Page:Tourist's Maritime Provinces.djvu/296

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
244
THE TOURIST'S MARITIME PROVINCES

when the sea shoulders back the river. For one hour in each twenty-four' the struggle is relaxed, the strength of the forces then being equal. Small boats take advantage of the armistice to skim in or out through the twisted passage, but no vessel, little or big, ever dares the fury of the waters when in combat.

The drive through the suburb of Fairville and out the Manawagonish Road is especially enjoyable for the views of the open Bay and of inland beauty-spots. The Old Manawagonish leads back to Lancaster Heights whose landmark is the circular watch-tower built just a century ago by British regulars as a guard over the approach to the harbour. During early Italian wars such towers contained alarm bells which were struck with hammers. The name Martello may be derived from the Italian word for hammer or, what seems more plausible, it is applied out of compliment to the Corsican designer of round outlooks who was surnamed Martelli. Below the turreted sconce is the beach from whose stones it was fashioned, and further south a bay-side pleasure park.

Fort Dufferin commands the mouth of the river from the west or Carleton side of the harbour. This depressingly ugly suburb whose water-edge is faced with immense warehouses and deep water terminals is a ferry-trip distant from the foot of Princess Street, St. John. A short walk north