Letter from Mattie to the Ones at Home

Letter from Mattie to the Ones at Home

Boating accidents; River boats; Rescue work

Mattie recounts events from the past two weeks to her family at home. They left Dr. Kerr and Mr. Fulton near Kwai Ping when they all went to Canton. Mrs. Fulton and Mary are growing nervous about ever living in the country. When Fulton and Kerr got back from their trip, they were in a "most dilapidated condition." Their boat hit some rocks and to stay afloat they had to run from one side of the deck to the other. Both men went overboard and everyone got rescued by local boatmen.

Kerr, Martha Noyes

Loose, The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection

Unpublished

Unknown

Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant

PDF

eng (English)

Text

noyes_c_cor_570

Dear Ones at Home,
One more letter
and that must finish for
this time. I will now
tell you what has come
into our lives during the
past two months. We left
Dr Kerr and Mr Fulton
just below Kwai Ping,
when we left for Canton and
they thought they would be
down in about three weeks.
We had passed through some
unexpected experiences have
mobbed twice though I do not
think our lives were at any
time in danger. Had a
very pleasant trip down
Henry taking us in charge
Mrs Fulton and Mary have
grown exceedingly nervous
and have now given up all
idea of ever settling in the

county, Say here after they will
live in Canton. Mr Fulton
is not in all respects the best man
to try this kind of work but
no doubt he will keep on
itinerating more or less. Well
the very day after we reached
home in Came the Dr and
Mr F. I was up at Henrys
and the Dr came in there
his clothes in a most dilap
idated condition. It proved
they had left Kwai Ping
the [--It--] Wednesday after we
did, stopped in some towns
and the following Monday morn
about an hour after they
started the boat ran upon
some rocks. They were just
about sitting down to break
fast when [--this--] the Dr looking
out said we are very near
some rocks. A moment more
and they struck. A large hole
was knocked in the first compart

ment which almost immediately
filled with water and the water
began coming into the 2nd The
Dr and Mr Fulton escaped to the
top of the boat but it rocked
from side to side in such a
manner they could only keep
their footing by running from
one side to the other. In some
way the Dr does not know how
he was plunged into the
water and sank up to his
shoulders when he grasped
the side pole that supports the
sail. Tried to wrench it away
so he could support himself
in the water but could not
do it. He clung to it however
notwithstanding the motion
of the boat. Meantime small
boats began putting out from
the shore filled with men
who began as soon as they
reached the scene of the disaster
to plunder the boat. One sam

pan consented to receive our dear
ones on board and convey them
to a place of safety and so
their lives were saved. The
boatmen with the exception
of the Capt. and one of them
who staid back to look after
the wreck also a medical
assistant all took passage
and the party were brought down
to [?Yung iin?] where they procured
another boat for Canton. They
borrowed money of the man
darins to pay their expenses.
The Dr had nothing to put
on so was obliged to sit in his
soaking condition until his
clothes dried upon him. A
small mattress floated out of the
boat also a chair both of which
Mr Fulton secured. If these
wreckers had been friends
there seems no doubt but
that they could have secured
their trunks of clothing

[Continued vertically on the first page]
As for me I am going to try to rest some if I can.
I am supposed to be rested but nevertheless am not
Miss Butler
will take the
boys school
off my hands
I suppose
when she
comes back
Will have
had it almost
a year
Am anxious
about Edward
and you all
it has been
so hot. It seems
hard that the
corn is injured
and the garden
spoiled. You
needed the
garden so
much with
so many in fam
ily.
With love Mattie



亲爱的在家的人，
再来一封信
那必须完成
这次。我现在会
告诉你发生了什么
期间进入我们的生活
过去两个月。我们离开了
克尔博士和富尔顿先生
就在葵坪下，
当我们去广州和
他们认为他们会
大约三周后下降。
我们经过了一些
意想不到的经历
虽然我没有围攻两次
认为我们的生活在任何
时间处于危险之中。有一个
非常愉快的旅行
亨利带我们负责
富尔顿夫人和玛丽有
变得异常紧张
现在已经放弃了所有
永远安顿下来的想法

县城，以后再说
住在广州。富尔顿先生
在所有方面都不是最好的人
尝试这种工作，但是
毫无疑问他会继续
或多或少地迭代。出色地
我们到达后的第二天
医生来了
F先生，我在亨利斯
博士进来了
他的衣服破烂不堪。
证明了
他们离开了葵坪
我们之后的星期三
确实，在一些城镇停了下来
和接下来的星期一早上
他们大约一个小时后
船开始撞上
一些岩石。他们只是
关于坐下来休息
医生看的时候快
外面说我们很近
一些岩石。再过一会儿
他们袭击了。一个大洞
在第一个隔间被撞倒

几乎立即
充满水和水
开始进入第二
博士和富尔顿先生逃到了
船顶，但它摇晃了
在这样一个左右
他们只能保持的方式
他们的立足点是从
一侧到另一侧。在一些
博士不知道的方式
他陷入了
水沉到他的
当他抓住肩膀时
支撑的侧杆
帆。试图把它拧开
所以他可以养活自己
在水中但不能
做。然而他坚持
尽管有动议
的船。同时小
船开始从
满是男人的海岸
他们一开始就开始
到达灾难现场
掠夺船。

一艘舢板同意接收我们亲爱的
船上的人并传达他们
到一个安全的地方等等
他们的生命得救了。这
船夫除外
船长的和其中之一
谁退后照顾
沉船也是医疗
助理都通过了
党被打倒了
到他们采购的Yung iin
另一艘去广州的船。他们
从官吏那里借钱来支付他们的开支。
医生没什么可说的
因此不得不坐在他的
浸泡状态直到他的
衣服在他身上晾干。一个
小床垫飘了出来
船也是一把椅子
富尔顿先生担保。如果这些
清障车是朋友
似乎毫无疑问，但是
他们本可以确保
他们的衣箱

[在第一页垂直继续]
至于我，如果可以的话，我会尽量休息一下。
我应该休息，但仍然没有
巴特勒小姐
将采取
男校
离开我的手
我想
当她
回来
会有
差不多了
一年
我很着急
关于爱德华
还有你们
它一直
很热。它似乎
很难
玉米受伤了
和花园
宠坏了。你
需要
花园如此
多与
家里有这么多人。
带着爱玛蒂

Letter