Passed over an exposed part of the Great Laurentian Shield. Enormous roches moutonnées, for miles and miles. Granites and gneisses smoothed and planed by continental glaciers. Very level in between. A great sight. Some of the great smooth rocks so large that forests were all over their surfaces. Farms between. Glad to have discussed and been reinforced by Griffith Taylor that the structure and geology of a country are the fundamental facts of geography. I feel I have a better understanding of the land of the beaver and the maple. Not seen the great north and north-west, but have talked with men who know it intimately.

Getting to know the trees a bit. Vast forests of evergreens in places today; larch, spruce, fir, hemlock and cedar. Others are maples, oak, birch, elm, osier, etc. Steep-roofed houses, set solitary, no gardens or verandahs, unadorned wooden, lonely houses. Draper took a photo or two. Hope they turn out well. When not glaciated, then moraine and boulder clay. Boundless erratics or boulders. Here and there, Kingston, Brockville, some level-bedded dark coloured ?Cretaceous.

All these houses have central heating. Saw the ordinary plant in Taylor’s basement. Coal up the basement at opening of winter. Janitor comes in and stokes it at morning and evening. Otherwise no attention. Always hot water circulation. There appear to be far fewer cars in Canada than in the United States (except at Ontario). No negroes seen. And no negro quarters in the towns and villages that I could see. Shingles everywhere. Two galvanized iron roofed barns. Stook and log fences. Real pioneer fringe. Fighting cold and water—not heat and drought. Just as hard? Evidence of abundance of wood everywhere. Arrived at Chateau Laurier, the finest hotel we have yet stayed at.