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My dear Sir, — It was my intention to write to you at some length by this post, but I fear I must be a little concise. The circumstances under which I now write are very much altered, and these seem to justify me in writing to you so briefly, — at least, if they do not justify, be good enough to allow me to think that they will excuse me. I find that my dear wife has already written to Mrs. Gear, and has told her of the direful calamity, which, in God's providence, has been permitted to come upon this land. The flowing of the rivers has laid it under water to the depth of several feet for miles. It is more like a lake than a river ; it is computed to be ten or twelve miles wide. The Indians who wait upon the Bishop, said, Oh, this is like AYinnepeg Sea. It has occasioned the vacation of dwellings, and has put it out of the power of the farmers to sow their fields and farms as usual. I ought, however, to tell you the news in something like order, and would enter into it largely, but that I am so occupied, and feel but little relish for a long turn at the pen ; and besides, you have often seen an overflowing, and know the sad consequences and effects so well, that you can guess at a great deal, if I give you a few leading features in connexion with it, as we have so lately er.perienced. I think I must have told you what a delightful winter we had. All so well, so joyful, so prosperous, and everything giving so much promise for the future. Alas ! how vain are our hopes and wishes ; and how soon a turn in the hand of Divine providence can make a complete and, to us, a melancholy change ! The spring came on with the usual signs, — the warm genial sunshine, the singing of birds, the melting of the snow, the gentle swelling of the river, the cracking and breaking up of the ice. Only once tliey led us to fear a more than usual rise, — the high state of the river, and its gentle and almost daily increase. Some old persons concluded, from certain indications, which appeared probable enough, that there would be high water; 42»'V0 TsJ !^55? t£!:^€ift li^!MJi..rk'.i..-...>u^i-.a--i- rj^sy 'r' WTi '^"^ i.trnn viz. the the soul usual ir to take of the s off witl ofdinar It was, the mai it conti I of tlie f and eve alarm ; [low pla Iwere si land sto j fears fo lout for [goods. I some fr land fa lobserv( jelieve this gr to God time to Befc k. Jar The w lay, ar ^hat IVl jegan rater irithin bhurch [ondfi rratefi knd so But Ichooli [nd p iCount rere s )r. ' (11 ob ^as tv ^t las ^om t We BuperVs Land, 175 viz. the high state of Lake Winnepeg in the north, Red Lake, ace. in tlie south, and the state of the river itself, being a little higher than usual in the fall and winter. But most of us were quite unwilling to take too much notice of these things, and all hoped that the melting of the snow, of which there certainly was a vast quantity, would pass off without any serious or even considerable intei'ruption to the ordinary course of tilings. On the 2d May the ice was carried off. It was, to be sure, a tremendous rush, both down the Assiniboin and the main river. It caused a great swell, as I have said, and for days it continued to increase. The frost went off gradually, and we thought of tlie flowers and the gardens. The grass was springing up rapidly, and everything putting on a cheerful look. The river filled us with alarm ; at last it began to cover the points, and then houses, in the low places, were gradually covered on the ground floors, and families were shifting to other spots. All the little streams gradually filled and stopped intercourse, the bi'idges were floating or unsafe, and then fears for the worst began to be entertained. Persons began to look out for spots of safety, to which they might convey their families and goods. Tents and boats were in great requie'tiou. Every day saw some families driven out, and then it was that a day of humiliation land fasting was proclaimed. It was most religiously kept and observed ; and though the dread visitation was not abated, yet we do elieve that much mercy has been shown to us, as a people, under tthis great trial, and, no doubt, owing to our humility and turning .^o God. I should like to send you a copy, and will do so, if I have |time to make one out fairly. i Before the waters had i*isen to any great height, I had come up to t. James, hoping to get the house soon ready to bring up my family. ^ 'he waters rose upon us so gradually, yet surely — 4 inches in the pay, and 85 in the night, &c., and giviig about 8 every 24 hours — Ithat Mrs. Taylor soon followed me ; and the Bishop and his family |began to make preparations to join us. On Sunday, the 9th, the |vater had gotten to the stable and yard of his Lordship, and was fvithin a few feet of his own dwelling. Service was held in the hurch in the morning, and by evening it was at the church door. On londay the Bishop's family came up hither; the dear boys with the rateful nurse, the fiirm servants with all the stock of poultry, cows, nd some of the pupils, &c. But I am overrunning my history. On the Thursday previous, the chools were broken up, the St. Cross establishment was disbanded, nd poor Mrs. Mills and her daughter taken by Mr. Colvile, the ounty Governor, to lower Fort Curry. Thus the boys and girls ere sent home, and the students sent off as they could be provided tr. The poor Bishop and his sister were unwilling to quit the house 11 obliged, and really stayed in, with a servant or two, till the water as two feet over the floors. This was the increase of as many days. t last they took refuge at St. James, and here soon began to recover om their depression and weariness. We were not without fears that the Assiniboin might really overflow 176 IhiperCs Jjiind. tliis spot, ai9 our nearest neighbours below were driven out, and bep;an to prepare for a .start, stacking the lumber and fencing, and securing all that we were afraid might be carried olF. But in mercy, this spot has been saved. It is a little Zoar. It alForded refuge for the poor colonists, with llev. Messrs. Jones and Achran, in t!ie year 182G, and now it has again been the place of safety and refuge for a poor homeless, houseless population. Our glebe has been almost covered with rude tents, and families in rude dwellings ; and 300 or more of boards were lent to form tents for the few families, twenty or thirty, &c. to each family. We have had as many as thirty-five lodging in the house, and on Sundays it has served us as a church. In iine weather we have formed a rude sort of church out in front of the door, and the service has been performed in the front hall or passage. Thus has mercy been mingled with judgment, and the weather has been most delightful. At the little mountain, six miles right out, there is a larjie encampment. At that place one of the students has resided, and kept school, &c.; and on Sunday morning tlie Bishop and myself have ridden out alternately for service. Thus we have been compelled to adopt the plan which many of our brethi*en in England choose to do — service in the open air. Then at the Oreal Stone mountain, six miles further, and about opposite to the Middle or St. Paul's church, the people of that district assembled. For some time, Rev. Br. Chapman and his family lived in the tower of the church ; but finding all his people obliged to betake themselves to the mountain, and fearing that even the tower might give way in the beating and dashing of the waves, he joined them at the mountain, and sent his wife and child to Mr. Cochran's, at the Indian village. This part of the settlement has been saved. It is only the middle portion which has been so dreadfully scourged — say between twenty and thirty miles of settled habitations and cultivated farms. The Scotch community, with their preacher, fled to a little mountain just out from their part of the settlement. You will imagine that the loss of property is very great. Yes, it is so ; houses and dwellings are gone ; barns and stables are swept away ; lumber and firewood, with almost all the pole fencing, is carried away, and by this time is floating in Hudson's Bay or the North Sea. A large barn, filled with wheat, rested on the Bishop's land, and near his door ; and houses and barns, and other buildings, were seen to be thus transferred. Very little of thrashed wheat has been lost ; flour is raised very much in price, and is likely to be still higher. During the prevailing of the waters, the winds have been very high, thus adding most fearfully to the desolate scene, and heightening the destruction of the poor frail tenements of the colony. No human life, to our knowledge, has been sacrificed, except one in- stance, and that, sad enough, has been the Bishop's man cook. He was a long-tried and faithful servant, and had lived with the late Mr. Macal- lush, and then with his Lordship up to the distressful moment when he was called to an eternal world. It is i-ather melancholy to think that this solitary instance should have occurred in the Bishop's household. I went sister i and th I rem a till Sat evenin; this pi child ' ftlone, J V'ill be Catastn The jjodired the tab been in jegiiine ||bout i |nd ru iitationi % rose, flkinoe a iibotit a most pi great p ^is we Hbrth, { alay at former tions o ifttle ti We an Sfchool. blit wh his far€ dfBicuK «^me o S|j^au ii^a boi a^hist, a||ain, { ^mbei ui>^ the o^Sun }# W( e^min taithe oipn^^ hj^e bf fMr. o. fg. ;f t, anil begun ind securing cy, this spot for the poor year 1826, s for a poor nost covered ) or more of ty or thirty, e lodging in ch. in line front of the I or ))assage. weather has !S right out, students has ! Bishop and e have been in England Oreal Stone } Middle or For some ower of the selves to the way in the le mountain, dian village, y the middle ween twenty farms. The lountain just that the loss Iwellings are re wood, with this time is n, filled with d houses and jrred. Very ^ery much in arevailing of nost fearfully of the poor sxcept one in- look. He was te Mr. Macal- nent when he to think that )'s household. Ilujmrt'i Land. 177 I went down to see them on the Wednesday, and his Lordship and his sister intended to leave for St. James on the next d;iy; but it was windy, and the canoe could not put out. Early on the Friday they left, and I remained with tliis one man servant and two of the senior scholars iill Saturday night. I joined the Bishop and his family here on that Jevening, and it ap{)ears tliat soon alter my leaving the Bishop's for jthis place, the cook took it into his head to go and see his wife and fchild who were down at St. Andrew's. He started in a bateau ^lone, and has not since been seen or heard of. No doubt his body .^ill be found when the waters shall have gone down. This sad Catastrophe very much distretsed nis Lordship. ; The Church was opened for a general store, and a great deal was lodged in it. Tha water was above the seats, and threw back, against the tablets on the east end, the pulpit and desk, but they have not |)ec'n injured, and now that the water has fallen a little, they have Regained their original position. In the Bishop's house the water was |bout forty inches, thus reaching a great way up the lower rooms^ |nd running right through the doors and windows. It remained |tationary for a day or two, and is now going down much the same as % I'ose. His Lordship has been supplied by Mr. Cochran, with a bark <|anoe and two Christian Indians to paddle it, so that he has gone iboiit a good deal. Indeed, I may say, he has been most laboriou.s, B^ost patient, most submissive, under the grievous judgment, and his feat pecuniary losses. He and his family go down to St. Andrew's is week. Mr. Hunter returns in a day or two to his station in the rth, and till Rev. Mr. James shall arrive by ship, his Lordship will y at the Grand Rapids. It has quite put down all the Bisiiop's rmer plans ; he cannot keep, as far as I know and fear, his inten- ns of going east. I hope, however, he will be able to take a ;tle tiip to some of the out-stations for his own health and benefit, e are about to part with Mr. Predham, the master of the College hool. He had intended to go by St. Paul's in Mr. Kitson's bateau, lift whether or not he will now, I cannot say. He has gone to take farewell below, and Mr. Kitson has left for Pembena. It will be Scult for him to get up. There is no moving about but by canoe, ime of the Pensioners were anxious to leave, and were going by Paul's to Canada. Only a few can now go, and they leave this a boat for Pembena, this evening. Should poor Mr. Predham go last, he will call upon you at Fort Snelling, and by him I will write in, as he need not leave just yet, for Kitson does not start from (mbena till the 15th. But we are told it takes twelve days to get the current is so strong. JMr. Thomas Cochran is to be ordained fi Sunday next. Trinity Sunday. The examination took place here AVednesday, Thursday, and Friday. He passed a most creditable mination, and most satisfactory in every particular. I present him he Bishop for imposition of hands. It takes place in St. Andrew's ng to this visitation ; it would have been in St. John's, and so e been much more convenient than now at the Rapids, r. Cochran will take the mastership in the College School ia o. Lxv. r :5^ 178 Obituary of the lux. Flacel >S'. Mines. the room of jMr. Predluini, and for the prcsi.'iit, until tlie buililiiij^s can be rt'paln.'tl, li it -r^ ';■■.■ ,V v.J^ t ^ r. 1 ' An ^ ) I n" ^ ^, ^ tto-":;) > > i •• ' 4 ) .US'* %' U\^^' 1 'Vr s ^ / 1 f )(^^^ ^ , >"* 1^ * J i ^ ) . r/- ,> 'ir ^ >■, '^ V f lit t :i'.> >-/'( '> »"«' "^ .. ^ \ . ^ . ^ ' .. ' ^* ^1* 11^.^ 1 i^^' ^' V, i -»,t* ,,'^ : 't^^^,? 1^ ^ ,-i V %- 1 >r