Sea Transportation

from its founding as the Hudson’s Bay headquarters for Pacific coast operations from Hawaii to Alaska, Victoria has been a maritime center. Her natural harbour has served as home port for sealing, whaling and tugboat fleets, and a thriving fishing fleet. From before the turn of the last century the harbour has been a port of call for the world’s freighters, trans-Pacific passenger liners, the magnificent fleet of Canadian Pacific coastal liners, and countless pleasure boats and yachts. By the late 1920’s the the harbour saw over 20 sailings every day.

The Liner She’s a Lady

The Liner she’s a lady, an’ she never looks nor ‘eeds-
The Man-oWar’s ‘er ‘usband, an’ ‘e gives ‘er all she needs;
But, oh, the little cargo-boats, that sail the wet seas roun’.
They’re just the same as you an’ me a-plyin’ up an’ down!

The Liner she’s a lady by the paint upon ‘er face,
An’ if she meets an accident they count it sore disgrace:
The Man-o’-War’s ‘er ‘usband, and ‘e’s always ‘andy by,
But, oh, the little cargo-boats, the’ve got to load or die!

The Liner she’s a lady and ‘r route is cut an’ dried,
The Man-o’-War’s ‘er ‘usband, and ‘e’s always keeps beside;
But, oh, the little cargo-boats that ‘aven’t any man,
The got to do their business first, and make the most they can!

The Liner she’s a lady and if a war should come,
The Man-o’-War’s ‘er ‘usband, and ‘e’d bid ‘er stay at home;
But, oh, the little cargo-boats that fill with every tide!
‘E’d ‘ave to up an’ fight for them, for they are England’s pride.

The Liner she’s a lady but if she wasn’t made,
There still would be the cargo-boats for ‘ome and foreign trade.
The Man-o’-War’s ‘er ‘usband, but if ‘e wasn’t ‘ere,
‘E wouldn’t have to fight at all for ‘ome an’ friends so dear.

Rudyard Kipling 1894