eneral
holiday, and set apart as "Fireman's" day, and celebrated with a
parade and picnic, either at Medana's Grove or Cook and North Park
Streets. The weather was usually fine with the warm sunshine of
spring. I hear the gong of the engines as the procession moves
along--the hook and ladder company, the Tigers and the Deluge
company, all decorated with flowers, flags and evergreens. Under a
canopy of flowers sits a beautiful little girl as the "May Queen."
On each side and following behind march those who have constituted
themselves the salvors of their fellow-citizens' property and life.
Among these men were some of our prominent business men, merchants,
tradesmen and professional men, as well as workingmen. Would the
citizens of the present day believe that these men had banded
themselves together, put their hands in their pockets to build
engine-houses and equip engines, had given their time, either by
night or day, attending fires, and had paid monthly dues to keep the
concern going, and all without fee or reward? It is even so, and no
night was too cold or wet to keep these men from their duty. The
picture I produce of the "Hook and Ladders" in a May Day parade
of 1862 was taken from the original, and is here produced by the
kindness of Mr. Fred Morison (customs). He was then a torch boy and
continued a volunteer fireman for nearly thirty years. On account of
the age of the photo the faces are rather indistinct, so that some of
those present cannot be recognized. I should like to have known who
the six or seven boys are, and whether they are with us to-day, but I
make out of those present: Robt. Homfray, C.E.; J. D. Edgar, of Edgar
& Aime; Richard Lewis, undertaker; Murray Thain, now of Moodyville;
Henry and Robert Thain; Louis Vigelius, barber; Philip J. Hall, the
banner-bearer; W. T. Liveock, Chief Factor of Hudson's Bay
Company; Fred. Morison, customs, torch boy; Wolff, merchant, of Yates
Street; E. Grancini, merchant, Wharf Street; Wm. Harrison, now of
Saanich, and J. R. Anderson, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, secretary.

On reading Mr. Levy's interesting sketch appended, I see that the
Hotel de France was also destroyed by fire, and, being built of
California redwood, was entirely consumed.

[Illustration: Colonial Hotel.]

The first mention of a fire that is recorded in public print is taken
from the _Victoria Gazette_ in 1858. It is that of one of those
primitive erections, a house-tent, with the cont