Transcription
CATALOG NUMBER HF 3034
OBJECT NAME Letter
DATE
AUTHOR Ann Hoffman
RECIPIENT Matilda Hoffman
MEDIUM Paper, ink
PEOPLE Major Fords "mama" Maria Fenno Hoffman, Judge Josiah Ogden Hoffman,
PLACES Oswegatchie, Canada, Montreal, St Larence River, Madrid (canada), Canton
EVENTS description of trip to Canada with father and Washington Irving, arrival at St Lawrence river,
*Original spelling retained throughout work, content appears exactly as written.
[PAGE 1]
Montreal August 10th, 1803/
My dear Matilda/
The latter part of my last letter to you ended with our being/ at a little hut (in the midst of a terrible storm in the Oswegatchie woods…/ After we had remained there a little while Mamma fainted away! She/ [inserted: continued] for a few minutes insensible but was perfectly well, the next day/ which proved to be a fair one. there was a debate between the gentelmen/ whether it was best to proceed in the wagons (which you know had/ been swamped the day before) or take the ox team which had formerly/ carried our baggage we however concluded upon the latter and proceeded/ with some corn and bread to sleep in an uninhabited shed for that/ night, [crossed out] which we arrived at about sun down, there were/ three sides to it and those were very very bad, however this was by/ no means the worst part of our journey, the next day we set off/ for the Oswegatchie river where [crossed out] we ferried across by a small raft/ and our faithful old oxen swam over we continued in the ox/ team [unrecovered] miles farther until we arrived at the shore opposite/ Major Fords house, you cannot conceive what delight it gave us to/ see the river once more, at a little distance form the Judges house you/ think you still riding in the midst of the woods when unexpectedly the/ beautiful St lawrence shows itself in all its beauty, I never was so/ delighted in my life as I was at seeing so large a river, it is nearly as / wide as the hudson, it is [ominous] to see what a divison there is/ the waters of that and the Oswegatchie river, that of the former is/ the clearest and most beautiful water I ever saw at a distance it looks/ like a beautiful green, when contrasted with this the latter is the/
[END OF PAGE 1]
[PAGE 2]
Blackest water I ever saw the place where it empties into the St Lawrence you/ can easily perceive as there is a division in the water if it had been/ cut with a knife we continued at Major Fords three days in which time we/ paid a visit to upper Canada where I learnt to ride on horseback After we/ left Major Fords we spent two or three days at Lisbon and from thence/ we went to Madrid where we staied while papa went to Canton when/ he returned we [inserted: moved] in at Montreal where we arrived safe after a sea/ of troubles the rapids are really the most tremendous thing I ever beheld/ but I was not frightened!!!/
Believe me your affectionate sister/
Ann Hoffman
My dear Mammy/
I believe I told you in my last letter that I had not/ quite forgotten you nor ever will be assured. I am delighted with Montreal/ and intend staying in for a year at least. But love to all my friends/
Your affectionate Child/
Anne Hoffman/
[END OF PAGE 2]
[ADDRESS]
Ann Hoffman
[END OF LETTER]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
