New Old Letters From Nelson - Part 2

Here is more from the envelope of letters from Nelson that Pat Rafuse recently discovered. I hope you will enjoy reading what was on Nelson’s mind on some of those long dark winter nights:

Poetry and Ramblings

Were i a wee birdy
With feathers bright blue,
i’d perch on a flower
And sing to you.
i’d sing of the mercies
Of God above,
And i’d sing of the
Mysteries of life and love.

i have written a letter asking for the name of the author who wrote “One Ship Sails East Another Sails West.” No one in Banfield knew the author. i did a master-sheet of the poem for Mary so she could zirk off as many as she wants to give away. Without asking Mary’s permission, some _______ put it in the Bamfield Blat and gave the name of the squibbler as Duncan Nelson (whoever that might be).

Sunday 8th Day of September 1985 – From Sunrise Cove – Copper Island - Strange it is, but i never realized until yesterday that numbers were cannibals. i knew that figures in crooked hands could be made to lie but never did i think they were so debased as to eat one another. But using the old proverb, “Figures never lie,” they prove their own evil: Seven Ate Nine.

No matter how close we come to God, we do not crowd others away. This thought came to me at reading time this morning.

[The following is a poem referred to in Nelson's biography. Enter in if you dare - it is a bit of a wild ride! If you have difficulty with the following page-turning image, you can view and/or download the poem as a PDF here.]

 

The Watermill and Toy Factory

The new road to Pebble Beach is under construction. And also work has started towards the little factory for making wooden toys for poor children.

Sunday, Sunrise Cove - The sighting level i ordered (or rather, Mary ordered over the telephone from Simpson Sears) finally arrived and Mary shows a keen interest in it. We are to survey the waterfall possibilities for waterpower and a shop to make wooden toys for the Gospel work. i can neither preach or sing or play upon a harp of ten strings, but by God’s grace i do believe i can design and manufacture toys of wood. Please pray for me as i am so very useless unless the Lord will have pity on my uselessness.

Thursday morning. Just back from the waterfall, pushing through the salal, and the prospects for waterpower and the toy factory look very good (God willing). Did i tell you that that seems to be my ministry? Making toys for children (not a toy a year done with all hand tools, but hundreds of toys a month done with the good water power, as yet just running into the sea).

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The Big Dugout Canoe

i am keeping busy: went back to working on the canoe again and got the keel on and find that it will lengthen out to 45 feet 6 inches, not 50 feet as i thought—anyway, it will afford comfortable living space for one (or two) not given to extravagant living.

Well, the sun is up today, bright and cheery, so i hope to get more work done on the canoe… So evening now—the sun didn’t stay around to see what was going on but considerable more is accomplished on the canoe.

Night time now and i am thankful for what i could accomplish today—i can just see myself, Snuggles and Hawkshaw rounding Cape Horn in this canoe. Just in case the Lady Rose should be stopping here tomorrow, i shall get this letter ready to post.

i find i do considerable dreaming about the big canoe and wonder if that is a sin. i think it would be fun sailing the stormy sea if i had but a mate. Or going up to the head of some inlet and anchor and tie to a tree and just read, write, listen to music and eat and sleep and rest.

Friday: Still precipitating (raining). Not they who are going to do, but they who do, do. This thought just came to me: how much information i would have if everyone sent me what they say they will. Wouldn’t Do Do be a keen name for the big canoe?

Friday and hot, and the cove is boiling with little fish. Back from cutting brush at the waterfall. Now to fly at work on the big canoe. Be nice to sometimes take my guests out for a cruise. Also, there are 2 eagles and 1 osprey putting on a show on my TV [that is, his front window].

Thanking the Lord for work to do and the strength given to do it. Cut into a big fir log and found it not suitable for stern of canoe but excellent cooking wood. Got cleared around a big cedar tree which has been laying anyway a hundred years so as to cut into it to see if it will do for the canoe stern.

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Views on the World

Oh there is reason to be sad when all about us, near and far away to the four corners of the earth, we see and hear evil report of this sin-sick society in which we live. Yesterday, [Jack] Hobbes brought me an armful of Time magazines. The more i see of this world of sin and greed, the less i want of it. i cannot see but that God must soon say, “That is enough,” and bring in the righteous rule of Christ.

Was just talking to a gillnetter from Whonnock who ties to the float. He says that if the sockeye don’t show up in this two-day opening, there will be no more openings. The fish outlook is very dark. The Lord put fish in the sea for food but man has made a crime of the gift by waste, destruction and gambling with fish for money, money and more money. So let them eat their money.

All the world is embroiled in such a seething mess of contradictions and uncertainties that surely the Rapture must be nigh. Come soon, Lord Jesus.

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Discouragement and Encouragement

At one time i was feeling very low and weak but it was all in my head i know. It must be a sin to God to feel discouraged and lonely.

There is a beautiful big long rainbow setting on the water at Turn Island. It arches up and over, and the other end is at Clifton Point. Of all the rainbows i have seen, this one is special—it is fading now but it must have stayed strong and bright for all of half an hour. So the world will not be flooded. Praise the Lord.

“Red sky (Wednesday) morning, sailors take warning.” But it looks like there will be sunshine all the day long so i should be about my canoe-wright work. Each day i pray for enough strength to carry on. It seems like a long time i have been trying to operate this place by myself. You likely have heard how near i came to turning it over to a large outfit, but the Holy Spirit spoke to me otherwise. So i still struggle on here, trying to do the best i know how to the glory of God.

Quite too often i feel inferior and that i am not doing for Jesus so much as i should. And again i feel that i must be sinning against God to feel so all alone when God has given me so very much. Betimes, in the stillness of the night, i awaken and think on all the numerous ideas i have and experiments i would like to carry out, and i am confounded to realize that i have but two hands striving to keep pace with my brain. But in truth i can see that if i will but trust to Jesus, great things will take place. For example, i have been giving shelter to a man and his son who come out from town fishing, very nice people, always helpful and grateful to have a cabin to stay in. Angelo is a welder at one of the mills and he made a very good stove for the Honeymoon Cottage. The old stove was too far gone to have fire in it anymore.

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Memories

Tuesday night: Some things are funny. This evening i found myself remembering my stay in Vancouver after the war. Try as i might, i could not get a job, and little i knew at the time why. Today, i can look back and truly thank the Lord that i never got a job (that is, until i got the job from Nootka-Banfield Fish Company and was shipped out to Port Albion on a seiner). Dreadful thought to think what things would have been like had i stayed in the sinful city in some 6x6 human hutch.

Saturday Night 3rd of November and Mary never came today as a SE wind blew. This is an unusual night for me as it was this night seven years ago that Mina was taken up from this world, leaving this one to wander an outcast for these seven sad years, and wonder what God can use me for.

This is not some new-fangled brain wave i have for it has been with me all my life. i can remember even in the lean days of the Great Depression, i was looking at streams of water and dreaming, dreaming. Even in Scotland during the war i very foolishly started to build a woodturning lathe. i was shipped back to Canada and my machine was left with a farmer. Oh how foolish i have been.

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Snuggles, Hawkshaw and Other Critters

Poor little Snuggles is right here beside me and all ashiver: there is a bit of thunder and she doesn’t like it at all. i tell her not to be afraid—i was stunned by lightning when a pup, and now i’m an old dog and i’m still here.

Sunday November 4th: Clearing up with the sun shining after the heavy rain.

i suppose if i kept this letter laying here, i could write chapters; in fact, i could write a book. Snuggles and Hawkshaw—what a pair they are. Hawkshaw is quite a big cat now; in fact, they both wear the same size of Stanfields. It is a pleasure to see how kind they are towards each other; would that humans would learn from them. Oh that i had their picture: a few days ago, they both sat real cuddly-close together, looking at me.

i don’t think old Spindle-shanks [Great Blue Heron] has too much intelligence: Yesterday, he caught quite a large perch and spent an hour trying to swallow it when he couldn’t even get his bill around it. Probably he would still be trying had i not gone down and scared him away.

Oft you have heard of a Pussycat, but Hawkshaw has grown to be a Pushycat. When i feed him, i have to watch that he doesn’t claw the dish right out of my hand. He just now clawed Snuggles, and if he does more of that, Snuggles and i will be looking for a Pussycat.

Tuesday Morning: After we went to bed last night, Snuggles told me all about her troubles.

You should see: Though the human species may avoid me, the ducks are holding a convention here today—hundreds of ducks. [Later]: i have just “called the roll” and every duck is back.

Poor Hawkshaw isn’t feeling well and i just don’t know what ails him. Wondering if it was something he ate. Yesterday, he threw up some brown nasty-looking stuff, and this morning he didn’t eat his breakfast. With all the sickness and pain in the world, i wonder if it is a sin to pray for a cat—he is a very good cat.

A fine state of affairs this is: We keep a high-priced cat to keep the mice away, and just the other day i find two mouse calling cards in the cat’s dish. Just now, Snuggles went after a mouse behind the stove. By helping her by moving things, she got the mouse in a hurry, and a large one it was.

That cat Hawkshaw—i just don’t know what to do about him—yesterday morning, he didn’t eat his breakfast, went out and stayed out all day and all night (he quite often stays out at night). Now this morning, when i call him and tell him to come to breakfast, he does not respond. i see him sitting among the bullrushes so i sent Snuggles after him and still no response.

Evening. Still don’t know what ails Hawkshaw. i went to pet him and he just turned his head to see what was coming—he seems to be in a daze. i took some milk to him but he wouldn’t drink. He is still outside but i don’t see him.

Tuesday morning. That cat Hawkshaw—can’t figure him out. This morning, i heard a tingle tingle and opened the door and there was Hawkshaw his happy old self again. Any i’m thankful as now i needn’t build a nice little cedar coffin.

Wednesday. A brilliant sun as only God can make. Out in the front yard is Mamma Duck and her six ducklings. They were all setting on a log and now they are swimming about as ducks are traditionally supposed to do. Mary likes my ducks. Now Momma Duck and ducklings are sunning on the outmost float log.

Evening now, and Snuggles and i are just back from the waterfall where we did the first start on clearing the brush—that is, i did most of the work—and Snuggles claimed she had to protect me from wild animals: mice, mink and squirrels.

New Old Letters From Nelson - Part 1

Pat Rafuse recently discovered an envelope of letters from Nelson. I wonder how many more such envelopes are still out there? Here is a sampling of their contents, arranged in convenient categories:

Wind and Waves

Wednesday Night, May 7th 1986 - Perhaps i should be very excited: There came, before dark, a boat from Winstops at the south end of the island telling me that a tidal wave is coming. And now, after dark, one of the Coast Guard boats came and they say there is a warning out; it is overdue, and no report on it up coast. You would think there would be reports about the wave’s progress all along the coast, so maybe it is a practice… The time for the big wave is now past and i am tired and i am sleepy, so Nighty Night. [Next day:] Mary had sent up a Banfielder Paper and i had read in it about their Search and Rescue group in Banfield and how sometime they should get together with the Coast Guard and put on a practice act, so i guess they did. It wasn’t funny.

What weather we are having—Winter and Summer all in the same day. The poor little hummingbirds—i fear for them as there are so few flowers out.

The reason Mary never came yesterday: there has been one storm after another and there was still a storm warning out for the biggest of all storms, which never developed.

Wednesday Morning: The South East wind is here again: during the night it was singing about the corners and eaves, and now all the trees are waving their arms as they dance in joy and praise God their Maker.

Thursday Morning: Another South Easter in the making. Seems my No. 1 sin is discouragement. People like to come here in the sunny summer time, but how many ever give it a thought how things are maintained here. Something like a few years past, some lady asked, “You don’t have to pay any taxes here, do you?” 

Plans for Copper Island’s Future

One of my desires is for Copper Island to be a haven where the tired, the despondent and the mentally [unhealthy] can come to find rest for their souls in Jesus. Of course, not everyone would profit by a stay at Copper Island. There are some who would be the worse for it.

Mary comes tomorrow. The Lord has renewed my vision for Copper Island. Rich Parlee and Bill Irving brought 4 officers of the Canadian Sunday School Mission for me to turn this place over to. In a previous letter to Rich, i had stated that i was not to have the place registered as a Bible camp because i had been advised and warned by a Russian minister that if it were so registered with the government, it would be right in line for closure when the evil time came. i was at fault that i never mentioned this at our meeting. i did mention that i would want to go down to the waterfall to live. They all thought it would be dreadful to put me out of my house. Seemingly, they could not understand that that was my No. 1 desire. i guess i was a bit outnumbered—they got me to sign a will to them just in case i was to die before the property was duly signed over. 

After all these years of praying for someone to take over here, i should have been very happy, but i wasn’t; i was very dejected. i went to prayer over the whole matter, and after, i wrote a letter to Rich telling him the whole deal was off. The Lord renewed my strength and vision. After that, and not knowing anything about the CSSM group, a young man from Port Alberni in the Lord’s service wants to bring children and do work here. Then a letter from my son says they are interested and a man of his congregation is keen on doing things here.

My vision is to develop the waterfront and have a little shop to make toys and plaques to be given out to missionaries, etc, to be given away free to the poor and the sick in the name of Jesus.

On the 12th of April, as these men were leaving, Mary arrived. She was quite put out, says that if they have this place no one else can come. Seems some years ago in some place up north, she had an encounter with the CSSM. Seems strange that she likes Copper Island so much and yet she doesn’t want to get involved. Perhaps if it were under different management she would be interested. This place has many possibilities: Cabins for the weary and dejected to come to. People with small pensions could live very nicely here. One family could live here and grow a garden. Another family could live here and fish. Another family could make wooden articles. Another such as the Howells could do their blacksmithing here. That then makes enough kids for one woman to have a little school and teach correspondence and Bible as well. What a great place for artists to ply their trade.

By the help and will of God i hope to see a small Christian community made here. Already there are young couples interested in the vision:

• Jim & Sarah Badke
• Neil & Kathy Harmsworth
• Wayne & Mary Lou German (Seattle)
• Bernd & Sylvia

The Camerons i must interview on the subject, and Patricia is most welcome. The Howells are to come when he finishes at Expo.

i do have some good news—in May, Arrowsmith Church young people want to come to Copper Island, some 15 or so and my two grandkids also, Leona and Brian. So far, i am on staff alone. Mary seems uninterested to join the Copper Island Mission. When i look in the mirror i can see the reason why.

Letter from Earl & Judy of the Nanaimo Native Church wanting to bring a camp in July, so that is indeed encouraging.

i asked [my family] what people truthfully think of me here and why no more groups come to this place:

1. People think i should sell this place (God’s Property) and move to town.
2. This place is so isolated that if someone got sick or injured there is no way to get them out and besides, it is too difficult to get here.

Yet in the month of August there were 99 people coming and going and some staying overnight or nights. So if i stay true to the dedication of this place to God, surely the Lord will use this place and possibly far more than we can imagine.

Rich Parlee has been here twice since their school let out for the summer and he believes there is hope for Copper Island.

A beautiful day and i worked all day at the mill i am making out of the big old Pioneer chainsaw which Brian gave me. If this place it going to thrive, one must have lumber, you know. i have a vision of a Christian settlement here.

The reason i turned down giving this property over to the Canadian Sunday School Mission (one of a few reasons): i said i would move down to the waterfall. “Oh no, you shan’t; you will stay in your own little house, etc, etc.” So my Irish was stirred up and i called the whole deal off.

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Projects and Tools

So i am working in the shop these winter-summer days. i bought a bunch of sockets and am making a case for them so when the busy time comes they will be handy.

Well, my job is coming along but slowly—i need lots of patience to get things cut right and together. Maybe i should be back at swilling the swine, feeding the chickens and milking the cows.

Monday Night: Sunshine all day. i was at this and that and then Snuggles and i went to Pebble Beach and there we found a tyre on a wheel—ask Ron or Van Heck if it will fit their truck: Dunlop 600X20, and it looks like it was never on the road. For now, i must see if i can get something to eat—not being a cook, a wonder i never starved ere now.

Besides all the big and little projects, i now have a fine wheel and air tyre which i hope to build into a Copper Island Special wheelbarrow.

With the extra-high tides, today on the last one i finally got the floatshed up much higher and better than i had expected, so i am thankful for that. Now i can go ahead and make it a woodshed (much needed after 20 years without one).

Well, i worked on the lathe today—it has to have a seat on it to run it from, and the seat must adjust three ways so to fit long-limbed and short-limbed people. Now would it not be more proper to say “long roots or short roots” since the said limbs are on the lower butt end?

Anyway, i often wonder why God doesn't use me for some good purpose. Here i have many ideas but can only do so much and it frustrates me—there is no end of the things i would like to do. For example, i would put up a wind tunnel and experiment with wind power. Like David, i would like to make some kinds of musical instruments. Again i would build a Horsemobile (now you laugh, but ‘taint funny). How fast can you run? Now put a bicycle beneath you and you can go much faster, can you not? Now, make a machine strong and light and put horsey in it on a treadmill and away we go in our hay-burner. We even have an exhaust-catcher and take it home for the garden.

Quite often, i wonder what sort of transportation and power will be in the millennial period—i can’t imagine under the perfect rule of Christ that they will be using those stinky, noisy infernal combustion engines. Wood-burning steam?

Mrs. Wickham is 83 years old, and if it weren't for Mary’s care for her, i wonder if she could stay alone. i made a plaque for her, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Mary said she likes it so i made a bluebird house for her to have put up in the spring.

Monday Morning: Earl & Louise Johnson expected to show up here either last month or this month, so i shall look for them when they arrive. And when they come, they are to discuss with me the carving of something for the Nootka Mission. What it is i do not as yet have a guess. Pray for me to be given the ability to do this, as i have very little confidence in my ability. When i see the work of the Masters, i feel very low.

[On building the Empress Room]: Now i must be out and at the building. All day up and down, in and out, over and under the rafters, and i am feeling a bit tired. But the day was beautiful, neither cold nor too hot, and i am thankful for the work accomplished. Also, having to hew the rafters out, i am thankful to have a sharp little hatchet. Think of what a job it would be if i had to use a stone adze.

Wednesday now—another fine day to do more work on the Empress Room.

Thursday morning—Started raining during the night. Yesterday, i started putting shakes on the roof of the Empress Room. Has sprinkled and rained most all day. Rather damping my interest, but no excuse to be idle as there are lots of inside jobs. Later this day i took the Shinanagan [small dugout canoe?] and went to Pebble Beach to get an old plank. Going was rather hard against a southeaster just springing up, but coming back was easy with wind and wave wafting me along. i actually enjoyed the outing—wind, rain and all.

Yesterday, Mary was interested to see the winch. i have put another axle and wheels at the back end as well as the front and now it is much easier to move about. It will be very necessary working at the waterfall.

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A Dream

Thursday morning, the sun is out bright and it is hot hot; both Snuggles and Hawkshaw are on the bed gasping for air. i slept very well, but [here he appears to describe a dream he had] what i am hearing sounds like Chinese talk, “Quaaa jung jung, quaaa jungoooooo.” So i get up and look out—all i can see is tall buildings and the water just full, just packed with big old sloppy junks and sampans and Chinamans and Chinawomans and Chinakids all over everything. So i just want to go down to the shop and get some kindling to cook something and here all over the stairs are great heaps of kelp and starfish. And right on the canoe—the Fort James canoe you gave me—a mermaid, yes, a real slimy drippy mermaid, and she looks at me and says in proper London English, “Did you have a good crossing last night?” Oh, [i was glad] to be back on dear old Copper Island.

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Visitors

i had a letter from the Camerons saying that as soon as the boat is in the water, they will come to visit me. That should be any time now as Harmsworths said it is now in the water, so i am keenly looking forward to their arrival. Amy [age 3 at this point] wrote a bit in a letter to me in a secret code which only we know.

i have a letter and a Ucluelet paper from Camerons. The boat is now in the water and Don is going trolling. The paper has a picture of the boat and it looks very good. So i am sure thankful and pray the best for them. They are indeed a special couple and deserve all the blessings coming their way. Another little Cameron is expected to arrive end of this month. They have fine-looking offspring—the Irish.

Well, at long last i was pleasantly surprised when Clan Cameron arrived in the able ship Nelson E. Dunkin (blush blush). Sure good to have them: Don, Patty, Amy, David, Joshua and Patty’s two brothers, Wendell and Patrick.

Well, here it is Sunday and we three hermits are here by ourselves—all company away to their own homes and pursuits. This summer many fine people have come to visit me and i do appreciate every one of them and their kindnesses to me, but still there lingers that emptiness and feelings of being an outcast. Mary came yesterday bringing mail and good eats but as usual she had to hurry away.

[About some new visitors]: Anyway, they sure flattered this lonely old hermit—if i were half what they said, i would be simply marvelous. What am i in God’s sight?

Now i feel bad and yet i feel good: A troller stopped in on the way out to fish; he has been here before, very friendly, gave me fish on his way into town. Now there is a young dame with him, and i must say they are very worldly and their speech is grievous to me. How i pray those people could know Jesus other than a name to swear by. Two Vietnamese boats also travel with this boat. They stopped in but went right away for Banfield to take on fuel for an early morning start. So i sent a note to Ostroms for Mary to bring up oil and gasket shellack. Now we will see if it will work—this communication system—otherwise, it will mean waiting for another week.

It would be wonderful if you could come visit this miserable, mean, stingy, crabby, cantankerous, moth-eaten, lonely old hermit.

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Daily Life

i didn’t put on a fire (have it all laid out so in the morning all i need to do is put a match to it) so now i will eat my bowl of granola and go to bed before i start shivering.

Saturday morning: A good night’s sleep. Dark the sky and cold the north wind. Sun out now and very nice. Mary here now so will get this on its way to you.

Well, i manage to keep busy, and still the work and correspondence piles up, up, up. If you know of a good-looking stenographer, one who is pleasing to have around and who is able to take off her boots and socks and operate a second typewriter with her toes, please send her C.O.D. at once.

Well, i just finished oiling a piece which i did to give to an old Christian up town who is just waiting, with liver cancer, to be called away unless Jesus heals. This is one of those days when at times it is difficult to see the dividing line betwixt sky and sea. Makes me feel like going to the hollow log and telling Bruin to move over, i’m coming in too. Now IF over at the waterfall [my house] was built, i feel that i would have a different outlook, with warmth and electric lights and power and lots of work to do.

Sunrise Cove – Sunday July 20th this year. Two boats going back to the fishing lodge came in and gave me two fish and were interested to look at my canoe. Jack Hobbes came in on his way back from Banfield and i gave him the two fish as i abhor seeing food go to waste. i took the two fish as, if i didn’t, they might never give me fish again.

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Mary Scholey

Friday Night: Captain Dave of the Coast Guard and deckhand in, with 2 loaves of bread, quart of milk, 6 monkeyfruits and the mail. Mary sent them in case she can’t come tomorrow.

So will close now in case Mary, God bless her, comes tomorrow and can get this letter on its way to you.

Friday Morning: Cold, wet and bleak. Have had my breakfast—had hamburger and potatoes and whole wheat bread toast, but no one with whom to share, Mary brought the hamburger on New Year’s Day, but as usual (9 years now) could only stay for 5 minutes.

Over three weeks ago now, Mary has sprained an ankle and it is still paining her. She should go to town for an x-ray but it seems she is unable to get a ride in. After hauling people in and out of town for twenty years, there is no ride for her now. Could it be that she is asking too much?

Saturday when Mary arrived, she had no bread as the store was out of it. The Lady Rose was across the channel in at the fishing lodge, so nothing would do but she would dash over and get a couple of loaves off the boat. Lord bless her. She didn’t make it but she was visiting with the new management. The lady was baking bread, so when it was born from the oven, they offered to bring some over to me. So later that day, they did come with two fresh loaves. Their name is Clinton; they come from Alaska. She is quite a large, good-looking girl. They have 2 children. She originated in Oregon. i do not know, as yet, if they are Christians. They did not stay long as some boat seemed to be having some trouble out in the channel so they went to see.

The Lady Rose came in, and all for the best, as i built a one-room dog dwelling for one of Mary’s dogs and was looking for the boat to take it down as it would be too awkward to load in Mary’s boat. Now what do you think of Mary? All the forsaken and abused dogs come to Mary for help and she now has four. Gives me an idea—do you know where i can get a dog hide? Even a wolf skin might do. Monday the 23rd will be Mary’s birthday and i hope she will like the gift i made for her.

Now, this Monday morning, had i the power, i would summon all the song birds on Copper Island, and as they perched on every bush and twig, i would say to them, “My dear bird friends, today is Mary’s birthday; go fly to her cabin and all together sing your sweetest, ‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Mary, happy birthday to you!’ And when you are finished your songs, come back as i have a hundred weight of bird seeds for you all.” (Alas, it won’t work. Who is going to keep the nests and eggs warm while they are away in Banfield singing?) “Skip it, birds, skip it!”

Got the water on heating to take my bath—looking for Mary tomorrow, you know.

The Boat That Wouldn't Float, and How It Finally Did

My chapter about the Honeymoon Cottage mentions a boat named the Hera that sat at the bottom of Nelson's Bay, the one that Don and Patty Cameron fully restored. I had a conversation with Patty the other day while we looked at a series of photos depicting the transformation of the Hera into the NE Dunkin. Here is her story—with the photos—of a little boat that starts at the bottom of the ocean and ends up in Japan.

The Hera is on the left above, moored at Nelson's dock. The top photo was taken about 1977, Brian Burkholder of the Kolberg tells me. The Hera previously belonged to Paul Tennant of Bamfield in the late 60's, early 70's. It is unclear how it came into Nelson's possession. If you look closely at the bottom photo, near the stern of the boat is a post with what looks like a propeller attached. Someone once told me that Nelson had set up a windmill to operate a pump that was supposed to take the water out of the bilge. Ingenious, but at some point the pump proved to be insufficient, and the Hera sank to the bottom.

"When we came on the scene," Patty explained, "I remember that Don and Nelson tied a couple of logs on each side of the sunken boat. Every time the tide came in, they pulled the boat a little closer to the shore. And when the tide went out, they tightened the lines. They kept pulling the boat in until they were able to bail it out." Here the Hera rests on the beach in front of Nelson's house. You can see the windmill more clearly, with the large fin to keep it pointed into the wind. But the top of the cabin has been removed. "It may have been so damaged or rotten, and Don was going to rebuild that anyway."

Don patched the leaks below the waterline wherever he could, then re-floated the Hera and moored it to the dock. Most of the water that sank the boat was in the form of rain, so Don and Nelson securely covered the Hera with plastic. "Don just kept checking it and watching that the boat wouldn't sink again before we had the chance to tow it away."

Patty continued, "We towed the Hera with our troller, the Lucky Friday, to Tofino. We called up Gibson's Contracting, and they said they could move the boat with their crane. But there was no guarantee that the hull would remain whole. They asked if we had any concerns about the possibility of it getting crushed. And we said, No, go ahead, whatever happens, happens. We just needed them to take it out. Everything went fine. It’s quite steep getting up from the 4th Street dock, but they drove it all the way up and then over to the Whale Museum."

"The old whale museum was a maritime museum at the time. Huey Clark's brother Art was the Wharf Manager. He was looking after that building, and he told us that he could rent it to us for $100 a month. And we said, Oh yeah, that would be great. And then we could rebuild the boat there. Back then, you didn't need permits or anything. You just did what you needed to do.  We moved ourselves from our troller to the museum, and they set up the Hera in the yard. Don braced it up and built a shed over top. It took about five years to rebuild that boat because Don had to work in between. He did shake block-cutting and different jobs."

"Don built a steam box right away," Patty told me. "We had lots of wood that we towed up from Copper Island. We had gone salvaging with the troller whenever we saw a good log that we could use to rebuild the boat. And we had the Alaska sawmill at Nelson's and we cut big slabs by hand. But then there were other logs that we towed behind us to get milled up in Tofino so we could use them for the rebuild. We didn't really have to buy much of anything. These yellow cedar ribs—I helped Don with those. He cut all those ribs and then put them in the steam box for a certain time. I'd be inside the hull and he'd be on the outside and hand me the soft rib right out of the steam box. They were pretty hot. Then I would clamp it in place and he would pound the nails in. Don ended up widening the boat where the hold was going to be before he put those stringers across. He wanted to be able to hold a lot of fish. The boat ended up holding 10,000 pounds of ice and fish. At the same time, we started having kids, the first, the second. And by the time we launched the boat, I was expecting the third one. Don cut the leftover decking into blocks for our kids' toybox, and now our grandkids play with the same old growth fir blocks that we salvaged for the rebuild. So I tell them the story, and the memories live on…”

Just to show you the work involved in deciphering some of Nelson's letters... This one was found at the bottom of a cookie tin that had taken a swim when Pat Rafuse's car went off the road and into the river. If you can make it out, the letter mentions a Boy's Club that Don and Patty began. Patty told me how it started: "When Don was working on the boat, these young boys used to walk by. They were in elementary school and they always wanted something to do, but their parents were out working or something. They saw Don working on the boat and were curious about it. They'd always ask him if they could help. So Don said, Well, how about if we start a boys club for every Friday night? And they were so excited about it. They did all kinds of fun boy stuff. And we took them to Copper Island to meet Nelson, and they enjoyed discovering the island and going on the trails and Pebble Beach. The moms were thrilled about it and gave us meals to take along. And sometimes the boys would stay overnight at our place. 

"The club really meant something to those boys. About 10 years ago, we bumped into one of the fellows, and he had never forgotten the boys club. One of the other guys kept in touch with us all the time, and he grew up and had his own family, but he always wanted to keep in touch because it really meant a lot to him. And you don't realize how much something like that means to somebody's life. You're just living your own life, but you're including them in it, in the fun things. The boys were pretty wild, but we had great times with them. And it was all because of the rebuild of the Nelson E Duncan."

Here is the rebuilt boat nearing completion. "Don took the tarp down and was ready to get it moved. He did so much of the work by hand. He didn't even have a power tool until he started building the cabin. I was the one who saved up some family allowance, and I remember finding a Makita drill for $35 at the Tofino Co-op. And I saved hard for that $35. I went and got it for him because I thought, he needs to have some power tools. He was doing it all by hand, like drilling down into the keel—at one point, the drill bit wasn't long enough, so he got someone to weld an extension to it. Don learned a lot from Nelson about hand tools and how to keep things straight, like when you're drilling. Nelson had hand tools for everything. I know that Don knew some things on his own, but he was really intrigued by how Nelson did things. Don loved what was done by hand, so the boat was largely handcrafted."

"Then the day came that we were going to launch the boat. That was in May 1986, and Don started fishing in July. I was expecting Caleb, but in the photos, I was hanging on to Amy's hand, who was almost three. David was with Don, and the family dog is there too."

The trip from the whale museum on Third Street to the Fourth Street dock was not far, but steep at the end. A number of people came to watch. Patty recognizes Bernd Schmeuker, a fisherman who fished with them, and Bob Winters—Bob and Edna are well-known in Tofino, a logging family. "They were curious about watching it go down into the water. And it was a windy day." At first, the boat floated like a cork. "It was really corky, like, moving around quite a bit. It had to soak in the water for a while before it settled down. And the wind was really taking it. I'm not really sure who's in the Zodiac. The boat was pulled to the dock and then tied up. They had to put different weights in the right spots to balance it out."

The first year, Don fished with his brother Garth. Don found that the poles were pretty long, and he ended up shortening them.

Don took the boat to Copper Island to show Nelson the finished product, which he named the Nelson E Dunkin. The next time he painted the boat, Don shortened the name to the NE Dunkin. Patty told me, "The boat was operating really well. Don got it really fine-tuned, and Nelson was pretty proud of it. It looked so different from the boat that once sat at the bottom of his bay."

The Cameron family aboard. Patty said it was a tight fit with four kids. "You don't think that you're on something that small because you get used to your area. And all the other boats around you are the same. And you realize when you get off the boat how small it is, tied up at the dock. But we spent a whole season fishing like that together and were off the West Coast of the Island for a bit. One season, we also fished off the Queen Charlottes. Don and I slept on the floor in the very centre of the cabin on a foamy that we had stuffed in the bow, and we'd lay it down there. It was only two feet wide. We had two kids in each bunk down below. Sometimes at night, the youngest one—you can just see his head poking out of the doorway there—he would climb up and squeeze in between us on our two feet of floor. So I'd have to take him back in the night down into the bow because it was a little too squishy and we had to fish all day. We put up with a lot, but it was just life. And we did it every day."

"We let the boys, David, Caleb and Ryan, drift out to fish and explore in their little skiff as we were tacking back and forth. Don is in the stern of the boat. We're just letting them loose, and they always had fun. We weren't moving very fast and the kids loved exploring and we would pick them up on the way back. Give them a bit of adventure. Kind of a big playground for them. We did that quite often, and when they got old enough, they had their own little zodiac."

"We sold the boat to Mark Shaw of Ucluelet. And we bought another boat and renamed it the Prairie Rose III. We were travelling up to the Charlottes, and Mark had asked Don's brother Garth to skipper the NE Dunkin. It was running behind us as we were approaching Rose Spit. I noticed the NE Dunkin come out of the water and then plunge down. We weren't doing that because our new boat wasn't a double ender and it was a bit longer, so we were riding a little bit differently. I got a picture of it as high up as it would come, and then I snapped another one of it plunging down. Like you do for hours, you know, up and down for hours."

Photo Source: Universal Studios Japan

Mark eventually sold the NE Dunkin to a fellow who was looking for a boat to display at Universal Studios in Japan. Patty said, "I remember watching the boat leave. We were returning to Ucluelet one time, and we saw a boat mover with the NE Dunkin on the back and it was just leaving. They were going to put it on a freighter. It's interesting if it was one of the Japanese boats and it ended up back in Japan." When Patty first saw this photo, she wasn't sure if it was the right boat, as there had been a number of changes. But its location and the many details that are identical make it pretty certain that this is the NE Dunkin, repainted and renamed the Farallon out of Pacifica, California.

"It is an amazing story, when you think of it," Patty concluded.

New Old Photos

After I published Nelson's biography, The Island and i, people continued to send me photos and other memorabilia that I would likely have included in the book. Here are a few of the more interesting photos I received (click to enlarge):

Many visitors took photos of Nelson's iconic first house on Copper Island. This is how a photo-of-a-photo was sent to me. The perspective is easily corrected, but I found it intriguing.

Two more shots of the original house. Notice that in this photo, the uprights that form the breakwater extend below the walkway (partially constructed by me at the age of 19).

A new old photo of "Ye Hermitage," the tiny cabin—once a floating outhouse—where Nelson would escape if his visitors were too much for him. Equipped with a narrow bed and a coffee tin stove, Nelson's Hermitage was all he needed in a pinch.

Nelson's main activity in Ye Hermitage was writing letters. Here is an envelope that was apparently carried by the Greek god Hermes—or some friend of Nelson's whose beautiful feet brought good news.

Two newly acquired photos of Nelson, one on a pre-haircut day, and the other with Snuggles as a puppy. I realized as I was researching Nelson's story that when I first met him, he was only four years older than I am now. But he always seemed quite old in appearance to me, while being young and energetic by nature.

Finally, appropriate to this Easter season, a candlestick that Nelson carved in the form of a celtic cross. The cross has the words, "Jesus—Saviour—King—Lord" and the base reads, "God so loved the world." As Nelson might say on Easter Sunday morning, "He is risen indeed!"

Corrections and Tiny Metal Art

People have very kindly told me how much they have enjoyed The Island and i. There have been repeated phrases like, "I couldn't put it down" and "I learned so much about Nelson." One person said, "You have written it so well; it's like a movie to me!"

But you have also been quick to point out errors. Thankfully, these have not been typos and grammar, but much more interesting: that is, points of Nelson's story that I simply got wrong. I have updated the book files, so any new copies will have these corrections. For those of you who are stuck with the original, here are the corrections in all their glory:

1. I love the photo on the back cover, taken by Heather Arnott. Any visitor remembers Nelson greeting them on his tiny float—often accompanied by huge Nook or wee Snuggles—and catching the line thrown to him, making it fast. The photo reappears at the end of Chapter 13. But the caption there says that he is receiving the line from the Lady Rose, while Brian Burkholder assures me that it is the line from his fishboat, the Kolberg.

2. Joan's affectionate description of Mina in Chapter 23 unintentionally caused a bit of a stir in her home island, the Isle of Lewis off the northwest coast of Scotland. Margaret, who lives there, tells me that "fishmonger woman" is not a friendly term in Mina's homeland. "Ouch, that is certainly not a suitable description of Mina and is, in Scotland at least, a derogatory term and one of the worse insults which can be hurled at a woman. Fishwife: a coarse-mannered woman who is prone to shouting or screeching, in an unpleasant way. I am putting it down to cultural differences, but thought I should let you know." The reference is removed.

3. Margaret also let me know that the newly-reunited Nelson and Mina did not stay with an "Aunt Isabella" in Vancouver after the war, but with Aunt Marion and Uncle Calum McIver, whose daughter was named Isabelle. This cousin of Mina's was the one with whom Margaret went to visit Nelson and Mina on Copper Island in the summer of 1975.

4. In Chapter 46, there is a grainy photo of Nelson in the hospital holding an unidentified baby. Pat Rafuse tells me that this is her daughter, Anna.

5. As noted in a previous post, the glass trading beads I found on Pebble Beach were cobalt blue, not "blue-green" as described in Chapter 8. All the beads that I found were that colour, which was highly valued in First Nations culture.

6. At the end of Chapter 29 is a picture of a plaque carved by Nelson with a quote from Micah 6:8 – "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God." Brian Burkholder brought this carving to his interview. Because he showed me another carving that he received from Heather Arnott, I assumed that this one was from her as well. However, contrary to the footnote to this picture, Heather never owned this carving.

After the book was published, I rediscovered the remnants of a candlestick that Nelson had hanging about and passed on to me. It had been made from odd metal scraps and green and white marbles, and I have to admit that I never liked it much—except for the tiny metal bits that hung in a circle from the top of the candlestick. In one of our moves, I decided to part with the thing. But I first removed the small metal carvings and put them away in a box. Here they are (click to expand):

The middle piece reads: Ps. IIXX:XXVIII [Psalm 18:28] - “For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Note Nelson's creative way of etching the Roman numeral 18—he made it IIXX rather than the usual XVIII.

Anchor: A Christian symbol of hope: "We have this hope [in Christ] as an anchor, firm and secure."

Cross: On which Jesus died, and which his followers are called to take up as they follow him.

Dove: A symbol of the Holy Spirit, a gift given to those who believe in Jesus.

Fish: This has inscribed on it the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ (meaning “fish”). Early Christians under persecution used this symbol as a secret password to identify themselves as followers of Jesus. The word is an acronym for the following words that start with each letter:

• Ιησους = Jesus 
• Χριστóς = Christ
• Θεοῦ = God’s
• Υἱός = Son
• Σωτήρ = Savior

Ship: This boat appears to be one of the Pilgrim ships, such as the Mayflower. In early Christian symbols, a ship represents the church.

Crown: In light of the other symbols, this one represents reward, not royalty. "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

These symbols, lovingly crafted, meant a great deal to Nelson Dunkin.

Nelson and the Newspapers

"Sometimes I read parts of letters or articles to Snuggles."

As much as Nelson lived alone for many years, he was still very interested in the happenings of the world abroad. Visitors would bring him newspapers, which were not only of interest to him but were handy as a table covering or to start his wood stove. Here, from his letters, are a few things that intrigued, distressed and impressed our friend Nelson:

What distressed Nelson in the news:

 

i read in the newspapers, and the world turns more disgusting to me day by day. Now they are harping on the harlots; laws and more laws; but not a word that there is any sin in what they are doing. Now the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that stores stay open on Sundays. That is in the interest of Religious Freedom—after all, some Satan-worshipper may want to buy a pack of fags [i.e., cigarettes] on Sunday.

 

It is saddening to see how, in these latter days, the devil is working every foul scheme to break up marriages and homes.

 

There is for sure that falling away we are warned of but why dwell on the subject? It is all about us in the news and even in the air. Yet whilst on the subject have you noticed the toys in the catalogues? Outright demonic. So if a young child is brought up on such things what must we expect them to be when grown? 

 

How people are driven crazy by Satan over money, so it is a cause of higher, higher and higher. 

 

i was sickened yesterday to read that they are killing babies in Port Alberni. i had just assumed the Port Alberni was free from that curse but “no,” Satan gets around.

 

That roof falling in [re: news of a new grocery store roof collapsing]—i should think that would be a slowdown to opening a new business, even in Vancouver; really, that was a bit too blatant an opening gimmick.

 

i have been seeing and reading too much how Satan uses people, innocently or otherwise (Judas for example) to try to wreck God’s plans. So it behooves us to try to keep in step with Jesus. 

 

What blessed Nelson in the news:

 

National Geographic, November 1978. Beside the River Shannon in a little earth-floored cottage lived (or might still be living, God knows) Jerry Martin, a fiddle maker, making at age 81 his last of 75 fiddles. On the wall hangs a notice: 

No Cursing

No Filthy Talk

No Waste of God’s Name

Allowed Here

This is so very good that the Land Lady wishes for one, so i am doing what i can to bring one forth.

i have a wonderful story to tell you about a wonderful little girl which i have fallen in love with. In the month of April, the newspaper up in Port Alberni puts on a writing contest in all the schools from Grade 1 through Grade 12. Well, it so happened that Mary brought a paper, the very paper with the 1988 writing contest section in it. i thought, so what, no interest here! and then i again thought, “i shall just force myself through this stuff to see if i can savvy what kind of trash is on the minds of the upcoming generation.” And so glad i did: there was but one of interest to me but that one is a treasure to me and here she is:

Now isn’t that sweet? i am so impressed with her that i am sending her an 1893 Life of Christ which i think is well written and will be a keepsake for her.

UP NEXT: Corrections and clarifications sent in by readers of The Island and i. Plus, some tiny metal artwork pieces you have likely never seen before.

The Cobalt-Blue Glass Beads of Copper Island

"I have often sat at Pebble Beach or Prayer Cove on Copper Island, running my hands through the clean, fine gravel in the hope of finding glass beads. They are usually blue; I don’t know if it is because all the trading beads were of that colour or if the blue beads were the only ones to survive. They are a connection to 150 years past, a history that is both intriguing and sad. I treasure the few beads I have found, and I imagine the Huu-ay-aht did as well. But those cheap beads also funded the lavish, work-free lifestyle described in stories like Pride and Prejudice. My glass beads were among the many little reasons that those British gentlemen and ladies had nothing to do but marry off their daughters to other rich men." - Jim Badke, The Island and i

In the mid-1800s, Vancouver Island was a British colony leased to the Hudson’s Bay Company. At that point, Victoria was the primary population centre on the coast, and what would become the city of Vancouver consisted only of a few settlers at Gastown. The Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company was James Douglas, who soon also became governor of the new colony. So he reigned supreme and ran the colony like a business. Practically every European citizen was an employee of the HBC.

At that time, trading posts sprang up along the entire coastline of the Island. Sea otters had been nearly eradicated by the first explorers of the West Coast in the 1700s, but fur seals were still abundant and in demand. The primary trade item, however, was the oil of the spiny dogfish, a small shark that moves in schools of hundreds or thousands, feeding on small fish, crabs and octapus. Their fine oil was used in lamps but was especially sought after as one of the best natural oils for machinery, such as the sawmills that were being built along the coast.

The trading post at Clifton Point on Copper Island was managed by Arthur Lang during the winter months. He managed another store in the summer at Dodger’s Cove. In exchange for fur seal hides and dogfish oil, Arthur probably stocked the usual trade items: axes, chisels, awls, rings, looking-glasses, fishing hooks, files, combs, tobacco—and beads.

You might wonder why beads would be popular in the First Nations communities of Barkley Sound. Gilbert Sproat wrote in 1868, “They are fond of toys and ornaments for themselves and children, and are seldom seen without rings, anklets, and bracelets of beads or brass. Their blankets are often tastefully ornamented with beads.” The colour blue was especially significant and valued in FIrst Nations culture as it was rarely seen in natural objects.

Glass beads and a ceramic button from Pebble Beach on Copper Island

The cobalt-blue beads that I found on the beaches of Copper Island most likely came from Italy. A long, thin tube was formed by two workers walking quickly away from one another as they pulled on a glass bubble. The tube was then sliced into beads and tumbled into a spherical shape. Though various colours were used, the cobalt blue beads are the most commonly found and seem to have been the most valued.

Interestingly, these beads are still an object of trade. A quick look online for “blue trading beads” brings up dozens of sites offering these beads for sale, both authentic and Authentic! It seems to me that the ones claiming to be authentic are the least likely to be so, which is also true of people. Nelson Dunkin was a genuinely authentic character in my life.

UP NEXT: Weeks-old newspapers were Nelson's eye on the world. What did he find alarming in the news, and what did he see that encouraged him?