No Ordinary Man. Lois Winslow-Spragge

Foyle.

      ²⁸Giant’s Causeway.

      ²⁹Mersey River.

      ³⁰Now the Merseyside County Museum and Library.

      ³¹John Jeremiah Bigsby (1792-1881), a medical doctor, was also a well-known geologist who had done work on Upper Canadian geology.

      ³²Benjamin Davies, a British geologist, was a friend of George’s father.

      ³³Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a prominent Baptist preacher who had opened the Metropolitan Tabernacle, seating some six thousand worshippers in 1861.

      ³⁴Or whelks, marine spiral-shelled gasteropods, probably common whelks, Buccinum undatum, used for food.

      ³⁵An iridescent sea-worm, Aphrodite aculeata.

      ³⁶Gannet, Sula bassana.

      ³⁷Palace of Holyroodhouse.

      ³⁸Possibly the Merseyside County Museum and Library.

      SUMMERS ON THE LOWER ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

       George’s father thought very highly of the health-giving properties of .the lower St. Lawrence River, saying that the ozone was the best found anywhere. George, now nearing eighteen in the summer of 1867, was sent to Cacouna just east of Riviere-du-Loup, on the south shore, to stay with his mother who had a cottage for the season. From here, George wrote the following letters to his adored sister, Anna, his beloved and lifelong friend.

      George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Cacouna, Quebec, 21 June 1867.

      My Dear Anna

      I must confess that writing (as I am now) with nothing to say is a sort of ceremony more than anything else. About the only observation which I made on the way down was one which I have often made before: namely the very curious way everyone, the moment they get their foot on board claim proprietorship in the steamer and always talk about “Our steamer” and funnier still the way they take credit for all the steamer does well, saying for example, “We are gitting up steam” but if anything goes wrong then it is all the “captains” fault. Just as the steamer got to Murry bay it began to rain furiously and all the people who landed there got wet to the skin or even deeper; it fortunately however held up while we were landing.

      The house is just about what I expected it to be, the worst of it being that but one pane of each window opens. The first flat of this house is arranged so: [illustration in letter]

      1 Drawing room (center with a flower of trumpets) and the small stove)

      2 Apology for dining room.

      3 Mamas bed room containing a red faced attenuated chest of drawers

      4 My bedroom containing all the modern conveniances including an oven &c

      5 enormous oven.

      6 gallery (intended to come into fashion when crinoline goes entirely out

      7 Lean-too kitchen decidedly airy

      8 Pantry or antichamber to the before mentioned

      9 stairs with a cupboard underneath access to the top shelves of which is only to be obtained by climbing up the front like a ladder.

      10 Last but not least the glass door on which papa founded all his hopes.

      We have a very good view and might have had a much better but that “the man” (on the principle no doubt that we may have too much of a good thing) <had the> has put the F’house between us and the best view, and the milk house in the same position relatively to us and the next best.

      Now I have got a conundrum for William to puzzle out in what part of the house can you you see into every room in the lower flat at once?

      “The man” is just now making “des ameliorations”³⁹ in front of our house before he began the strata or rocks (Ahem) were all sticking up among a medly of chips and stones, at an angle just as if they wanted to look in at our front windows.

      The musquitoes here are abundant, at home when you see anything flying along in the dusk you look twice at it to see if it realy is a musquito, but here you never need to do that; hit at any thing you see flying, even a flock of dust and when you get it down it is sure to be a musquito. Mama says she wants part of the back of this sheet so I must pull up short. [Note added by Margaret Dawson] Please tell papa that I took those moths down here and that there are two moths out now, one of whom has laid some eggs so I want him to send me the American Naturalists. Or at any-rate the one which gives an account of the management of the eggs and young caterpilars by the earliest opportunity. I sent the A. N.’s down with some other books to the library before leaving. You may distribute <a little of> my love, but only to those who will value it as I am saving it all up down here.

      I suppose I need not mention that I still remain.

      George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Cacouna, Quebec, 24 June 1867.

      My Dear Anna

      I had just finished Williams letter and was going to begin yours when (astonishing phenomenon!) an old man with a smiling face, a towsy wig, and a peep show walked in, so after being refreshed by the sight of “fifteen dirty pictures of palaces &c for deux sous par tete” I now commence yours.

      I hope you have got on well with your examinations I suppose that they will be over by the time this reaches you.

      It is awfuly dull down here I do wish that you would come down, tell Nina if she will come down we will be eternally obliged to her. By the weather we are having here I should think you are having it very hot in Montreal.

      Meat is pretty scarce here just now but fish is plentiful we have already had Salmon, Shad, herring, sardines, smelts, and tom cods.

      Sophia and Rankine went to the little English church yesterday where there was just a bakers dozen including the preacher.

      You must write soon and If you are too buisy to write yourself get it done by proxy. Mind and tell me all about how you and Nina got on at your examinations.

      I hope you find all the alterations, and improvements (?) which are going on very conducive to your comfort. Here are the names of some books which I think would be nice, ask papa if he will get one or more of them; Izac Walton’s Complete angler, Dicken’s American notes, Mugby Junction, and perhaps Dicsons’ “New America”⁴⁰ though I dont think It would be very nice.

      I have read the reports of the Y.M.C. association⁴¹ and so far I think it very like the award of prizes at the Paris Exhibition.⁴²

      Believe me your ever affectionate brother

      George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Cacouna, Quebec, 27June 1867.

      Dear Anna

      I Thought that writing home would have been finished by yesterdays letters but mama it seems has some messages to send and has not time to write herself, therefor I again take up my pen (cil).

      You