nd was the residence of the master as well. It was
situated in the middle of a large tract of land which is to-day used
for school purposes. The school was built in the middle of a grove
of oaks, and there could not have been a more beautiful spot. Under
these oaks we boys and girls (alas, how few are left), sat at noon
and ate our lunch, or rested after a game of ball, or "hunt the
hounds." Those were happy days in their rustic simplicity, and so
will those say who remain to-day, fifty years later. There are
several living here in the still fair city of Victoria, but how many
have gone to that bourne whence no traveller yet returned?

We made what would now be considered a pretty long trip from San
Francisco, eleven days. Just think of it, long enough to have gone to
Europe. We passed on and out of the east gate on to Fort Street. How
strange it all looked to me after the large city of San Francisco. As
I have before stated, nearly the whole block from the Brown Jug
corner to Broad Street was an orchard. I "borrowed" apples from this
orchard later on, and good they tasted, and like stolen sweets were
sweetest. Fort Street from Government up was a quagmire of mud,
this street not having been paved, as it was later, with boulders
from the beach and with a top layer of gravel or pebbles, also from
the beach. The sidewalk on the Five Sisters' side of the street was
made of slabs, round side up, and was very slippery in wet weather.
This I have from my brother. I can remember the other side of the
street was made of two boards laid lengthwise.

Douglas Street had many tents on it, as well as did Johnson. Where
the Five Sisters' block stands was a log house, set back from the
street. This was the company's bakery, where I used to go for bread
at 25c. a loaf (about four pounds). There was not a brick building on
the west side of Government Street save the residence of Thomas
Harris on the corner of Bastion. His daughter, Mrs. Wilson, with a
large family, is with us to-day. This building was afterward
converted into the Bank of British Columbia.

[Portrait: George Richardson.]

The only brick building on the east side was the Victoria Hotel, now
the Windsor, the first brick building in Victoria, constructed by
George Richardson, still a resident. Where the B. C. Market is now
was a neat cottage built of squared logs whitewashed, with green door
and window casings. It was the residence of Dr. Johnson of the
company's servi