First day on board an Emigrant ship.

On board of Jessie Munn.

October 23^rd 1861

We came on board this morning about 8 o’clock. We came down the river in a small tugboat. There was a great confusion at the time of embarking but all are quiet now. The Captain met us at the head of the stairs and handed us all in; when I went downstairs and had seen my place of abode for three months I thought it impossible to remain there. We had breakfast at nine o’clock, tea [at] 5 and we get to bed at nine, so they say.

Oct. 24^th – I got up this morning at 6 o’clock, and had a good bath in the salt water, had breakfast at nine, got up on deck soon after & sat by myself alone and when I looked around me & saw all the strange faces it made me shed tears and then I thought for a moment how we were in a shell of wood and that to carry us through great water; but I thought on the other hand that God was as strong on sea as He was on land, and that He would do as seemed Him good, and this eased my faithless thoughts – and something else came in my mind not much better.

Oct^r. 25^th – I got up this morning at 6 o’clock, rolled up my bed, got myself washed, had breakfast before 9, got up on deck shortly after.

The ship is very clean indeed & the Captain appears to be a nice man & so is the doctor. The Captain is a Scotchman & the doctor Irish, both the mates are English. They are a lot of very quiet men as yet.

26^th – We have sailed today at one o’clock; unfortunately we were at dinner when she started. I got on deck as soon as I could to view the scene. I stood gazing along the coast of England which soon got out of my view. It was then I thought I had left all that were near & dear to me never to see them more, at least a mere chance if I will, but there is no good looking to this now. We lost sight of land in about half-an-hour. The ship is sailing at the rate of ten miles an hour. We are all sick already and the fishes has [sic] got the benefit of our dinners and we cannot take any tea. I am so bad that I can hardly hold my pen to write these lines. We are getting fair wind, thank God for His kindness in the beginning of our voyage which is to be a long one.

27^th – Today the breeze continues still we are all dead sick. The doctor says he likes to see us all sick. It is so much the better for us afterwards, but we don’t wish it but there is no help for it at present.

28^th – Today the wind is shaken & the sea is very calm. The sea-sickness is all over except it will come back again & all looks quite happy. The girls are all busy at work. The ship’s sailing very slow only 5 miles an hour.

November 2^nd – Sight of land again! We have had the pleasure of seeing an Island which cheered our spirits a little. The name of this island is Madeira. The day is very clear & we are quite happy sailing along the main ocean surrounded by fears.

Nov^r. 8^th – The weather is very hot one could go almost naked. We sleep without blankets & still are very hot. We have got a sail over the deck to shade us from the sun & it does a great deal of good. When I got on deck this morning the first thing that drew my attention was a large ship. Our captain spoke to them by flags & they came near & the captain came on board of our ship, a Highlander from Inverness, a jolly looking fellow called John Malet; he went away after dinner. He is bound for the East Indies loaded with coal. The ship is Queen of England.

Nov^r. 9^th – Today we had another Captain on board our ship, an Englishman. He did not stop long; our Captain went on board of his ship which is sailing close on us now, and such hurrahing & wavering of handkerchiefs I never saw in my time before, they are going on in both ships. Our Captain is home & has brought the fiddler on deck, the girls are all dancing. It is getting late & we are going downstairs to prayers. The Captain bid them good night with torches. It is very nice to see a ship in the way - this is the second.

Nov^r. 11^th – We had the same ship along-side yesterday but we never spoke to them as it was Sabbath. We had church at 11 o’clock. The mate ran the bell for a quarter of an hour; it sounded like the church bells at home. I was happy to see the people gathering from parts of the ship to hear the word of God which was read by the doctor after the Church of England style. We have Bibles and all comforts on board, thank God. This is to continue to the end of the voyage. Last Sabbath we were all sick so there was no preaching. The doctor gave a fine lecture. This is his seventh voyage with emigrants to Australia.

Nov^r. 25^th – We crossed the line yesterday at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and we had Neptune on board at 8 o’clock at night. The girls were almost out of their judgement when they saw him. I knew he was one of the dressed up sailors. The captain took him & his lady to the Cabin & treated them to a glass of wine & after that they got I don’t know what. The weather is fine & calm. I sleep every night as if I had been on land only that I lie awake after I get to bed thinking of home and about my friends. We are getting on fine thanks to God for His kindness in bringing us so far in safety along the way which we are to pass over. The weather is so hot we are nearly melted with pure heat. There is lots of flying fishes going about there ways back.

December 8^th – The sailors caught a shark today which caused a great stir among us. They brought him on deck and the captain stabbed him with a dagger. He had his mouth open ready to swallow anything that would come in his way. The doctor is going about like a madman keeping the girls back for fear they will get hurt – it is a very large one, 10 feet in length & very thick.

Dec^r. 18^th – We are going round the cape. It is very coarse, the waves rising top-mast high and the ship is rocking so that we can hardly stand our ground & the cooking utensils is [sic] playing hide & seek & until it is calm we will never see them – in fact, we cannot look for them, we ourselves are as bad, one holding on by a post here another yonder, some laughing, others falling, some singing out it’s no fun – and after all it’s not fun. The Captain says we will get used to it and think nothing of it. We are 500 miles from the cape so it must be a wild spot. It is dreadful cold here just now. Consider what winter will be like for it is summer here now. We get showers of hail often for all it is summer. I never was pitched out of bed yet for all it is so rough.

Dec^r. 20^th – Last night was a dreadful stormy night. It blew about 10 o’clock, we were all in bed. It blew so hard that I thought it would blow the masts out of her. The Captain rang the bell and all hands were soon on deck & got plenty to do. They took down all her sails and they made a fearful noise which awoke the girls in below and this noise got louder below than above, so it was enough to disturb the mind of any one, some praying, others going into their bunks to sink together. My bed is close on the stairs; I can hear everything that is going on deck. I got out of bed and got upstairs to see; I tryed three times before I managed it. At last I got up and looked through the rails at the head of the stairs. It was a dreadful sight to see our poor bark tossed about making her way the best she could through the raging sea. She was stripped of all her sails, there was nothing but bare masts to be seen and every wave that knocked against her shook her. I thought we were all to be called to eternity. I spoke to the captain, he said it is all over now, go to bed & sleep till the morning. There is no danger; at least I took down all her sails. I cannot do more for her, let her try her best. We are in a good hand. Be all quiet like good girls, there is no fear. It is a dreadful sight to see a ship in a storm but the captain allows it was a storm. When the girls heard that the sails were all down they though it was high time to call for mercy, and so they did, and the Lord was merciful. There is no God like our God.

It is all over now and all the sails are up again, and a nice sight it is to se a ship in full sail and a good day into the bargain; and we have got so today thank God. The poor Jessie kept us as dry as – during the storm. I never had a wet bed nor the whole time that I was in her, and I never was happier only that I feel lonely for the society of my friends & acquaintance. The girls are all very nice. We agree well all of us and the Captain is a nice man. We are not allowed to speak to married people or single men. We have a poop of our own. The single men are so far away one would not know their brother among them. We are not allowed to look at, let alone speak to them, the doctor is so strict on us. He locked one of the girls away in the bath-room all day yesterday. He thought she was talking to the man at the wheel but she said no. There is no man allowed in our part except on business. The sailors come time about to the wheel.

Dec^r. 25^th – It is Christmas today and it is very stormy. We are sailing close on two Islands, Crosset Islands is their name. We can see the snow on the land. The ship is rocking so that we cannot stand on our feet. We had brandy sause [sic] for dinner by the doctor’s orders – and nuts and raisins from the Captain so we were happier than one would think at home. Both of these men are as kind as ever lived. They give us all the comforts they can afford.

January 1^st 1862 – Today is New Year’s Day and I am far from my friends. It is a long time since I spent my holidays with my father and mother but never that far away but could get to them in a few days’ travel until now, but I am very happy. Last night a group of Scotch girls sat together talking about home. I was among them and we cried bitterly but it was no good. I was hunted out of my bed this morning by one of our girls calling out a Happy New Year to you! We all got up and this was the whole cry. We had breakfast pretty early – the girl in the next bed to me came with a bottle full of water and asked me to take a glass with her. I asked her “if it was strong”. She said “the best”. Fill up, I said, and I will drink their health at home first, my father, then my mother and sisters, brothers and my acquaintance. I went through the girls and thought I would get my arm broke shaking hands. I was at tea in the married folks place, other two girls and me got leave from the doctor. The weather is so coarse we sat on the floor and after all could not keep steady, one holding the teapot, another holding the bread basket and so on; one great sea came in, I thought we were down. The doctor was on deck at the time. It knocked him down and gave him a sore cut on the brow, but he can put on a plaster to suit it and that is so much in his favour.

Jan^y. 20^th – We are in sight of Tasmania or Van Dieman’s Land. The Captain says we will soon be landed if we get fair wind. We will be sailing alongside the land tomorrow all day if all is well.

Jan^y. 21^st – The wind is ahead of us today, a bad job, and we see no land. We are tacking about making very little progress; we never had contrary wind before so we cannot complain. We cannot expect everything the way we wish always.

Jan^y. 22^nd – Contrary wind today again and the Captain is very dull because we are so near to landing that we should be kept back, but there is no help for it.

Jan^y. 23^rd – Fair winds today, and all is well. We are in sight of New South Wales, but it is a long way off. We will be close on it tomorrow if all is well.

Jan^y. 24^th – Today we are quite close on land and can see the houses plain. The name of the small village is Port Macquarrie, the Captain told us so. We are so close on land when the ship turns one could jump on dry land. We see a wind-mill now.

Jan^y. 25^th – We are close on the end of our voyage – thanks to God for bringing us safe so near the end. We will be landed tomorrow if we get fair wind and a pilot on board. If not we will have to tack about at the mouth of the bay, so they say. It is a long way up the river but we need good wind.

Jan^y. 26^th – We are sailing along the sandy deserts of Queensland, and so may I call them deserts for there is nothing to be seen but a whole forest of wood. I have not seen so much bare ground as one could build a house on. We saw a lighthouse today, Morton Bay Lighthouse it is called, but we have lost it again.

Jan^y. 27^th – A pilot on board today. He came at 8 o’clock in the morning. He was as brown as a berry with the sun, but there is no wind to take us up the bay today. The pilot says we will have fair wind tomorrow and a good tide, but will have to anchor tonight until tomorrow.

Jan^y. 28^th – We are going up the bay today. The sailors struck work today. They would not draw a rope for the Captain. The emigrant men worked up the ship in the forecastle and the girls drew on the poop. We had to work or else we would not get up the bay. We will be anchored at 8 o’clock at night.

Jan^y. 29^th – We are lying on anchor today. We anchored at 8 o’clock. We stopped on deck in spite of the doctor to hear the anchor drop – it made a noise sweet to my ear, but I cried bitterly and that was because I was to be left like Abraham a stranger in a strange land. The girls all cried because we were to be separated, we lived so happy. The doctor was like a father to us and the Captain like a brother. The doctor was not a religious man but he kept good order and read prayers night and morning and sang the evening and morning hymn.

Jan^y. 30^th – We had the Commissioners and Board of Health on board this morning to examine the emigrants. They are well pleased with [the] captain and doctor and the inspector said that ours was the cleanest ship ever he was in, out of 570 ships. We had no sickness on board since we left home and that made us look better. We got fat every one of us. I almost could live on sea air, but we got plenty to eat and not much to do. We had such a pleasant voyage, it made all happy. I suffered more going round the Mull of Cantyre the last time I was home then I did all the voyage. We had many rough nights but we didn’t feel any of it, the ship was so light loaded that she never took in any sea; we were on deck every day never kept down by storm as plenty has been. The Jessie made the quickest route that ever came to Morton Bay. It was the Captain’s first voyage as captain and he was attentive. He would have sails down if it was like a shower for fear we would be frightened and put them up just as quickly.

Jan^y. 31^st – The steamer is by our side today to take us ashore and such a time was never seen except in a case of the same. We will be off as soon as possible to the new country to see what is going on. There we are in the steamer now and going up the river. It is the bonniest place ever I saw in my life. The river is something like the Clyde only it goes out and in. It would be worth while to come all the way to see this river and go back next day. The people is hurrahing and waving their handkerchiefs. We see a lot of blacks. There is two on the side of the river. They had nothing on but their shirts. They took them off & shook them & hurrahed like the rest of the people on the way. Brisbane is 20 miles from the Bay so it will be lost before we get there.

Copy of part of Letter

Maryborough

April 3^rd 1863

My dearly beloved father & mother, brothers & sisters & uncle,

I take the favourable opportunity of writing these lines to let you know I am in good health, hoping this may find you enjoying the same blessing. Dear friends, you will be more than thunderstruck to hear from me after such a long time, but long looked for comes at last. Dear friends, I hope you will forgive me for being so long in writing you as I could not write sooner as I was in the Bush living 200 miles from the town. I have got into town now & I may call it a town. I don’t know what to compare it to it is so small but it is a nice healthy place, I like it well enough so I do the colony. I feel very happy only that I feel lonely for the society of my friends and acquaintance particularly my parents. I know what state my mother has been in since I left home thinking about me, and I am as wishing to hear from you. I am at home always at night but in the morning alas I am far from it. If I had a letter from you to let me know that you are all well I would be as happy as if I were in Glasgow. To hear from you I believe will be all ever I will get unless some of you might come here. I suppose I shall never see home again. No matter if I be well but there is no-one but would like to go home. This is a better country than home in some way. All that I have against it is that we are nearly eaten up with mosquitoes. Also the prickly heat is very annoying. It comes through one’s skin like a rush & one could almost rub the skin off. Dear mother, I have to tell that I like this country very well. The heat agrees well with me. As for work I had to work hard at home, & I have to work as hard as I ever did at home. The rate of wages here is from 20 to 25 pounds & 10 [shillings] is as good at home as 20 here & not so many comforts. When first I came here girls was very scarce & wages were higher but there is plenty of people to be had & that makes labour cheaper but makes no odds in the work. I expect the wages will be lower yet. I don’t see why people should leave home at that rate. I have seen some people after they came could not get any work for weeks, & when they did get it they could not live at it. How is those to live in a strange country. They cannot live very well.