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Full text: INTRODUCTION 11 Busy. Four were built in the shipyard of Hibbert Young—the schooners Sylvia, Ardour, Will o' the Wisp, and Lutea. One—the brigantine Active —was built at Mahone Bay for Alexander Zwicker, Sr. The discovery of gold in Lunenburg County at such places as Gold River and the Ovens resulted in considerable excitement. Some of the effects of "the gold fever" were recorded by Gaetz in his diary. Gaetz is frank in his comments on political affairs. He describes the excitement of election days, the use of flags, banners and badges, the pa- rades and processions, the merits and demerits of the candidates, and the alleged influence of rum, bribery and political sermons. He comments on the visits of Joseph Howe, Dr. Charles Tupper and others, and he gives a graphic account of the manner in which the first Dominion Day greeted the new Dominion of Canada in Lunenburg. Gaetz's diary also throws light on the social life of his community. He gives vivid accounts of celebrations held on the anniversary of the Queen's birthday and on the anniversary of the founding of Lunenburg. He tells about the establishment of a lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Lunenburg on April 25, 1856 and relates something of the activities of temperance organizations in the town during the period, as well as of the Orange Lodge. He takes note of a regatta at Chester on September 4,1856 which, he states, was the first of the kind ever attempted in the county, and of other regattas at Lunenburg or Chester, including one in September 1858 at Lunenburg. Bazaars, picnics, lectures, dances, and foot-races also receive attention. Visits of circuses are noted on July 29, 1862, August 9, 1864, July 17, 1867, and August 6, 1869, and accounts of competitions in shooting are given. In noting the sale of militia muskets on August 28, 1858, Gaetz declares that this is the end of the militia. Later, however, he comments on the organization of the volunteers and on the Fenian excite- ment. A dancing school was started at Lunenburg on July 21, 1856 by A. Ash, and an ambrotype and daguerrotype saloon was opened there in August 1859 by a man named McLean. Throughout the diary, Gaetz's interest in music is seen. There was a singing school in Lunenburg, and on February 12, 1857 Gaetz's daughter Amelia and his sons, Henry and Arnold, commenced singing lessons under the tuition of Caleb R. Bill. In earlier days a Lunenburg Harmonic Society had been in existence from December 5, 1828 to September 12, 1830, and there had also been the St. John's Singing Society which had been in opera- tion from December 1830 to the year 1832. Even earlier church choirs had dispensed music in the community. During the years of this diary Lunenburg had a variety of musical fare. Messrs. Casseres and Saffery, "professors of music", from Halifax, held concerts there on July 23 and 24, 1855. On January 1, 1856, a concert, provided by young ladies and gentle- men of the town, including Gaetz as clarinettist, was given for the benefit of a blind girl. "Professor" William Bill and Caleb R. Bill taught singing there in 1857. A musical entertainment was presented in the Temperance