| Title: | Alexander Robb, Nicola Lake, Canada, to Father [Dundonald?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 2300 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Robb, Alexander/22 |
| Year | 1868 |
| Sender | Robb, Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Nicola Lake, British Columbia, Canada |
| Destination | N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | T 1454/5/10: Copied by Permission of Dr. J.C. Robb Esq., M.B.E., M.D., M.C.H., Cambourne Park, Belfast. #TYPE EMG Alexander Robb, Nicola Lake, Spences Bridge, British Columbia, Canada, to His Father, [Dundonald, County Down, Ireland]: Letter describing hi |
| Archive | Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9006023 |
| Date | 14/12/1868 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | 12:06:1990 GMcE#CREATE created 18:11:1991 PKS inpu |
| Word Count | 1218 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To: Father [Robb?], [Dundonald, County Down?] From: Alexander Robb, Nicola Lake, British Columbia Nicola Lake Dec[ember?] 14th 1868 Dear Father, I have been reproaching myself for some time for not answering your last kind letter which I received in the latter end of October 'Tis true that I have been very busy, but still I might very well have spared enough time to write to you. When I last wrote I told you that I had come up here and that I was much pleased with the looks of the country. In fact it would be impossible to be otherwise than pleased with it for it is beyond comparison, by far the best part of British Columbia I have yet seen. It lies in what is called the dry belt of British Columbia, and indeed it may be well called so far a shower is rather a rare occurence [occurrence?]. In summer it is warm and dry and in winter it is cold and dry. Of course it would be impossible to grow my kind of crop without artificial watering, so when anyone is looking out for a farm he has got to look out for a place near a creek where the water can be easily got in the land one wants to cultivate. The irrigation of the land is done by making small water furrows aboutland is harrowed and rol[l?]ed Into these furrows the water is conducted by a large ditch or drain and allowed to run until the land is pretty well saturated, which generally takes from twelve to twenty four hours, according to the nature of the soil The operation has to be repeated three or four times during the season and altogether it is a very tedious job requiring a great deal of patience in the person who conducts it. There is this advantage in it that one can generally control a crop and there is always beautiful harvest weather. I think I told you in my last letter that a young Englishman and I were the two first white men who came to this district when we came here our nearest neighbour was from 40 to 50 miles from us. Since then quite a number of settlers have located in the valley making it much more pleasant and safe to live in. I do not think that there was any real danger at any time and the Indians have been very quiet and civil but still one feels a little more secure from having a few neighbours around. I think that I am a little of a favourite with the red skins. I have managed to pick up enough of their language so that I can understand what they say, and when I promise any thing to them I always keep my word, and these two things go far to get one in the good graces of the savages Most of the Indians round here are well off, nearly all of them owning more or less horses some of them cattle. One man (a chief) has nearly 200 horses and twenty or thirty cows. As a general thing the more wealth an Indian has the more wives he keeps. One old fellow who is the grand chief of this district has no less than seven wives and thirty five children living besides twelve children and I don't know how many wives dead. He is not more than 50 years old yet and [?] if he only keeps on he bids fair to rival Brigham Young I dont know whether this yarn about Indians will interest you very much If I thought it did I could write you enough about them Perhaps you would rather hear of what I am doing myself As I told you in my last letter I came here to work for a friend of mine who wished to start farming here. I wrought for him until a month ago when I quit and took up a place about seven miles farther up the Lake. I have gone into partnership with another man a Canadian named Frank Mickle I believe an honest decent man. We took up 320 acres of land and I think that if you only saw it it would please you It is nearly all quite as level as the levellest part of your holms without a solitary stick on it Neither is there on the whole lot a stone as large as an hen egg The soil is a deep black loam and I will be greatly dissapointed [dissappointed?] if it does not in time make one of the finest if not the very best farms in British Columbia As for grass there are thousands of acres of it of the very best quality on the rising ground adjoining the flat on which we are located. We have also got 40 head of cattle and 5 yoke of work oxen. These last we intend to sell as soon as we get through our spring work. You need not think Dear Father that I had money enough to buy these cattle and what implements we require besides food for a year without going into debt. So anxious however was my partner that I should go in with him (he being a blacksmith and not knowing much about farming) that he lent me money enough to pay my share and promises to wait for it until I can pay him. It is the first time I ever have owed a dollar in this country and I hate the idea of it as bad as I hate poison but I am so heartily sick and weary of working for other people that I am willing to take any chance, however desperate so that I may get quit of it I would not be a bit afraid but that I could soon make enough to put me out of debt if there was either a road or market here but there is neither one or other and it costs as much to pack produce on horses or mules to where there is a market as it is worth when it gets there. However I hope for the best and at any rate I can do no worse than I have done these last 6 or seven years besides having a great deal more comfort A man with a small amount of capital say from 500 to 1000 pounds could make himself independent in a very few years by raising stock for which this country is peculiarly adapted. The winter [?] so far has been mild and pleasant and I think is likely to continue so. Last winter was the coldest ever known in the Colony. For six weeks in Lytton the thermometer was from 15 to twenty eight degrees below zero and a little way further up the mercury froze. You cannot imagine anything like such weather. Tell Susanna that I sent to Westminster and got the letter with poor Lizzie's likeness but there was none of hers as she said there was. If she does not wish me to be very angry she had better sit down and write to me, and enclose her likeness just as soon as this reaches you. Give my best love to her and all the rest and to John Martha and the little ones and believe me dear Father ever your affectionate son Alexander Robb When writing direct to Nicola Lake Spences Bridge, British Columbia |
