hope that you enjoyed yourself very much at the Abbots,48 and had lots of boating, &c. I have been quite troubled by Papa’s and Mamma’s great anxiety about my coming home alone. Please try and persuade them that it is quite unnecessary.
I will be quite glad to get home again, though I like this place very much, and have spent a very pleasant summer
Please excuse this writing as I have a wretched pen. I suppose you will say that you never saw one to suit me yet. But really this one is particularly bad. There are very few people in the hotel now and will be fewer tomorrow.
Give my love to all at home, and with best love for yourself
Believe me your affectionate
39Improvements.
40Izaak Walton, The Complete Angler. . . (Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1866); Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (London: Chapman and Hall, 1863); Charles Dickens and others, Mugby Junction (London: Chapman and Hall, 18—); and William Hepworth Dixon, The New America (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1867).
41Young Men’s Christian Association.
42The Paris Exhibition of 1867 held at the Champ de Mars, covered forty one acres. Attendance topped six million and there were some forty three thousand exhibitors.
43Eva Dawson (born 1864) was George’s youngest sister. She attended Montreal High School, graduating in 1877, then married Hope T. Atkin and moved permanently to England. She eventually had three children.
44In the letter the date reads 8 June but at that time George was in Montreal.
45A member of the well-known Ogilvie family of Montreal, owners of a large milling and grain merchant firm.
46William Redpath, the son of Peter Redpath a prominent Montreal businessman, later died suddenly at a relatively young age. See p. 137.
47Baie Ste Catherine.
48Probably Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (1821-1893), later prime minister of Canada, who was then dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill.
A VOYAGE BY SAIL TO GREAT BRITAIN
In 1869, George sailed to Great Britain at age twenty to enter the Royal School of Mines in London. His father prepared the way for him by writing to his scientific friends in London. At this time he was provided with an invalid’s chair, which indicates that he was as yet not a strong young man. The trans-Atlantic trip George described as “not very pleasant,” as the following diary entries will attest:
Saturday Sept 11th. 1869.
Started from Montreal for Glasgow in ship Lake Erie {930 tons Capt Slater,} from Island wharf at 2.30 PM. after waiting on board from 8.30 AM which had been fixed the night before as the time. Just after leaving wharf in tow of two tugs the ship took the ground opposite the Richaleau wharf and reained there till both tugs were made fast alongside and drew her off. Anchored opposite Sorel at 8.30 PM for the night.
Sunday Sept 12th
Weighed anchor at 4.30, and proceeded down the river, passed Three Rivers at <ten minutes to> 10 o’clock. Passed Batiscan at ten minutes to 12 and the S.S. Prussian at anchor waiting for the tide. She caught up to and repassed us at 2 P.M. Passed Quebec at 6.30 and changed pilots without stopping. Passed S.S. Austrian inward bound 7.40 P.M. Wrote home; and sent the letter by river pilot a Quebec. Dropped anchor, half way down the Island of Orleans;49 to wait for daylight and tide to go through the Traverse50 at 8.30 P.M. Port anchor in about 10 Fathoms water 30 fathoms cable out.
Monday Sept 13 1869
Got anchor up and under way at 6 A.M. were delayed till then waiting for the tug which had gone to coal. Light winds and hazy. Passed the Besearch of Yarmouth N.S. in tow of Ranger, and Sunbeam at anchor near the end of the Traverse at 1.40 P.M. Pulled in the hawser <and> cast loose from tug Hero, and set sail at 2 P.M. Abreast of Murray Bay 3.30 P.M. 4.30 P.M. We passed the John Bunion in tow of Hero. Passed Wolfville at anchor 4.40. Abreast of Grosse Isle51 of Kamouraska light at 6.40 P.M. Opposite Pilgrims light {about 1 1/2 miles off} at 9 o’clock. Have had light S. and S.W breezes since the tug left us, gradually freshening, and going round more to the west. It has been a very fine warm day with a beautiful warm sunset over the north shore mountains. Made two sketches one of Goose point52 above Petit Mal Bay53 and the other of Grosse Island lighthouse.
A great many white porpoises54 round the ship all the afternoon and evening. About 8 o’clock counted 32 blowing in 30 seconds. Pilot said in conversation that formerly there was a regular cod and halibut fishery off Green Island55 though they are not now caught in profitable quantities higher than Father point.56 Also that there were plenty of lobsters there though none are now seen. That sea cows (Walruses) were caught all up the river the farmers using strips of their thick skins for calache straps,57 and that Mille Vache shoal was called after these animals Wrote a letter home to send off by pilot at Bic. In case there should not be time to do so before he leaves in the morning.
Tuesday Sept 14th
Pilot left us at Bic 5 A.M. Fine westerly breeze. 10.45 passed Champion of Troon bound up. Fresh breezes W.S.W Barom. 30.35 sympiesomr58 30.195 Thermo 64. 3 P.M. Wind chopped into the Northward, braced up and trimmed the sails59 7 P.M. Point de Monts light bearing N.W 1/2 N. distant 18 miles. Wind chopped into NE. braced up and trimmed sails. 8. PM Barom 30.35. sympesom 30.410 Thermom 61.
A lovely sunset this evening over Cap de Monts splendid fiery clouds lying like bais across the west. The south shore a beautiful cool lavender. The sky behind the flaming clouds was a bright soft canary colour. Had the mackerel lines over this afternoon but caught nothing. I find the time passes away very lazily, especially with regard to reading. The soft flashing of the water and noise of the sails seems to exercise a mesmeric efect, and keep one from understanding anything but the most simple books. Took first lesson with quadrant today. 8 P.M. going 6 1/2 knots water phosphorescent where disturbed by ship
September 15 1869
