HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1937-07-15, Page 7THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1937,
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The Seaforth News
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Phone 84
THE SEAFORTH NEWS
over him as watched me dig the tiny
grave. His coffin was a rude cone -
pavement of cedar slabs. Hannah was.
too weak to wetdh me because I
knew that it would rob her of her re-
serve of energy if sbe oatne out, ..i
tried to spray over the grave.. ,I
couldn't because he is better afE dead
than to have . to be cornitted to this
Hades of suffering,
"Tuesday—I picked. down the old
books from the shelf last night. For
hours 'I renewed the aoquai atance of
VirgiiI .. and bhe O'dysseee. • ••and.
then I was recalled by the groaning
of Hannah, as the fever wra,eked hed.
It seems to be the greater portion of
a century wince I was Ib'aok in that lit-
tle town and we were ha'p'py. What
could have .put that strange nolina-,
tion in our minds to 'leave a well -or-
dered and established ,homel..,.'bu't
that is one of those `strange workings
of late.
Monday--lOnce again I pick up 'hey
pen and write, and yet tor the .life of
me I cannot possibly imagine the
reason for it. My s'crilbbiings and jot-
tings may be shavings fro'trtthe block
that is my awn life, bait certainly
they will never be read as a literary
work.
IOotober ISlfl 1 have had the c•afn-
pan!.onsbip of a moans today, !He was
an .itinerant traveler, an his way to
the stores and tavern at Gairbraid. I
supposed him to 'have a business with
Dunlop. He pate great store by an
Indian who has a knowledge of herb's
and roots, from which he will brew
a •strong tea, which may' help Hannah,
who steadily grows worse. May God
send him in time, as d fear for 'het+.
"Thursday—IF'or eight days I have
watched the crude trail that leads to
the door of our habitation. No man
appears and I dare not leave her, It
rends my heart to see her dying and
knowing that there as nothing I can
do for her. I dare not leave her, be-
cause she dreads the sound of wolves
as they howl at night.
"October dllth—IAt 'last I had a vis-
itor. It was an Indian and I ran down
the trail to meet him with outstretch-
ed arms in bhe hopes that it might be
he of whom the traveler had spoken.
life
had promised ole as well that he
would send hint. 'But no. Fate has
marked me out.. . this Indian could
not speak my tongue nor I his.
'October '115th—Today she is dying.
"October 116th—Hannah is dead. in
a period of less than two months I
have been deprived of all relations
anis I can attribute all of my misfor,
tune to this accursed wilderness.
"OctoberWth—I dug out a grave
yesterday and then, after a long vigil
of a whole night with the body of my
wife, who is no longer able to speak
I buried our son today: It was bright to ere, I •conunitteci her to the sod.
and sunny and there will be the same No services... no ,preached', and it
chattering little animals watching seemed as if 1 were the perpetrator
• DIARY TELLS OF TRAGEDY -
In going over the lives of pioneers
we 'find many instances of their Spar-
tan courage in the face of hardships,
and as the records show, these were
in many cases of a :physical or mental
kind. An illustration of this is to he
,found in the life of 'Eli Johns during
the first year of 'his residence in the
Township of Hallett.
iAt an auction sale some time ago
Z chanced to buy an old bundle of
papers. On e ym'ination I found that
among these were several letters aid
leaves from a'boak which had evid-
ently been a diary, These were dated
in the year 18316, but there was no de-
finite address.
'Frons as close as I could make out,
Johns had brought his ,family to Can-
ada, and, under the patronage of the
Canadra Company, he took up land in
the section which was later to be
known as the Township of 'Hallett.
lBeing unused''to the rigors of a pio-
neering life, he had many •difficulties.
of a sacrilege, I 'knelt on the needles
•of the pine, when I had finished fill-
ing in the grave, and it seemed as if
I was able to see her going up the
aisle on her way to choir singing .
and to think that she was'beried with-
out anything I 'reneemibered that an-
them that she longed to hear, and R
sang it ... At ileast I tried' to, but it
was impossible when my eyes filled
up with tears.
'October ;li9th—Tonight I am leav-
ing, 'I can stand this utter solitude trio
10 'Igen 1 Make .my .last notation in
this record aF 'tragedies , .. I' go
forth , , . 1 do not know where, but
1 can forget et least some of 'the poig-
nancy of Amy sorrow."
His oxen became sick and died. His
cow caught some sort of fever and
although she didn't die, she was of
no further use by way of being a milk
producer. I .quote the following ex-
eenpts in regard to his wife's illness:
"August 3ird--ii'annah is sick
agin. My son of a month has a strong
argue. I try to help them, 'but what
can I do? Our food is coarse, ...there
are none of the necessities that in-
valids should have...( winder why
I was fool enough to leave a home
and come to this accursed wilderness.
"Sometime in the month of Sep-
tember—+For days and nights I have
sat by the bedside of my wife and
watched her gradually sinking away.
Her spirits that have always oheered
hie on have gone as well. My son is
dead.
"September 9th -I know it is that
day because the doctor told me so.
PAGE SEVEN
Aylmer, "either in 'aver ribs or keel:
the hatter is the nn:st to 'he dreaded,
as she never tool( in water ,before,
and ,now seventeen inch es of water is
pumped every hour; Phis quantity
they do not fear, --but the prospect
of crossing the "Atlantic in this .u•n-
certainty is fearful, I conies:a 'I heard
the orders given for sailing at four in
the morning. 'Lt blow- fresh, even in
the 'bay, -and 'God speed us on o'ur
voyage."
At first it was thought that the sielp
would go to St, John's, Newfound-
land, where the travellers might win-
teror else, by communication with.
:Halifax, procure a more sea -worthy
vessel and continue ;on the /voyage.
However, when, another start was
made, bhe captain decided to head for
England', a
On (Friday, the 215th of rSeptemcber,
a week and a day after leaving 'Que-
bec, the (Governor's 'wife aerobe in her
journal: "We are :going on well •taw-
•ard's dear .England, have accomplish-
ed more :than a third of the way --a
straight course now—and if this de
liciaus south-west .wind lasts ten days
longer, may see us, please God, ,safely
landed at Portsmowth."
That evening the 'Pique .encounter-
ed rough weather and on Sunday af-
ternoon Lady Aylmer was startled
with shouts of "All han'd's on deck—
shorten saill" The words had an om-
inous sound, and her alarm was in-
tensified by 'little 'bits of dialogue she
heard passing between two sailors.
"'A sad job this," said one;. and the
other answered, "What is to become
of us now?"
She soon learned that the rudder
had 'broken off, and had been washed
clean away. While a new one was be-
ing made the ship's leaks increased,
but a ray of hope appeared when a
brig hove in sight, and the Pique ran
up signals of distress. Whether by
accident or design, the cruel brig an-
swered by making all sail, and leav-
ing the Pique to her fate.
'Captain 'Rous, from then on, kept
a sharp lookout for any vessel, wher-
ever 'bound, hoping to get rid of his
passengers and all useless hands. On
the twenty-ninth another brig was
seen and hailed, and Captain Doyle,
one of the Governor's aides, with the
ship's carpenter and two sailors, put
off in a life=boat to see if arrange-
nrcnts could be:emade for quitting the
Pique,
Lady Aylmer watched this venture
from the port -hole of her cabin. The.
sea was .tremendous, and the gale in-
creasing in fury, The little haat with
the four men would be aisible at one
moment. and at the next, lost sight
a f between the mountainous waves,
The •Governchr'e aide was nearly
drowned in getting on board, and af-
ter all this trouble his urission was
fruitless
The resets prayed to be a ''Preach
merchantman, in a dirty and leaky
condition, returning,, after illicit trad-
ing off the coast of Labrador, There
were seventeen of a crew, all crowded
into an only cabin. They were 'hound
tar 'fareeilles and refused to change'
their course for any sum offered, and
were averse to talcinz any of the pas-
sengers from the disabled ship.
:A temporary rudder had been put in
place but on the twenty-ninth ft was
carriers arty. -"The thirtieth," lady
a.yl n hr wrote:, "a heavy gale and the
ship's .head the wrong way; the leaks
increased tis thirty inches -anti all
looked gloomy enough. 1 seldom had
any lengthened sleep and the nights
were consequently more horrid than
he day. 'I changed my cabin and
would not be separated from Lord
Aylmer :(during the lung night but had
eec,nurse, after much ,effort; to .the
suing cot, which, from the nervous
feeling of being so helplessly far from
the gemma I had till then resisted."
The night of the thirtieth the lPique
bobbed up ,and down like a conk on
the broad ;Atlantic. tOne of the offi-
r,ers t1i•d Lady .Aylmer that there was
not "a stitch of canvas up.' 'T'he tun
hers of the vessel creaked. under the
strolce of each billow, making a fear-
ful noise. Then there was "the creak-
ing of the masts," says the writer,
"the whistling of the wind in the sails,
the spray of the foam,—which 'being
thrown with violence over the deck,
hisses as it falls: let imaginat•inn try
to mix all these opposing soun'd's,—
not any one of a pleasing nature,—
and then it may yet fall far short of
the tremendous crash of inharmottioths
and unnatural noises which over-
powered the senses and irritated the,
nerves to a frightful degree."
On the first of :October the ereatlt-
er wa, more moderate, but still the
Shit/ was heading the wrong way The
carpenters had 'been 'busy making a
h'akenham rudder, and it was ready
to be fixed in placewhen the oppor-
tunity presented` itself: het still the
SH'LpWgEOK OF THE PIQUE
During Canada's 'stprmy years, in
the early thirties of the last centncy,
Lord Aylmer after .whom ,bh,e towns
of Aylmer, in 'Quebec and in Ontario
ane named, was iGovernpr,General. He
came out in i'813'D, and returned with
Lady Aylmer to !England in 11181315.
Their last social function in Canada
was a 'brilliant farewell ,ball at the
rA'ncient Capital, and they sailed foam
Quebec on the seventeenth of Sep-
tember, arriving at Spithead on Oc-
tober the seventeenth.
A'lth'ough a month at sea was a
common occurrence with ships oross-
ing the Atlantic in 'those 'days, the
journey of the Aylmers was oat of
the ordinary, Indeed,, the adventures
of the Governor's wife were Consid-
ered of sufficient importance to justi-
fy the publication of 'a little book,
now very mare, entitled: .Narrative of
the ,Passage of the 'Pique across the
Atinntc, By Lady Aylmer. London;
a. Hatchard and Son, 1181317.
The 'Pique was a sailing vessel, and
wind and weather befriended the
travellers on their passage down the
St. Lawrence. The saute was by the
north of !Newfou'ndland', and as the
ship neared the Straits :of Belle Isle
an the •fourth day ,out, a heavy lag
came down. •
On .other evenings 'Captain 'Rous,
the commander, had played whist
with ,the gentlemen of the Governors
party, but on that particular night he
remained on the bridge, while Lady
Aylmer took his place at the card -
table. About ten o'clock the game was
aver and the Governor's wife .retired.
The ship maintained a smooth, even
course, making about eight knots an
hour and with scarcely any notion,
but .when Lady Aylmer was just doz-
ing MT to sleep there was a tremend-
ous crash. In the fog the 'Pictue had
run on the rocks of the Labrador
oast.
Lord .Aylmer rushed on deck to
find nut 'what was the matter, ,and
soon all the men on board were set
to work trying to lighten the ship.
,First sone .of the guns were thrown
overboard, and then the pumps were
ordered out and set in modem.
"Anxiously did we, who sat an the
cabin," says Lady Aylmer in her
Narrative, "await the smallest glim-
mering of daybreak. (Alas! it seemed
awfully long in coming; and yet, as
1 look ,back, ,the eleven hours and a
half spent seem short. After coming
a little to our senses, myself and any
nrnid dressed ourselves, so as to be
ready Inc any attempt .which it might
be thought best to make to reach
the shore, should daylight present any
chance ,of escape for us. We then em-
ployed ourselves and our men -serv-
ants, in putting together such things
as might be useful if landing Was
accomplished.'
Lord Aylmer, or one of the officer
would occasionally 'look into the .ca'hm
to encourage the ladies, and a bull-
dog .belonging to one of the men of
the (Governor's suite, stretched him-
self out at Lady 'Aylmer's feet as
though he had been. delegated to take
care of her. The Pique was wedged
in a bed of rocks 'and the sea's motion
caused an up and down vibration
which made th,e lamps pop out of
their (brackets.
All night tang the pumps were ,kept
going and before daylight the fog
lif ted. (The wind became more pro-
nounced and with it the danger was
increased 'but the clear weather allow-
ed bhe travellers to ascertain their
position .on the coast.
At the usual ,hour the call came for
•breakfast. ''What an inspiring sound
it was," said Lady Aylmer. e`That
anything should be going on in its
usual course, was of ,more value to
the alarmed feelings, than 'those who
cannot ,follow our terrific position
can conceive."
About a quarter past nine the aax-
ioas travellers noticed tint a longer
in'terv'al elapsed between the thumps
on the rock, and ' that the shouting and
:general noise on deck increased. The
tide was at its (flood, and no one was
allowed on deck save those who were
of nee. Presently thane was a cheer
an.cl then came the never to be forgot seas ran too high. That day a more
tel work: She's offl she's affi — friendly brig was sisrhted, whose
hurrahs hurrah! crew rad their hent til aid the'innfor-
When the Pique was free, she was innate 'Pattie. A 'hawser wog attach -
taken to the Anse au Loup, about ed to her in :an effos•t t, turn the ship
twelve miles away, do the 'Straits of around, Int 'before the object .was al -
Belle - isle. (She anchored there and together aceomplisacd the rope brake,
had, repairs mtad'e on her battered 'However, that day, by the manage
sides: `iNo one can tell the iujury'the mento'f the sails; and the sending of
Pique has s'ustaingd," wrote 'Lady
wr®
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TOWN AND PROVINCE ,
THE SEAFORTH NEWS,
SEAFORTH, ONTARIO.
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she eventually wore round.
During the 'first five days at 'O:cto-
ber some ad!vanaa ,was 'made, the
'Pique being steered by her sails, as-
sisted, by cables astern. When the
new .rudder 'was set in position, Cap-
tain IR'ous anaoum.ced that the ship
was then lave hundred miles out from
the :Scilly Isles. The writer gives a
graphic account of afeairs eat • this
stage of her :perilous journey. She
•says: "Yesterday aur rudder was put
down, being the first day since its
completion on which it could :have
been shipped. You would be horrified
could you peep at us snow—to see the
state of the :beautiful 'Pique. Every
cabin's walls destroyed. We are sit-
ting in the after -cabin, with the tiller
brought through the cabin. The ship
IS always rolling awfully, in consequ-
ence of her lightness, and it is diffi-
cult to get across the room, without
danger of being thrown down by
some impediment, not to mention the
carpenters' tools which 'have been ly-
ing ab•aut. Whenever the ship rolls the
whole appartus comes rolling from
Me side eo the other, at the risk of
breaking shins, or crushing feet,
should an iron crow, or other imple-
ment. come in contact with an un-
fortunate leg or foot,"
Every place was more or less wet,
and there was a ,good deal of sickness
on board. 'Each aright seemed to bring
additional :horrors and noises.' On the
eighth of October a perfect hurricane
blew up from the north-west, and, on
the ninth, anxiety prevailed about the
working of the rudder. That night it
parted company with the ship: but a
sympathetic officer, who doubtless
had a sense of :humor, told Lady Ayl-
mer that 'they were `(better off with-
out a rudder anyway:"
On the night of the tenths, the cap-
tain Fell, 'breaking two of his ribs,
but still he kept to his post, and in
twenty-fau•r hours th,e vessel; travel.
led ane hundred and sixty miles with-
eut a rudder. By that time the travel-
lers were nearing some of the dang-
erous rocks at the south of England.
They passed between Lizard Point
and Ushant, •without nearing either.
The captain decided to anchor The
next night off the coast of 'Guernsey,
a design which proved successful after
havia,g found .a favorable spot. Then
a fresh start was made, and eighty
miles more brought the weary travel-
ler, to a safe anchorage at St,
Helen's, in the Isle of Wight. It was
four o'clock in the interning when
they arrived. The night 'had been
misty with heavy showers of rain,
but everyone seemed to realive that
their trials were about to end happily.
Lady Aylmer thought she . had
never heard a more joyful sound than
that of the ,men' talking together in
the next cabin,. while .Captain 'Doyle
of the 'Governor's staff, served them
with coffee of his awn making. "They
were all as happy and joyous as peo-
ple just saved from destruction could
be," she said.
Captain Rous was the first to go
ashore. He :reported the state of his
ship to headquarters land mien were
sent aboard to examine her. In ,her
octet -able condition boats towed the
Pique to 'Spithead and there the trav-
ellers were landed at the Custom -
h, e. On 'Lady. Aylmer s arrival in
L
an she was overwhelmed with
congratulatory letters on her miracul-
ous escape; for even one 'hundred
years ago :news of this kind travelled
fast. ,People .from whom she had not
heard in twenty years hastened: to en
tend their felicitations. It was in
saver to frequent calls to tell of 11
experienoes, that she decided to pa
fish her "Narrative of the 'Pessagr
the 'Pique." Lady 'Aylmer lived
112.
the whole, ship's. company to one end,
•Help'iirg Ont ---He: "IIve wpm
ask you a question for.weeks.'
•She: "And I've had the
ready for months.
Officer (to fnideeri,pman in ales):
"Sound off!"
'Plebe:'"Midshipman MOD tiff,
Fourth Class 'sir!"
()rawer: "Way were .you 1 rte 'to
for nrttiou 7"
;Plebe: "1 squeezed out lu,v1 much
toothpaste and had a hard ; fine get-
ting it beck in the tube sir.
-----
,Farmer: 'Don't you see r, a sign.
(Private, No 1 aching Allowed, ?"
fi'ishernean: 'sI never tread: anything
marked "P'rivate's"
Want and 'Foe Sale ads, '11 weer 315e