourteen miles at The Dalles, where portages are made by means of railroads forming connec tions with the boats. Above Wallula the Columbia and one of its tributa ries, the Snake River, is navigated to Lewiston, during periods of high wa ter, a point in Idaho Territory at the base of the Hitter Root Mountains.and over four hundred miles from the ocean. The Willamette River is navigable to Portland, twelve miles from its mouth, for ocean steamers and sea-going vessels; and above Portland for river steamers as high as Ilarrisburgat all seasons, and during high water as high as Eugene City, R distance of two hundred miles from Portland, by the course of the river. The Yamhill and Tualatin Rivers, tributaries to the Willamette, flowing from the west, navigable during periods of high wf ter to the interior of lart'C airriculturat districts situated in Yamhill and Wash ington counties. The business of that part of Oregon drained by these waters employs about thirty river steamboats. All points ot the Columbia from The Dalles down, and on the Willamette from Salem down, are in daily communication with Portland. San Francisco is the ptnj pal market for the products of thaWf lamette Valley, although a large trade exists with British Columbia and the lumbering districts of Paget Sun1, large cargoes ol wheat, flour and other Oregon products arc also shipped 10 the Sandwich Islands, China, An-