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Full text of Letter
Contents of Letter in English
Cobourg 26 Sept 1832
My dear Cleary,
Your esteemed letter of the 16th May last I received a
few days since; I assure you it gave us and all your friends here much
pleasure to hear of your comfort and happiness in a far distant land
being fully conscious that when your country requires your services you
will always be ready to resign home , happiness and comfort to support
her glorious cause.
You know I am an uncompromising Tory, and as I know you
were, and that you can never change your sentiments in regard to our
common country. I need not make any remark as to what is our duty, being
fully satisfied that you never have, nor never will, lose sight of it.
I took measures immediately on the receipt of your
letter, for disposing of your Delhi property. And regret that I did not
receive your letter a week earlier, as there was an English family here
in search of a purchase which I think Delhi would have suited. he had
a few days before moved to the westward I do not doubt but that I
shall, if not this season now nearly closed, in course of next season
meet with a purchase at a fair price, in the mean time I have taken
measures to secure back the reserve which was sold at Sheriffs Sale as
a chattel, it was purchased by Campbell & myself, we have applied to the
corporation of Kings College to purchase the right of soil, which the
Bursar answered will be complied with as soon as their Surveyor shall
report the price or valuation he has put on said lot. I fear that he may
value it very high. But as it is of the greatest consequence to the rest
of your property, the retaining of the reserve, I should think it
advisable to sacrifice something to keep the estate enteri [entire].
We have had a very large emigration this season, but
the dreadful effects of the Cholera, has nearly paralized every thing -
happily the dreadful scourge has nearly subsided at Quebec & Montreal -
in Upper Canada there has not been but very few cases for this last
month - we have been most fortunate in Cobourg, having lost only one of
our inhabitants by the pestilence up to the present time; altho' the
Steamers run daily landings at our hospital, patients in every stage of
the disease most of whom died - Kingston & York (now Toronto) suffered
much, but few of the respectable part of the community were victims.
I can give you no information as to Fraser, I heard
some time ago that he put the allowance he received for his commission
into the concern of his brother in law DuPont & Co. and from what I
have heard of them, I have little hope that this step will better his
condition. I received two letters from Fraser since he went to Quebec,
both of which were couched in such extraordinary terms, that I did not
condescend to answer either of them which of course puts an end to all
communication between us; when a man departs from what I conceive the
direct path of rectitude & honor, I do not desire his acquaintance any
longer. It is a matter of some comfort to you, that Campbell & myself
took the precaution to make him redeed the Delhi property to us for your
use, otherwise now that he is in the hand of Philistines, much trouble
and
might have been thrown in the way, in the event of making sale. He
has now no claim whatever, and I have no hope that you can ever recover a
single shilling of the interest due to you on the mortgage. in the
event of making Sale I shall immediately remit to your agent in London
such part as we can get pain down, & the residue periodically as they
fall due, - it will be necessary to give a long credit on the principal
part for the purchase money, in order to secure a good price, which will
suit your views to receive interest, probably better than principal - of
this however, I shall keep in mind that you have suffered some
inconvenience by the failure of McDonald & Co. and that a proportion(?)
of the purchase money down will be acceptable rely upon me that every
thing that can be done to your interest shall be most scroupulosly [sic]
attended to and of every movement I shall give you immediate information
I was much mortified to find on application at the Star Office to
alter the route of your paper, that not a single number had been
forwarded, in consequence of the person to whom I gave the order, having
mislaid it I have taken care to see that the papers for the last 2
weeks have been duly housed(?) in the Post Office addressed to care of
Mr. Champion Guernsey, which I hope you will receive in due course.
I trust that this will be delivered to you by our
mutual friend Mr. David Rusiken(?), he poor fellow, visits England and
France for the benefit of his health, and I sincerely trust the change
may have the desired effect. of our thing I am quite sure that he will
willingly travel 100 miles out of his way to see you I refer him to
you for all domestic information, which he has it in his power to afford
you a great deal of; he spent a week with us a short time since.
All your friends named in your letter are living & well
Connery Webster is still inclined to the bottle, he lives in Monaghan
and has an excellent farm. The other lives at Peterboro with Dr.
Hutchinson Alexander McConnell is still Governor of Peterboro he is in
excellent health I hope I shall hear from you frequently Mrs.
Bethune unites with me in kindest regards
I remain, My dear Sir,
Yours very truly
J. G. Bethune
R. S. Cleary, Esq.
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The
harbour was improved by building the wooden Eastern Pier, at the foot of
Division Street , which stretched 500 feet into the lake and was 30-feet
wide. The pier was completed in 1832 and a storehouse, which extended
across Division Street soon followed, The writer mentions that steamers
were daily bringing in patients to their hospital. In 1809, the
"Accommodation", was built by the Hon. John Molson at Montreal, fitted
with engines made in that city, and was running successfully between
Montreal and Quebec, being the first steamer on the St. Lawrence and in
Canada. The experience showed that the new system of steam propulsion
was commercially viable and as a result its application to the more open
waters of the Great Lakes was next considered.