Wentzel, Willard Ferdinand. Fifteen letters from Wentzel at Mackenzie River to Roderick Mackenzie, 1807-1824. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0012

No 6

Roderick McKenzie Esquire

McKenzie's River Department

Bear Lake March 6th 1815

Dear Sir,

Always in mind, a grateful sense of your former and Continued Kindness towards me. I beg leave most respectfully to acknowledge the receipt of your justly Esteemed Favour dated May 1814[.] Humbly intreating your Kind acceptance of my best wishes for your Health and grateful thanks to Mrs MacKenzie for the condescension with which She was pleased to mention her Kind regard[.]

The late intelligence from Canada, stating the glorious events which had succeeded to the troubles on the Continent of Europe, with the prospect of a speedy termination of Hostilities in Canada – has once more enlivened the merry Lads of the north whose congratulations, exultations, & particularly expectations, on that account, baffles all description[.] Plans are formed, executed and Fortunes made in less than three seconds[.] Thus the toper under which they have so long suffered, with the Frown of despondancy that wrinkled the brow of contentment So many years has been all at once dissipated by the Contents of one Single Herald[.] Such is the changeable state of mind of man – Expiring one moment, under the Tortures of Grief, and dying the next of Joy[.] But I who am an Unit of the unfortunate, can little participate in the Fanciful hopes of ever becoming a sharer in the Concerns of that Company to whose service I have already dedicated Sixteen years of my most youthful days – Therefore can only be a Silent observer, without envying, the good fortune of those whose endeavours have been more Successful[.] When I was at Fort William two years ago – Mr William McGillivray assured

me

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L E G E N D :
 in red , modifications made by the editor(s).
 in lavender , modifications made by the assumed author(s).

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