Ballingall Diary - Fifteen Months on Lake Ontario Upper Canada in the years 1841 & 1842

Fifteen Months on Lake Ontario Upper Canada in the years 1841 & 1842

Kingston Canada July 1841

My dear Mrs Ballingall Agreeably to your request on my leaving England that I should keep a record of any interesting subjects that might fall beneath my notice during the period of being stationed on the lakes of Canada; that such recreation would open the mind to reflection, add to my cheerfulnes and tend to calm and elevate the soul.

In the compilation of the following pages I have used my best endeavours to acquiese in your wishes, in touching on the Lakes and cataracts of the great river St. Lawrence, the manners and customs of the various tribes of native Indians who have come under my observation, a limited notice of a portion of the ornithology and emigration of the country with an interspection of a few anecdotes as incident to the subject.

Should their perusal in the least contribute to your amusement and information then has my object been fully accomplished and will afford me a very great and heart felt pleasure.

I remain my dearest Madam. Truly and sincerely your very faithful and affectionate Husband

D. J. Ballingall

Royal Hearing Office 27 of January 1841

Sir, In further reference to the order for a Captain and a Second Lieutenant to proceed to the Lakes of Canada. I am directed by the Deputy Adjutant General to aquaint you that those Officers are to embark on board a packet which will sail from Liverpool for Boston on the 11th of February, from which latter place the Officers will proceed to Kingston and report their arrival to the Senior Naval officer of that place.

You will be pleased therefore to furnish the Captain with the necessary orders in writing agreeable to the command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

I have the honor to be Sir Your Most obedient Servt [Servant] I. Wilson A.A.G.

To Colonel Jones Royal Marines Portsmouth

P.S. The regulated Government Contract price for a passage to Boston is Thirty five pounds. I.W.

I certify that the foregoing letter bearing date the 27th of January 1841 are true copies. (Signed) Thomas P. Dwyer Lieut. Adjt

2 Royal Marine Barracks Portsmouth 31st January 1841

Sir In pursuance of the foregoing orders you are directed to proceed to Liverpool with 2nd Lieutenant Symonds; under your command and there embark on board the Packet which is to sail from thence for Boston in the United States on the 4th February, and from this latter place you are to proceed to Kingston and report your arrival to the Senior Naval Officer at that place.

(Signed) G. Jones Colonel Commandant

To Captain Ballingall Royal Marines Portsmouth

I agreeably booked my place to London for the night of the first of February, my dear Dorcas insisted on accompanying me, on the road till the Mail should overtake us, we got into the carriage at half past eight o'clock drove into Portsmouth deposited the luggage at the Coach Office, and after two or three turns in High Street proceeded up the London road, at half past nine the sound of the horses announced the approach of the Mail, The dashing driving of young Scarlet alarmed us for the moment, who drove past us at full speed, we thought the reckless young Coachman had entirely forgot that he was to pick us up and concluded that he had set off with my luggage

3 However he soon pulled up when one of those painful scenes took place which arrives whenever the hour of separation comes and calls me from the kind and affectionate anxieties of my dear Dorcas. The night was most piercing, it froze very severely and snow fell several times during the night, we reached London at seven o'clock. I lost no time in proceedng with my letter of introduction to Mr. Cunard, which had been kindly offered by Sir Richard Grant unexpectedly and unasked, I found Mr. Cunard in bed, stoppped and breakfasted with him. I found him very agreeable and received the necessary information as to how I was to proceed from Boston to the Lakes. This is the gentleman who has entered into a contract with our government to run a line of Steam packets between England and the United States for the purpose of conveying the Mail between the two continents. They commenced running last summer once a Month. It was found that these vessels of Fourteen hundred tons made the voyage to Boston a distance of two thousand seven hundred miles in Fourteen days, Cunard informed me that he is about entering into an arrangement with the Government to run two during the month and he does not despair by the course of next year to run one a week, the terms of contract I have seen, government pays him sixty thousand per annum for carrying the Mail Bags. It was thought that the projected enterprise would fail, the prevalent opinion being that it was quite impossible that a Vessel could be propelled by Steam across the Atlantic. Dr. Sardner was of opinion before the Committee of the House of Commons that the