Name/Title
Letter from Henry W. Aldrich to Friend Harvey.Entry/Object ID
2000.FIC.080Scope and Content
4 1/2 x 7 1/2 four page letter to Friend Harvey from Henry W. Aldrich, relating the icy weather conditions on the Island he is stranded on, damage to and repairs needed to a sailing vessel. He is also asking Harvey to send news from Dover. He relates his health has been bad lately due to bowel trouble. He also asks Harvey to keep working on his business and to ask others to help out with spring planting. Chantry Island is a small island in Lake Huron, south of the mouth of the Saugeen River and approximately a kilometre off the shores of the town of Southampton, Ontario.
Transcribed:
[Writing is upside down at the top of the letter]
May be you can get Johny Hoot to come and work. I feel
anxious to be there but cant get away so you must do the best
you can and let it go at that. I got Marys letter this morning
but it had been in the Office several days. H.W. Aldrich
Chantry Island C.W. April 4th/65
Friend Harvey;
I should have written
to you sooner but it has been impossible
to get over to the P.O. for the last two weeks.
I wrote to M.A. more than two weeks ago,
and have had no chance to get the letter to the
office yet. We arrived here saturday night, or
rather about one o'clock sunday morning two weeks
ago. The next monday the 20th the ice was out of
the Lake, so that we got our traps over expecting
the capson, which we left, thinking we would
get it when we got the horse or horses over -
We went to work immediately, getting the ice
off her deck; it was about 1 foot thick on one side
from foremast, to after part of cabbin; the other side
was nearly clear. On the larboard [left side of the ship] side the ice was
havee up nearly as high as her flankshier, we cut
a channel through it so as to give her a chance
to list over, and then set 7 screws on the starboard
side and raised her over far enough to put the
p.2
timbers under, and then let her back onto
them. We next rove off the falls, and got all ready
for the horse, and capson at noon monday the 27th.
But since the 1st and 2nd days after we got here there
has been no chance to get a horse across and
now it is the 4th of April, so that you can see
that we are looseing lots of time. But the
ice is geting very rotten and the wind blowing
fresh from the E so that we think we can get
over tomorrow or next day with a horse.
The pintal was broke, was what let the
rudder off from the keel, and after it dropped
off, the rudder post broke, so we have made
a new rudder altogether, it is made of cherry,
and looks very nice. I cannot tell yet how long
I shal be here on this desolate Island. It is over
two weeks now since I came into it and no chance
to get off. I wish you would write me how
the election turned out in Dover. May be you
could get a ticket of Mr. Case, or Wm. Sadler,
with the names marked which were elected.
I havee received no letters yet since I came, but
expect they are piled up in the office. A good time coming
p. 3
I will now write a few words in regard
to any health which has been miserable
enough for eight or ten days - I was taken
sick a week ago last monday with what they
call here the bloody flux [dysentery]. There was no chance
for getting a Doctor, and so I have wethered it
out as well as I could. I took red raspberry
tea, scorched brandy, water and flour, mixed
and settled, and such kind of things to check
it but it was all of no use. I then took 2
table spoonfuls of castor oil, which had
a very little effect. But there was about
seven or eight days that there was nothing
but slime and blood passed my bowels.
My appetite failed entirely so that it
was hard work for me to eat so much as
a spoonful of grewel although it sur made
as nice as any body in the world could make
it - I got pretty week and they said I looked
pretty white, but I am beginning to get
around right again, and think in the
course of two or three days I shal be
able to do light work.
p. 4
April 6th We got up this morning and the ice was
out so that there was a chance to get across so we
got into the yawl and went over and got the capson
before breakfast. if we had wated until after breakfast
we couldent of got it at all. We slewed it about
12 feet I should think to day & it will have to
be swung about 20 feet more before she is ready
to go ahead. We have to work by hand for
there is no getting a horse across yet. She will
have to have all new dead wood, and a new
stern post & we think her keel is broke, but
we have not got her up yet so to see yet, so you
can see that we are getting along slow. I should
have mentioned that my health is good again and
I have commenced work again but some how it tires
me very much - I wish you would stay amongst
by business until I get home & try to get in
that corn ground to oats, keep two teams going
if you can. I don't know as I shal be home before
the 1st of may. I meant to have got Wm Sadler
to help me fix them pigs before I left but did not
I wish you would get him to help you do it. Tell
M.A.L.M. & Metta all to write often and write
[written along the side]
your self until you see me coming.Collection
Aldrich Family CollectionDimensions
Height
8 inWidth
5-1/4 inDimension Notes
These are the dimensions of the closed letter, folded in half vertically. Full width is 10.5"Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Aldrich, Henry WinsorPerson or Organization
Case, Mr.Person or Organization
Saddler, Mr.
