On Board
The Sir Jas Douglas
Sunday 5th Augst/88
My dearest Carry
According to my old established custom, when absent, I devote a part of the Sunday in scribbling to you – dear one – though I know not when I may have an opportunity of sending it off. My last was a very long letter five sheets of paper in it I gave you an account of all that took place up to the time of my departure from Victoria. I joined the Douglas at Nanaimo, & we started immediately since then we have been cruising about among the Islands; there is the new Capt. – he is particularly attentive, & the weather is very fine: If it were not that I am out if the way of news from you, that I am so anxious about Frank, I should not be at all sorry to get away from Victoria. Our home at Point Ellice is so dreary, that I did not care to be there more than necessary. Hick has taken great care of everything about the place, & is very proud of it, but without you & the dear children it has no attraction. I wrote to Frank just before I left Victoria & addressed it to the Bank not knowing where he is.
I hope you will make a point without fail of seeing Mr. Green’s children, they are both at Margate, he tells me the boy is with his brother, Walter Green, & Nelly is staying with a lady about three miles distant. If you write to Walter Green, Margate you can make an arrangement to see both. W.G. was Mayor of Margate last year, & may be so this year. Give the children something to remember you by. Mr. Green was very good to Jack & always kind to Frank. —-
You will have to provide presents for Alice, Flow, Jenns, & Mr. Green.
Has Kit had more riding lessons? I hope she will take every opportunity of riding. I will do my best to get a home for her, though Inquiries about one at Montreal, Ottawa & Regina I did not hear of any likely to suit. I hope also that she will practice her music, & take lessons from the best teacher procurable.
The rascal, Jack, will be with you by this I do hope he will be a good boy to you, he made me a solemn promise when at Mr. Comptons that he would take care of you & Puss. I shall wait with confidence to hear that he has done so. I am very anxious to receive his school
report, which I hope will be a good one. I wont repeat what I have so often said about Jack studying a short time each day, I know it would be a great help to him, & he would enjoy his holiday none the less for having spent an hour each morning at his books. It will be a great disappointment if he does not write fully to me during the holidays – no letter from him since I left Queenstown. I do hope you will have a happy time with him & the dear Kit. I see no reason why you should not pay the Admiral a visit in Scotland, but you are quite right not to go without an invitation from her ladyship – in other respects you must be guided by circumstances.
I long to hear that the new prescription has been successful I wont believe that this trouble cannot be got rid of, spare nothing to effect this object while you are in England. Also try to effect an arrangement, so that Jack may have some place to go to in the Vacation, it is terrible to think of him kicking about without a home at these times. – I hope, dear one, that your next will bring good news of yourself. You will, I fear, fret too much about parting with Frank (if he has gone), but you must remember that he goes for his good, he has never given us any trouble, & with God’s blessing, he will not do so in the future. I would give a great deal if we could see him employed near home, and though I am sorry that he is going, I am certain it will do him good to feel that he is working for an independence. Of course we will always do what we can to help him on, & the day may come before long when we can find employment for him near home. I am immensely grateful to Sir M. for his exertions in Franks behalf, & for his kind attention to you, & Puss. I am collecting a few Ferns to send to him, he said he would like them. Let me know if you have seen anything of Capt. Simpson? I hope so.
You will be glad to hear that I am keeping well, we are constantly at work, & at night I am very tired, sometimes my legs swell a little, but they are all right again next morning. Like yourself I cannot sleep, particularly in the mornings, thinking most likely of the same subject. – I must now stop in chance of posting a letter for about 10 days. May God bless you my dearest wife, and our dear ones.
I will enclose a list of a few things for the garden. I send them more as a reminder – you will best know what to get. In my last, I told you that all the gladioli, your rose cuttings & the Sweet sented verbena &c &c were killed last winter. The rose trees looked well, but it was getting late for them. Bring a large quantity of Gladioli & Hyacinths. Mrs. Drakes Begonias were lovely – I should like to have some. Any & everything that you like to get – -they pack into small space – you cant improve on the package we brought last time. Bring also a few plants of the best strawberry to be had – say three sorts 1 or 2 doz of each, they will go in very small space. I have promised Mr. Green that you will order a few things for him, they need not occupy much time as they can all be had at Walker & Halls, & at Goodes, Audley St. I will enclose the list. They can be sent in two parcels through Beeton & Co. one by express, the other by Sailing ship. All you need to do is to select the things best quality & give orders how they are to be sent: – the knives &c from Walker & Hall can be packed with the glass at Goodes’s & the dinner & chamber sets sent by ship. If you have not one of Beetons notes of instructions for shippers, send a post card for two or three & leave one with Goode. Also ask Beeton when the first ship will leave for B.C. buy the goods in our name, get the Discount, & have them shipped to me with instructions to be forwarded by the first Express, or first ship as may be. The Green Dumbleton marriage is to come off early in Nov. & he is anxious that the things by Express should arrive by that time. He was going to send for a set of Fish Knives & Forks. I have told him that we would give him a set. Send a good one with the other things addressed to me, with a separate bill. Which need not be included in the invoice. I thought it would be a relief to you, not to have to make this selection, of course if there is anything you want to send in either parcel, it will be a good opportunity. You might perhaps send some thing for Flow Jenns at the same time with separate bill.
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This collection of letters has been digitized from an earlier transcription project and is for informational purposes only. This transcription has not been verified against the originals. Researchers interested in these letters should consult the original documents housed at the BC Archives.