| Title: | [James Du Pre?] Alexander to the [Countess of Caledon?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 3615 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | lord caledon/99 |
| Year | 1838 |
| Sender | Lord Caledon (James Du Pre Alexander) |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | army officer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Quebec, Canada |
| Destination | Ireland? |
| Recipient | Countess of Caledon |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | D 2433/B/8/14: Deposited by the Trustees of the Caledon Estates |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 800158 |
| Date | 03/09/1838 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 10:08:00. |
| Word Count | 816 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Grosse Isle Sept 3 [1838?] My dear Mother As it is a long time since I heard from you last I suppose that you have been on the move from Lemington [Spa?] I have been for some time on detachment at the Quarantine station Grosse Isle on the St. Lawrence below Quebec and as there is not much communication I cannot tell you what is going on there it is reported however that Lord Durham returns immediately to England and that Sir Jno [John?] Colborne will be Governor General; there are also rumours of more disturbances this winter several pieces of artillery having been seized coming over the frontier, it will be more serious than the last outbreak as if there is a major fighting there will be few prisoners taken the others having been let off so easily, however no one knows what will happen till the winter sets in there are no habitants on this little island, the forces consist of two rusty, old 12 pounders (an old commandant a major of the 83rd [Swinburne] who was with my Father at the Cape and his wife and family a lieutenant and party of the 15th myself and about 30 of the Coldstream three doctors a baker from Five mile Town and a wife and sister in Law from the same place who all recognized me that is all the inhabitants except the occasional inmates of the Hospital; there have been but few emigrants this year there have only been 200 Highlanders since I have been here, the river here is about 18 miles broad and we are in the centre. I have a small boat and amuse myself shooting snipe and wild fowl the geese are just beginning to come up in great quantities. Our little island is very pretty and large trees growing on it. We cut down what we please for fuel close to our houses, I have one room which is built of wood entirely, with a stove in it not unlike a large dog-kennel with a door, it is however very comfortable. We remain here till the winter sets in and then proceed to Quebec where we remain should there be no disturbances but as it is more than probable that there will be, I think we shall move higher up the country beyond Montreal. We have plenty of vegetables in this island, the potatoes being very fine and the Indian corn ripens well and is very good eating there is a sort of snipe the people call [allouetts?] which is nearly as large as our snipe on the other islands and I can kill enough to supply myself, we have rations 1lb of meat and 2lb of bread a day and about a pint of wine per week. The General very kindly sent me down a ham some jam and other little delicacies yesterday so that I can feast now. I dined with the Hospital Dr. yesterday and heard some stories of shipwrecks on Anticosti [Isle d'Anticosti?] that would make the English ones appear a party of pleasure in one instance where the whole crew had died having gradually eaten another up the last man was found dead and they were within 30 miles of the provision post. There are great numbers of fine ships here they are obliged to come to anchor off this island and get a bill of health bef [before?] they can proceed I see by an extract from one of the Newry papers that the crops have been very [abundant?] in the North of Ireland I hope you found every thing looking well [stain] Caledon. I wish you could see what weather we have here just like the finest Irish day which is finer than any others and the moon so brilliant that you can read the smallest print with as great ease as with the aid of the sun, I have seen the northern lights make the country as light as the moon would with us. I have bought Bayfields chart of the Lawrence which is very beautifully executed and very interesting to me. I find that the Depth of the Saqueney [Saguenay?] to be only about 104 fathoms I thought that it had been more the mountains are not in the chart but I believe there is a separate one. I intend if I can get a fortnight or three weeks leave when I return to Quebec to get out moose deer hunting with the Indians. Tollemache will be over at Castle Blayney will you let the coachman know that he is to have my bay horse "Diamond" and the little mare that I bought in Omagh last year I have sold them to him I hope that my Father still continues well I remain my dear Mother Your affecte [affectionate?] Son [James Du Pre?] Alexander I do not exactly know how this letter will reach you [Addressed to?] The Earl of Caledon Caledon Ireland Postmarked Free 6 NO 6 1838 |
