21 June 2006

The New world; or, The United States and Canada, illustrated and described


I try to keep an eye out for newly scanned books appearing on the Internet Archive. "The New world; or, The United States and Canada, illustrated and described" appeared recently. It includes a fair amount about Ottawa and vicinity, including mention that the city had been recently selected as Canada's capital by Queen Victoria -- meaning the book dates from 150 years ago. The engraving of the entrance to the Rideau Canal from the Ottawa River will be familiar to locals. Also of local interest are descriptions of travel by steamer and train from Montreal and Prescott to Ottawa.

What particularly attracted me were the "Notes connected with Emigration, Land and Agriculture", 70 pages of practical advice directed specifically at the person coming from the UK. For example, its helpful to know about administrative procedure, especially if travelling with a family. At the Castle Garden terminal in New York: "After leaving the ship, you proceed in a large barge, or steamer, to Castle Garden landing. On landing, you will be shown the way into the interior of the building. Entered it, you proceed to a desk, where the "Registrar" sits, with a book before him, in which he enters your name, where you are from, and to where you are going. You are then passed on to another clerk ..... "

Download the book in pdf from http://ia310112.us.archive.org/1/items/newworldus00londrich/newworldus00londrich.pdf

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