| Title: | Anna Hay, Canada, to Rev George Kirkpatrick, Co Antrim |
|---|---|
| ID | 1351 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hay, Anna/19 |
| Year | 1878 |
| Sender | Hay, Anna |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Craigs, Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev George Kirkpatrick |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | niece-uncle |
| Source | D1424/11: Purchased from Mr. John A. Gamble, 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast 15. #TYPE EMG Letter From Anna Hay, Peterboro' [Peterborough?], Ontario, Canada, to Reverend George Kirkpatrick, Hazelbank, Craigs, Co. Antrim, Ireland, August 13 1878. |
| Archive | Public Record Office N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9004003 |
| Date | 13/08/1878 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 11:05:1990 SS created 08:08:1990 MC input 08:08:19 |
| Word Count | 1105 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Rev Geo. [George?] Kirkpatrick Hazlebank [Hazelbank] Creigs [Craigs?] Co. Antrim Ireland Peterboro [Peterborough August 13th /78 [1878?] My dear uncle It is a very long time since there has been a letter to any of one from the dear friends at Hazelbank I hope illness may not be the cause of silence- we have had a very, very, warm summer- for weeks the ther [thermometer?] ranged from 86 to 96.98 & even 100 in the shade- & for some weeks in July & end of June no rain or only slight showers untill [until?] the 29th of July when we had a partial eclipse of the sun tho' [lthough?] in some parts of the world it was a total eclipse - But it became so cloudy about mid day on that day after weeks of a glaring hot blue sky - & the eclipse was only seen here for a minute & by only a few But that night a storm came on which was truly awful & in many places it was made worse & since then we have had great storms night or day since untill [until?] this Saturday & Sunday when on Monday evening we had a very clear partial eclipse of the moon & a storm in the night - you may see it mentioned in the news papers the great storm in Toronto the week before last - it did much damage in the city & since a sever [severe?] hail & rain thunder & lighting storm here - at a place about 14 miles measuring was 17 inches round & one piece 20 inches- that storm - blew roofs of houses & barns & killed some cattle belonging to the farmers one man had 4 head of cattle killed I never heard of such sever [severe?] storms here before - I was so thankful that dear Tom & his uncle &c were not out on that old Railroad as the worst storm was out [where?] they had been working last winter - I am happy to say that dear Tom is very well now - & has got well through the great heat so far with care It was very sad to see so many struck by the sun this year & so many fatal - There is a person living near us whose brother was struck 3 or 4 years ago & is now in the Asylum quite deranged - o how thankful I am to God that my dear son is not the same - The Dr [doctor] said he might have been very bad had he not been taken to the old country for a complete change by his good aunt we are all well now - since so much storm has coold [cooled?] the air a little - The poor wee children suffered a good deal from the heat - Crops which looked so remarkably well in spring have not turned out any thing like the promise then as they got so burnt up - even the forest trees are dry & falling off It is a good think for those who have to buy potatoes this year that the England market is supplied - Manitoba now seems the farming county Henry who you have heard is living there & likes the county very much - He says such milk & leuttce [lettuce?] & potatoes he never saw or eat [ate?] before - the leuttce [lettuce?] has a rich sweet flavour he never tried leuttce [lettuce?] to have before He says the grass is so very fine & in such quantities & a wild pea growing all through the grass which imparts the good flavour to the leuttce [lettuce?] & milk - there is no trouble in keeping cattle there as they have as much good feeding as they can want just close about the houses & in winter this grass is then food being cut green & [?] the juices are kept in it & they can often get plenty of grass when the snow is too deep - that the cattle are in good condition all the year round & that this grass will never fail as there are great ma[?]lus of it 40 or 50 or even 100 miles long that can never be made any [?] use of he thinks - The wild flowers out there are most beautiful & quite different from others here & the grass's [grasses?] are beautiful & rich of every shade of green - The top soil about 12 to 18 inches is a black clay & when wet becomes stickey [sticky?] - but when exposed to the air soon drys and crumbles up quite fine & below this black soil is a gray clay nearly like that used to make light coloured bricks without any stones or at most only a very few - For years this soil may be croped [cropped?] without manure & this saves work -the Indians are a wild set but so far are harmless - some of Indians particularly the young men are a fine looking set tall & straight & graceful in all their movements & dress the latter is very fine - B[lack?] leggings & waistcoats & blankets thrown over one shoulder & gathered up on one arm some have their hair platted [plaited?] - the chiefs nearly always have a band round the head with coloured feathers in it for a plume - they sometimes look very haughty & all have horses & ride at full gallop - the squaws & children following in carts in long lines one behind the other form 20 to 30 in a line Henry gives nice interesting letters on that Great love Land & he says it well deserves that name Charles Dunlop who went to Portland with Mary for sea [bathing?] the 15 of July - he returned last week looking so well after the cold sea air but left Mary there for a week or two longer with her Aunt Joan Stewart - they will I think return next week to Toronto where Mary will remain till Oct [October?] or November - as they are to take down their present kitchen & build another & a large addition to their house dear Ellen is only partly well she feels the heat greatly - I hope the Boy at the Rectory is still keeping well his father & Mother & the other two & all - Tom made & small rockery for me this summer & spoke of the one he made when with you All my party join dear uncle in mind to you & all the cousins Ever believe me your affect [affectionate?] neice [niece?] Anna Hay |
