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From the collection of Carole Stewart, [email protected]

Carole would be very interested in further family information.

Letter from Angus Stewart, Mangawai, N.Z. to Unknown on P.E.I., Date unknown.

Note: This is an edited letter sent from Angus Stewart, Mangawai, New Zealand to someone in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he was born. It has only been edited in the sense that in the original, some sentences ran together, as did the paragraphs. Except for the odd �and� or �but� all the words belong to Angus.

Angus was the second son of �Big� Malcom Stewart (1808 � 1901) and Mary McPherson (1809 � 1889). His siblings were Mary (d. 9/12/1916), Ann, John, Christy, Charles, Donald and Alexander.

�Big� Malcom�s parents are said to have been Charles Stuart and Mary McMillan, who came to PEI from The Isle of Skye on The Polly.

Edited by Carole A Stewart: Undated letter. The original was found in the roof of a house in Prince Edward Island. These were handed onto Carole by Beryl Smith (nee Judd)

Bha mi n de Kaiwaka L na coir robk mi sineolach chunna mi gleanntan L Pukekararo a baithne dhomk; nis o'n bkuail an sois mi fhuair mi gaoid a mhaireas domk, Rinn milleadh air mo dheudach S mo leirsinn air a dalladh orm cha'n urrainn mi bki treubhach ged's chuirinn feum air L'ged' bhiodh an rus'g am dhaigh sa Che dean mi ceum go chabhagach; Cha'n'eil neach othrioblais Laor A'Meesg a'chinne daonnair fad 'Lco leonmhor osna sig an righ is aig a neach is isle Staid; I suppose you can read the old language.

A few months ago I got a newspaper from P.E.I. I don't know who sent it; it was printed about Christmas time. It gave a description of how they rear and freed foxes there and the prices they fetch in England. It must be a profitable business: one man cleared 20,000 pounds in few years. A firm sent 5 skins to London and 1 skin made 550 pounds, another 500 pounds, another 450 pounds and some were silver grey.

When I was a boy 70 years ago, I used to trap them; mostly red foxes. I sent the paper to the Editor of the Weekly News but I wish I hadn�t.

Six or seven years ago I was up at Rotorua: the most wonderful place in the world. It is all alive with hot water boiling all over the country: hot and cold water. Alongside, close together, you would see the natives cooking their food on one boiling hole, and children and boys bathing and swimming in cold water within few yards. People from all parts of the world comes to see them. There is nothing in the world like them.

Some years ago Charles Haszard was teaching a native school there, and the whole place got blown up. He was killed and 2 or 3 of his children and a lot of natives. His wife was found alive in the ruins. They came out with us from P.E.I.

Capt. Alec Gamble who brought out the Pakeha Brig from P.E.I. is alive yet and is 2 years older than me. His oldest daughter is married to J. J. Craig, a millionaire.

All the old men and woman in this country gets a pension when they are of 65 years from Government if they are poor or hard up. A lot of them goes and drinks it, 10 shillings a week they get, and some of them would sooner have drink than food. This drink Business is a curse to the world. I don't drink or smoke or any belonging to me.

It was John your brother who was telling me he could do nothing with your Lou; there is thousands of this class of men knocking about New Zealand, so now I told you a lot of news, will close next page. [end of letter]

View Diary of Angus Stewart written on board The Prince Edward bound for New Zealand