| Title: | [Lord?] Alexander, Quebec, to The Countess Of Caledon, London. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3612 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | lord caledon/94 |
| Year | 1838 |
| Sender | Lord Caledon (James Du Pre Alexander) |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Quebec, Canada |
| Destination | London, England |
| Recipient | Countess of Caledon |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | D 2433/B/8: Deposited by the Trustees of The Caledon Estates |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N.Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9602017 |
| Date | 29/06/1838 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 01:02:96. |
| Word Count | 1605 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Citadel Barracks, Quebec June 29 1838 My Dear Mother I take the opportunity of the Hercules being about to sail to give you a line to say that I am quite well and that I am going on leave for ten days to the river Saguiney. I should have gone to Montreal and Niagara but there would have scarcely have been time for it and I hope to be able to get away some other time for a longer period. There are some disturbances on the frontiers and the General will not let us away for any length of time, we have got the great General Sutherland in our barracks and 10 other prisoners, all Americans & I believe we shall have some more soon, they have not been able to catch. Bill Johnson who is the cleverest of them all he is on one of the islands in the river and has a [sixteen?] [oared?] galley with which he can overtake any steamer 1000 reward is offered for him. The man who murdered Weir has been allowed to escape from Montreal Jail but our gentlemen will not be so easily let off here as Government could not tamper with us and it was supposed that this man was let off on purpose. We had a grand review yesterday and in the evening an amazing deal of [firing?] all the ships of war manned with blue lights, which were very beautiful - There was a ball in the evening I did not go as I had to go out to fire with my company and got wet through. I have been leading rather a monotonous life as I have not had any time to go about much, but I hope that I shall see something worth seeing in the river Saguiney it is about [8?] times as large as the Thames no [soundings?] for a long way up and perpendicular cliffs from 60 to 200 feet high:the Indians tell me that there are all sorts of animals beaver, cariboo or reindeer, seals, moose deer and full of salmon. I will send you over some of the Indian work the next ship that sails and if you send me over any measure of the feet for any body that wants a pair of worked moccasins for slippers I will get them done, they make them of the hide of the moose deer beautifully worked with the hair which is dyed different colours and the quills of the porcupine they work also very beautifully with glass beads on worsted saches there are some of the Indians on the other side of the river who live in wigwams compared to which the Star [hog?] abodes are perfect palaces, they have blankets given them by government and that is all their furniture with a checked shirt and a pair of trousers as to a bed they never heard of such a thing. they tye [tie?] their children into a sort of little sledge and hang them up to grow. I am told by some of the 55th that there are some of them good hunters in the winter but now they remain in a dormant state, there are several different tribes and each different dialects, so much so, they cannot understand one another some of them speak a little English but they do not understand French, their bark canoes are the most beautiful things. One that can easily be lifted by a man with one hand, will hold six people and with a blanket sail with paddle, will beat any other boat in the world for speed. You must think me stupid in not knowing what is going on in the country but the fact is we hear more news about this country from the English papers that we can collect here. I believe that party was pretty high here amongst the higher classes but that the lower class are afraid to speak out, I have found them most civil, and they seem to me to be the most inoffensive people, but very easily led away I believe I do not think [Passineau?] in favor here now as he played a cowardly part and the American prisoners which were marched up through the town were much insulted and had it not been for a strong guard of our men as well as a corps of volunteers who came with them they would have been in all probability murdered, they deserve any punishment having come from another country and having stirred people up to rebellion and being the cause of so many lives being lost. I am going to Goose Island about 70 miles down the river shortly when I return from leave with a detachment under the command of a Captain of the 15th I believe it is a most solitary place but I can generally amuse myself in some way; I only wish I could get my promotion in which case I should be living much more at my ease than I am doing now, as we have two guards here. I have dined twice with Lord Durham the last time I sat next to [Cads?] friend Lady C Harcourt whom I like very much. You need not be under any alarm of my getting married here as I have not seen any youny ladies at all, indeed I do not believe there is such a thing, except Lady Mary Lambton who is rather good looking but the image of Durham if you can reconcile those two facts. I hear that the [brevet?] takes away our chief and I think that one or two more will leave the regiment this Winter so that I shall gradually advance. We lead a very different life here to a London one; we have our parade at 1/2 past 8, and when we drill we go out at 1/2 past 5. We breakfast at about 8 o'clock and our mess is at 1/2 past 2. The northern lights here are quite beautiful I thought the other night in my room it was someone with a lamp outside we have had no very hot weather, 84 is the hottest the nights are cool. We have the most beautiful ice here, and you can make use of it by putting it into wine or anything you like to drink. I have seen enormous blocks of it without the slightest speck of dirt in it. The ice here is broken up and put on the table. There is a well here still full of ice which has not yet melted. The General has a cousin a Catholic Bishop at Glengarry in the Upper Province and he took us over the [convent?] here of [Ursuline?]?] there were a good many Irish; there was a School and the young ladies sung and played the guitar it was worth seeing but there was nothing very particular in it the nuns are of a certain age and none of them very handsome. If you know whereabouts Mrs.[Oliphant?] is gone to near New Orleans will you let me know as I might be going there some day I mean to see as much as I can of the country I hope my Father got the snuff. I know of nothing at present to send and I do not know these people well enough to send things by them. Bob Gore went off with despatches to [Camaransa?] in the [Charybois?]. He has not yet returned. If you see Grimston and he is likely to come out, tell him to bring some portable soup and plenty of good knives some of this shape, he will find them useful for presents they are called Indian knives Couteaux des sauvages here I see a G.R and crown on them so I should think they are made in England and he could get them better there. I have forgot to thank you for your long letter and all the news it contained I was much grieved to hear the melancholy end of poor Bignall. I hope all are well at Littenhanger and that my Grandmother was not the worse for the second shock which poor Bignall death (sic) must have occasioned after Heaston's death. I shall have an opportunity I hope soon of sending [Tranter?] some snuff which is the only good article I am told that they make in Quebec. I hope that my next letter will be more entertaining as I have not much to say for myself in this one. Best love to all my friends and relatives. If you hear of any of our officers coming out I should wish to have a few knives and some pounds of gunpowder sent out a few broad ribbons and some glass beads for the Indians they must send us out some more subalterns for the winter duty and they might bring these with them. Lambast is the first to come out. His brother is over here in the 66th. Best love to my father & Bell & Believe me Ever your affect [affectionate?] Son Alexander P.S. I open my letter again to say that I have got leave for three weeks but that we are not allowed to go into the States on account of some fresh disturbance, there has also been an account of this man who murdered [well?] it is said broke out of gaol and that the soldiers on sentry let him go and that it was not done by Durhams wish if this is the case we shall go up to Montreal immediately. I have an idea of going to Niagara instead of the Saguiney. |
