the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


l。　If　you　see　fit　to　come　out　in　the　spring　your　friends　will　be　glad　to　see　you。　It　will　be　best　for　you　to　get　a　lumber　vessel　if　you　can。　There　hath　been　two　vessels　from　Hull　and　one　from　Newcastle　this　summer。　Respecting　goods　and　merchandise；　lay　in　well　for　common　clothing。　Bring　some　home…made　linens　and　checks。　Ox…chains　and　horse…traces　and　bridles。　Everything　in　wood　will　be　expensive。　〃You　ask　what　bills　I　propose。　Good　bills　on　Halifax　answer；　but　nothing　will　answer　like　cash　here；　as　it　may　be　some　trouble　to　get　them　cashed。　Mechanics　of　all　kinds　are　wanted。　Carpenters；　7　shillings　6　pence　per　day。　We　pay　4s。　and　4s。　6d。　for　making　a　pair　of　shoes。　A　good　tailor　is　much　wanted。　We　pay　6s。　for　shoeing　a　horse。　Bring　a　few　scythes　of　the　best　quality。　Baie　Verte　is　the　best　place　to　land　at；　if　you　cannot　make　that　out；　St。　John　or　Halifax。　There　may　be　some　difficulty　in　getting　a　passage　from　Halifax　by　water。　Shall　look　out　for　a　place　for　you　with　a　house　on　it。　〃May　the　Lord　direct　you　and　prosper　your　undertaking。　Give　my　best　respects　to　George　Swinburne　and　wife。　Let　him　know　my　wife　and　my　ten　children　and　myself　are　well。　〃I　have　nothing　more　at　present　to　write。　May　the　Lord　direct　you　in　all　your　ways；　so　prays　your　affectionate　nephew　and　niece；　〃WM。　AND　ELIZABETH　TRUEMAN。〃

Mr。　George　Thompson　did　not　emigrate　to　Nova　Scotia　as　he　expected　when　he　wrote　to　his　uncle　and　aunt。　The　following　letter；　written　by　his　son　five　years　later；　explains　why：

〃DURHAM；　Sept。；　1816。　〃DEAR　COUSINS；You　probably　would　think　it　very　strange　our　not　writing　to　you　for　so　long　a　time；　but　I　can　assure　you　it　was　not　for　want　of　affection　or　respect；　but　merely　inadvertence；　and　no　doubt　you　would　think　it　strange；　after　my　father　wrote　to　inform　you　he　intended　setting　out　for　America；　that　he　never　went；　but　the　principal　reason　was　that　on　second　consideration　he　thought　himself　too　far　advanced　in　years　to　undertake　so　long　a　voyage；　and　the　rest　of　the　family　except　myself　were　not　very　willing。　Consequently　he　immediately　after　that　took　a　large　farm；　which　I　had　principally　to　manage；　otherwise　I　would　have　gone　at　that　time。　However；　it　is　my　wish　to　set　out　next　spring；　and　have　not　written　to　inform　you　it；　in　order　that　I　may　have　your　answer　before　that；　stating　all　particulars　of　the　country；　and　if　there　be　a　good　prospect　for　me。　There　is　also　an　acquaintance　of　mine；　a　threshing　machine　maker　and　cartwright；　has　a　desire　to　accompany　me；　therefore　be　so　good　as　to　say　what　prospect　there　is　for　such　a　man　as　he　is。　〃All　my　brothers　and　sisters　are　married　and　settled；　and　my　father　and　mother　are　very　well　and　now　live　by　themselves；　retired　from　farming。　〃Hoping　you　and　all　friends　are　well；　I　shall　conclude　with　kindest　love　to　all；　〃And　remain；　dear　cousin；　〃Yours　affectionately；　〃GEORGE　THOMPSON。　〃P。S。Have　the　goodness　to　write　the　first　opportunity；　and　direct　to　me　at　〃Harbour　House；　〃Durham。〃

It　is　quite　possible　the　above　letter　did　not　receive　a　reply。　A　good　deal　of　trouble　had　been　taken　to　send　full　information　to　the　father；　and　five　years　were　allowed　to　pass　before　any　acknowledgement　was　made。　At　all　events；　there　is　no　record　of　a　letter　being　sent　to　the　son；　and　it　is　certain　he　did　not　come　to　this　country。

The　subjoined　communication　helps　to　show　the　depressed　condition　in　England　at　that　period；　and　that　many　were　looking　to　America　in　the　hope　of　bettering　their　condition：

〃May　14th；　1819。　〃DEAR　COUSIN；I　hope　these　lines　will　find　you　all　well；　as　they　us　at　present。　We　thank　God　for　it。　〃I　intend　to　come　over　to　America　this　spring　If　it　should　please　God；　For　the　state　of　England　are　very　bad；　Land　has　got　so　very　dear　that　a　livelihood　cannot　be　got　in　England；　and　the　taxes　that　Government　lays　on　are　very　heavy；　till　they　reduce　so　many　to　a　lower　class　that　the　land　will　hardly　support　the　poor。　I　hope　you　are　in　a　better　situation　in　America。　〃We　understand　in　England　that　the　States　of　America　are　very　flourishing　at　present。　I　intend　to　set　off　to　America　the　first　of　June。　If　it　should　please　God　that　I　should　get　over　safe；　I　hope　to　get　to　your　house　as　soon　as　I　can。　All　your　cousins　are　in　good　health　at　present。　Thank　God　for　it；　and　they　wish　to　be　remembered　to　you　and　all　your　family。　〃So　I　remain　your　most　obedient　cousin；　〃JAMES　BOYES；　〃of　Bilsdale。　〃N。B。By　the　wishes　of　one　of　your　cousins；　of　the　name　of　Harman　Wedgwood；　a　son　of　Benjamin　Wedgwood；　a　tailor；　he　would　like　to　hear　from　you。　He　thinks　you　will　give　him　some　information　of　your　country。　〃He　wants　to　come　to　live　in　your　country；　and　if　you　please　to　give　him　some　intelligence　of　tailors'　wages　in　your　country。　〃So　he　remains　your　most　obedient　cousin。　〃HARMAN　WEDGWOOD；　〃Hawnby。〃　〃N。B。If　you　please　to　write　to　him　you　must　direct　as　follows：　〃'HARMAN　WEDGWOOD；　〃'Hawnby；　〃'Near　Helmsley；　Blackmoor；　〃'Yorkshire；　England。'〃

There　was　no　change　in　the　family　at　Prospect　after　Sallie's　marriage　in　1808　until　1817。　On　Jan。　17th　of　the　latter　year　Robert　married　Eunice　Bent；　of　Fort　Lawrence；　a　sister　of　Harmon's　wife；　and　in　October　Amos　married　Susanna　Ripley；　a　sister　of　Willie's　wife。

Robert　settled　on　a　farm　adjoining　the　homestead。　His　house　was　not　built　until　the　summer　following　his　marriage。　James；　his　eldest　child；　was　born　30th　October；　1817；　in　the　Brick　House　at　Prospect　Farm。　Amos　settled　at　the　head　of　Amherst　（now　called　Truemanville）。　The　following　letter；　written　by　his　youngest　daughter；　Mrs。　Sarah　Patterson；　is　very　interesting；　as　giving　some　idea　of　the　experiences　of　that　time：

〃When　my　father　first　came　to　live　in　the　place　now　called　Truemanville　it　was　a　dense　forest。　In　summer　the　only　road　was　a　bridle　path。　In　winter；　when　the　snow　was　on　the　ground；　they　could　drive　a　pair　of　oxen　and　a　sled　along　the　road。　〃The　winter　my　father　was　married；　as　soon　as　there　was　enough　snow　and　frost；　he　and　one　of　his　brothers　and　another　man　set　out　to　build　a　house。　〃They　loaded　a　sled　with　boards；　doors　and　windows；　and　provided　themselves　with　bedding　and　provisions　to　last　till　the　house　was　finished。　They　then　hitched　the　oxen　to　the　sled　and　started　on　their　twenty…mile　journey　and　most　of　the　way　on　a　trackless　path。　〃When　they　arrived　at　their　journey's　end；　they　erected　a　rude　hut　to　live　in　and　commenced　building　a　house。　They　did　not　have　to　go　far　for　timberit　was　standing　all　around　the　site　chosen　for　the　house。　〃They　built　a　very　nice　log　house；　15　ft。　by　18　ft。　Their　greatest　trouble　in　building　was；　the　stones　were　so　frosty　they　could　not　split　them。　They　had　to　kindle　a　huge　fire　of　brushwood　and　warm　the　stones　through；　when　they　split　finely。　〃After　they　had　built　the　house　they　returned　home；　having　been　absent　about　three　weeks。　〃My　father　and　mother　then　moved　to　their　new　home；　and　father　began　to　build　a　saw　mill　and　grist　mill。　〃Their　nearest　neighbors　were　one　and　a　half　miles　distant；　unless　we　count　the　bears　and　foxes；　and　they　were　far　too　sociable　for　anything　like　comfort。　Sheep　and　cattle　had　to　be　folded　every　night　for　some　years。　〃After　father　had　built　his　grist　mill　he　used　to　keep　quite　a　number　of　hogs。　In　the　fall　of　the　year；　when　the　beechnuts　began　to　drop；　the　men　used　to　drive　them　into　the　woods；　where　they　would　live　and　grow　fat　on　the　nuts。　One　evening　when　my　mother　was　returning　from　a　visit　to　one　of　the　neighbors　she　heard　a　terrible　squealing　in　the　woods。　She　at　once　suspected　that　bruin　designed　to　dine　off　one　of　the　hogs。　She　hastened　home　to　summon　the　men　to　the　rescue；　but　darkness　coming　on　they　had　to　give　up　the　chase。　However；　bruin　did　not　get　any　pork　that　night；　the　music　was　too　much　for　him；　and　piggie　escaped　with　some　bad　scratches。　〃A　short　time　after　this；　ominous　squeaks　were　heard　from　the　woods。　The　men　armed　themselves　with　pitchforks　and　ran　to　the　rescue。　What　should　they　meet　but　one　of　my　uncles　coming　with　an　ox…cart。　The　wooden　axles　had　got　very　dry　on　the　long；　rough　road；　and　as　they　neared　my　father's　the　sound　as　the　wheels　turned　resembled　very　closely　that　made　by　a　hog　under　the　paws　of　bruin。　〃Imagine　the　way　of　travelling　in　those　days！　　I　have　heard　my　father　say　there　were　only　two　carriages　between　Point　de　Bute　and　Truemanville。　Their　principal　mode　of　travel　was　on　horseback。　My　father　and　mother　visited　Grandfather　Trueman's　with　their　three　children。　Mother　took　the　youngest　on　one　horse；　and　father　took　the　two　older　ones　on　another　horse；　and　yet　we　often　hear　people　talk　of　the　'good　old　times。'　〃My　father　was　a　man　of　generous　disposition。　The　poor　and　needy　always　found　him　ready　to　sympathize　and　help　them。　He　often　supplied　grain　to　them　when　there　was　no　prospect　of　payment。　He　would　say；　'A　farmer　can　do　without　many　things；　but　not　without　seed　grain。'　　That　reminds　me　of　an　incident　I　will　tell　you；　of　our　Grandfather　Trueman。　About　thirty…　five　years　ago　my　mother　was　visiting　at　Stephen　Oxley's；　at　Tidnish；　where　she　met　an　old　lady　whose　name　I　forget；　but　no　matter。　When　she　heard　my　mother's　name　she　began　talking　about　Grandfather　Trueman。　She　said　she　would　never　forget　his　kindness　to　her　in　her　younger　days　when　she　and　her　husband　first　came　from　the　Ol