Re: 鈥淭he origin of Esquimalt鈥檚 Halfway House,鈥� May 5.
As the great-great granddaughter of James William and Elizabeth Everson Bland, I can offer a little more to this colourful story.
Of the seven children in the family, the four youngest were born in the Halfway House. Their three older brothers were born in Callao, Peru, where James also operated a public house for about five years.
An ex-Royal Navy man himself, he was able to recognize 鈥渢oo much grog鈥� quickly. The story about the sailors pounding on the door was told over and over by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken and was told to me by his grandson, Ainslie Helmcken.
It was two marines well into their cups who came pounding on the Halfway House door. James and Elizabeth had retired for the night and were rudely awakened by the ruckus. The window over the door was thrown open and the question asked: 鈥淲hat do you want?鈥� The reply was: 鈥淎rf n鈥� arf.鈥�
James disappeared from the window and the marines probably thought he was coming to let them in. However, he appeared at the window a few minutes later with the thunder mug from under the bed and, throwing the contents out over the marines, he yelled: 鈥淵ou wanted arf n鈥� arf 鈥� well, it鈥檚 arf hers and arf mine.鈥�
The original Halfway House faced Old Esquimalt Road, as the new Esquimalt Road was not built until 1865. If only those walls could talk.
Sherri Robinson
Esquimalt
