VALUE OF MONEYS.

THE following information will be found valuable to strangers visiting Canada, and particularly to emigrants bringing with them sterling money.

VALUE OF COLONIAL MONEYS.

The basis of the currency is the imperial gold standard, differing from sterling money in the different nominal value of the pound and its constituents.

The pound sterling is by law fixed at Twenty-four shillings and fourpence currency. At this rate all large transactions are settled, and remittances, with the correction of the day for exchange, are calculated.

One pound currency, contains four dollars.

One dollar

five shillings.

two sixpences.

six pennies.

One penny

two coppers.

The value in sterling of the pound currency is rather

16s. 54d.

4s. 1 d.

93d.

rather under..

5d.

But in retail transactions an approximation is made to the value of the coins current in Britain and the United States, and in small purchases the following are the rates at which such coins are usually paid away:

A shilling sterling and a quarter of a dollar are taken in the stores as equal. The exchangeable value of the dollar, of course, varies with the course of exchange between the Provin ces and the United States, which is principally ruled by that between New York and London. In general, its value is about 58. 1d. currency, or 4s. 2d. sterling.

GRAND PLEASURE EXCURSION

FROM NEW YORK TO NIAGARA FALLS, TORONTO,
MONTREAL, ETC.

PLEASURE travelers leaving New York at 7 o'clock A.M., or 6 o'clock P.M., by steamboats running on the Hudson River, can leave Albany almost immediately after their arrival, and proceed direct to Schenectady, 17 miles; Utica, 95 miles; Rome, 109 miles; or Syracuse, 148 miles from Albany, via New York Central Railroad.

At Schenectady the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad commences and extends north to Saratoga Springs, 22 miles.

At Utica the Black River and Utica Railroad commences and extends north, 16 miles, to Trenton Falls, and thence to Boonville, a total distance of 35 miles. The above railroad, when finished, will run to Clayton, situated on the St. Lawrence River, 109 miles from Utica.

At Rome commences the Watertown and Rome Railroad, extending northward to Cape Vincent, 97 miles, forming a direct line of travel to Kingston and other places in Canada.

At Syracuse the New York Central Railroad is intersected by the Syracuse and Binghamton Railroad and Oswego and Syracuse Railroad; the latter railroad running north to the city of Oswego, 35 miles. Fare from Albany to Syracuse, $3. Usual time, 6 hours. Fare from Syracuse to Oswego, $1. Usual time, one hour and thirty minutes.

Travelers can proceed by railroad to Rochester, 81 miles from Syracuse, and there take a steamer for Toronto or Lewiston, or proceed direct through Lockport to the Suspension Bridge or Niagara Falls. From Niagara Falls, passengers desiring to go to Montreal or Quebec are conveyed by steamer from Lewiston or Niagara, Can., through Lake Ontario to Kingston or Cape Vincent, and thence down the St. Lawrence River.

Another new and favorite mode of traveling for those who wish to avoid the lake travel is to proceed to Toronto, and take the cars of the Grand Trunk Railway for Kingston. There take an American or British steamer for Montreal.

Steamers of a large class run daily from Oswego morning and afternoon. The morning boats leave Oswego for Sacket's Harbor, Kingston, Ogdensburgh, etc.; while the afternoon boats run direct to Charlotte, at the mouth of the Genesee River, and from thence direct for Toronto, Lewiston, etc., affording travelers a choice of routes if going west to Detroit, Chicago, etc., or if proceeding north to Kingston, Montreal, etc. Pleasure travelers are also conveyed direct to Niagara Falls, Buffalo, etc.

SACKET'S HARBOR, 45 miles from Oswego, is the first place at which the passenger boats stop to land and receive passengers; usual time, 3 hours.

KINGSTON, 40 miles farther, is usually reached in about the same time, where passengers can stop, or proceed direct down the St. Lawrence River, passing the "Thousand Islands" and magnificent rapids by daylight.

The American steamers, on leaving Kingston, run through the Kingston Channel to Clayton or French Creek, and thence to Ogdensburgh. The British steamers run on the north or Canadian Channel, stopping at Gananoque, Brockville, Prescott, etc., on the downward and upward trips.

Kingston being the best point for pleasure travelers to start from in order to see the " Thousand Islands" to advantage, we subjoin the following description of the trip to Prescott and Ogdensburgh, performed in June, 1857. The American steamers leave Kingston at about 3 o'clock P.M., descending the St. Lawrence, stopping at Ogdensburgh, 62 miles; while the British mail line of steamers leave at 6 o'clock A.M., running through to Montreal, 180 miles, by daylight.

On leaving Kingston the steamer runs between Howe and Grand Islands, both belonging to Canada, for a distance of

about 15 miles. When at the foot of the former island, the steamer veers westward, passing through a beautiful group of small islands, and approaches GANANOQUE, 20 miles from Kingston. Several light-houses or beacons have recently been erected by the Canadian authorities to mark this intricate channel. Other beautiful groups of islands are passed below Gananoque, when the Fiddler's Elbow is approached, 12 miles distant. Here is a light-house and another group of small islands.

ALEXANDRIA BAY, 34 miles below Kingston, is passed in sight on the right, the British steamer passing through the middle channel of the river. This favorite summer resort is reached by the American line of steamers.

The Sisters and Scotch Bonnet are a pretty group of islands situated in the middle channel, some 8 or 10 miles above Brockville. Here the stream of the river begins to narrow, and soon the labyrinth of islands are passed by the descending steamer.

The pleasure is greatly enhanced by an observing traveler to vary his routes, when an opportunity offers, in voyaging through the Lakes and down the St. Lawrence River, thus not only affording an opportunity to see the different points of interest on the route, but also see a different class of passengers-the Southern planter, the Northern financier, and the English or French Canadian resident, each possessing distinctive characters; while the intelligent ladies are always alike attractive.

BROCKVILLE, 52 miles below Kingston, is a fine Canadian town, situated immediately below the commencement of the Thousand Islands. The Brockville and Ottawa Railroad, now in progress of construction, will afford a direct and speedy route to the Upper Ottawa country.

PRESCOTT and OGDENSBURGH, 12 miles below Brockville, are important towns situated opposite each other, being closely connected by two steam ferries. Here navigation for sail vessels may be said to terminate, while steamers descend the rapids with the utmost safety.

For a further description of the Rapids of the St. Lawrence, see pages 69 and 74.

TRIP FROM "MONTREAL TO QUEBEC AND RETURN," JUNE, 1857.

THE above was the wording of the pass received from the Managers of the Grand Trunk Railway in the early part of June, 1857, but preferring to descend the " La Grande Rivière" in one of the swift steamers which run between Montreal and Quebec daily, leaving in the evening, I embarked on board the QUEBEC, the crack boat of the Royal Mail Line. Distance, 170 miles; cabin fare, $2 50.

On leaving Montreal, St. Helen's Island is soon passed, being in part covered with a rich growth of forest trees, while the fort and breastwerks on the north end are seen to advantage. Then comes Longueuil, the present terminus of the Eastern Division of the Grand Trunk Railway, it being now reached by steam ferry-boat; but as soon as the Victoria Bridge is completed, running across the St. Lawrence River some two miles above, then will passenger and freight trains be transported over the above noble structure, to be finished in 1859.

A number of low islands are next passed on descending the stream, when the beautiful village of Varennes is soon reached and passed, situated on the right bank of the stream. Here is a mineral spring of some celebrity and a good public house.

The north point of the island of Montreal and northern branch of the Ottawa River are passed about 16 miles below Montreal, where are to be seen several picturesque islands, concealing in part the mouth of the Ottawa.

Here the St. Lawrence assumes its most majestic appearance for a stretch of several miles, the stream being from two to four miles in width-flowing onward in majestic grandeur, with here and there a square-rigged sail vessel and immense timber rafts, such as are alone seen on the lower St. Lawrence, being on their way to Quebec from the Ottawa River.

Before reaching Sorel, or William Henry, the stream contracts to about one mile in width, with more elevated banks. The river Richelieu, the outlet of Lake Champlain, enters the St.