Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 14, 1857

  • Posted on: 29 July 2022
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 14, 1857
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:sts

student editor

Transcriber:spp:cnk

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1857-08-14

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, August 14, 1857

action: sent

sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Mingan Island, Canada

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: tap 

revision: jxw 2022-02-21

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Page 1

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Editorial Note

This letter was originally enclosed in a letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Adeline Miller Seward, written August 15, 1857th and 16th, 1857.
68
Off St John’s River Friday 14th August
We have cleared the port and bid adieu to Mignan. Its towers cupolas and
minarets would now be tapering into spindles in the sun light, if it had such
structures and if there were any sunshine. A profound impression our departure
made upon Mignan and upon ourselves. That event was due to a hauling
off of the wind during the night from due West to North East and it occurred
precisely at a quarter before 5. The Agent and laborers
Unknown
in the Hudson’s Bay
Factory secluded themselves within their low long cottage dwellings. The
5 birch bark canoe loads of Indians men women & children who
arrived at 7 last night and encamped around the church let their fires go out
and surrounded themselves lay burried to ^in^ sleep – not at all in consequence of having fatigued
themselves with the dance last night but solely because they were overpowered
by sadness in helping hearing our anchor weighed this morning. “Lo
the poor Indian” dog. He only was happy. His master had come back
to the camping ground. Happy dog. Who now shall deny that every
dog has his day.
Of the preparations of our departure we shall be expected to
speak. Well they counted in filling our cask with fresh water from
the Mignan River and in putting up one journal letter since and depositing
the same in the ships mail bag, and then putting the said mail bag
into the Hold to carry it home as good seamen entrusted with Her
mail bags ought to do –
Nor will it be expected that we shall be silent concerning
the climate of Mignan. On good authority we report that strawberries are
ripe. Of our other knowledge we know that raspberries are reddening. We
can testify that although ice makes there in August it is not thick enough
to be gathered into ice houses – And from my own personal experience I bear
witness that a Gentleman if he has on the usual linen and cotton vestments
together with fine folds of good strong thick woolen cloth can keep
himself warm by splitting wood regularly with a heavy axe.
Page 2

The leg of a return voyage on the same water wont necessarily be doubled in a
large degree of novelty. Nevertheless I cannot omit notice of a grand fete
got up by the Whales off the North Coast of Anticosti in compliment to ourselves.
While we graciously accept that mark of respect we are obliged to comment
that among the performers we noticed that very whale which our Gaspe friends
were inquiring for under a supposition that it had perished? of blows received at
their hands and was floating on the cheerless bottom of the desolate deep
Contrary to what they had supposed the pit which we knew by his unequaled
size (the only one we have seen of dimensions adequate to sustain their strength
came up from the bottom with great vigor blew two or three cascades
out of his nostrils, and then heaving his great tail large as the wood side of
the great church at Mignan fell out of the water plunging down through
into the Count depths of the sea as if he expected to meet his pursuers
or a battle field which would give him such great advantage.