Fifty Thousand Miles Under the Union Jack [excerpt]

     From Quebec the party travelled along the Lower St. Lawrence, getting a glimpse occasionally of the mighty river, past neat homesteads and fertile lands of French [289][290] Canadian residents, reaching in about six hours the prosperous city of Montreal, where two days of ceremonies take place, one being honorary degrees of LL.D., conferred upon the Duchess as well as the Duke, and a very beautiful diamond spray of maple-leaves was also presented by the citizens to Her Royal Highness; but of these I cannot write, for, owing to the tragic death of President McKinley, I had to go from Quebec to Washington, witnessing the impressive sight of a sorrowing nation paying its last respects to the honoured dead in the Rotunda of the great Capitol, and the solemn removal of the remains to Canton, where people knew this noble man more intimately, and therefore one saw stronger love and grief expressed.