In a message dated 17/05/00 10:11:43 PM Central Daylight Time, mclean@ctaz.com writes: << Wow! THAT post got a lot of response! Here's what Elizabeth sent me on March 29th: Extract from "Scotland Farewell" ..... page 189.......Pictou -------- Apart from weddings and the occasional Ceilidh, there was little enough excitement at the harbour, unless an emigrant ship came in. Then everyone would run to the shore and some people would canoe down the river, for there were usually relatives aboard. There was great anticipation in the summer >> You know this reminded me of going to the Cunard Pier in Montreal when the Corinthia or her sister ship, Carmania came into port in the spring. There would be hundreds of Scots all over the pier waiting for someone to get off the ships. It was not uncommon to spot an old school chum or the son or daughter of a friend. Most of the Scots were going to the Mines in Northern Ontario, the steel plants of Dominion Bridge or Dosco out in Hamilton. It was a rather festive event and people arrived early and there were always a couple of pipers, someone meeting a mother or father over on holiday, a brother, sister, or cousin migrating, News was exchanged and you could even hear the odd Gaelic when we teuchters arrived. Those ships sailed from Liverpool and also carried Irish, Welsh and English people to Canada as well. In the winters there was always the boat train from Halifax and if you happened to be in the city you could nip over to the station and see if you knew anyone. That all ended in the 60ties I think it was when air travel took over and the great liners went to the Caribbean to sail pointlessly around the islands. The process was reversed when the airliners would arrive in Prestwick, (Glasgow) later on when we came home to visit. Parents and family with teary eyes to welcome you home, and teary eyes to say good by when you returned to points all over the world. It seems we have been saying good bye to often, to too many for too long. dave M.