LETTER EIGHT.
London,
My Dear Sister,
We received your letter dated January 27 on February 1st. We were glad to hear from you—it seemed so long since your last. Were extremely sorry, but not surprised, to hear of dear mother being so ill. I hope she is now restored to her usual health. We were much hurt by your account of the unfavourable circumstances attendant on Maria's journey, and sincerely hope she is perfectly recovered from her distressing illness. We hope, too, that by this time your own severe cold ' has had its day and been forgotten.' We ourselves are both rather poorly.
I have not been able to see Bell's Life, but tell my father that my high hopes are undiminished; that I have no doubt of being happy and prosperous in Australia. And I have much better opportunities of getting correct information on the subject here than you in Birmingham can have. With respect to the tales of private individuals, they in general are altogether unworthy of attention. There is a person lodging in the house where we live, who has been to Sydney. And there was a surgeon's family in the rooms under ours, when we came, who went out at their own expense last month; but we never asked a single question of either party. A girl that was apprenticed to Miss Irvine went out to New South Wales some years ago. She returned to England about four years ago, the wife of a celebrated missionary. She made Miss Irvine's her home during her stay in London. After laying out several hundreds of pounds in expensive articles of furniture she went back again to New South Wales, more glad again to leave than she was when she arrived in her native country. So you see we could obtain some news about Australia without going far afield, but we can go to sources so much superior that it would be waste of time to do so. That an 'official' account should appear in the True Sun, or any other paper. to discourage persons from emigrating, quite puzzles me. If it is meant by 'official' that it issues from the Colonial Government, when it is the Colonial Government that is paying for the passage of the hundreds of emigrants who are continually being sent out, not only from England, Scotland, and Ireland, but from France, Italy, and other places on the Continent, I think Mr. J. Varney must have been mistaken, if the report he saw was concerning New South Wales, as to the 'officialness' of its character. However, he is not likely to be injured by going to Australia; for assuredly no man will reach there who falls back at the first, or the hundredth, evil report he hears concerning the country.
I think leaving Birmingham was the best step we ever took, and I think leaving London will be the next best. We have suffered a great deal since we have been in London. Were obliged to pawn almost everything we had before I could get anything to do. I had some difficulty in obtaining my present situation. The reason they took me in was this: they had but one man in the manufactory who would undertake the work which I am upon, it is so excessively heavy, and he would rather have nothing to do with it; so they offered me a trial at this hard job, though, as I came from the country, they seemed to doubt whether I should be able to manage it, as it is also rather a difficult job; but they say now that I am quite an adept at it, and I believe they would rather I stayed with them than went to Australia. We were also a little behind with our rent. I can get, by working hard, about five or six shillings a day, but have not been able to make near full time, owing to having to go to the emigration office, and one thing and another. It is a very difficult thing to get a free passage. They would not even let me leave my certificates till last Monday, though I tendered them time after time. They would not give me a passage at first, because I was a turner, as persons of such a trade as mine must, when they get to Sydney, work on their own account. They take it for granted that persons who are taken out free of expense have not the means to do otherwise. There are crowds of applicants every day at the emigration office for them to choose out of, and they keep them back and put them off from time to time, very vexatiously, it seems to me, to try whether they are really anxious and resolved upon going, lest persons should go out of a mere capricious love of change. They will not take anybody who has a young and helpless family, except such mechanics as carpenters^ masons, smiths, shoemakers, etc., etc., who will be sure to earn enough to provide for them when they get there. Agricultural labourers cannot earn so much, therefore they are scrupulous at taking such of this class as emigrants as have families, and they will endeavour to ascertain whether you can pay for your passage yourself before they will agree to take you. Mr. Marshall told me, when I was speaking about James, that he must pay for his boy himself; if it is so, the child's passage will cost £8, but I hope they will yet agree to take him free. We shall see when they have the certificates. My plan is, if I get tools again to take out with me, to get a job at farm work or anything else that offers itself till I can save money enough to begin to work on my own account, unless something better should turn out for me. If I cannot take tools with me I must wait till I can obtain them from England, as I do not expect they can be procured nearer, which will be a monstrous calamity. It is said that a few turners might work profitably on their own account at Sydney. Still, however, I think it is not improbable that I may get hold of something better. The country is the best place for making money, A man of good common sense and active habits, if he can but save a little to begin with, may get rich there in no time. I have no doubt of James getting on. I think he will have a better chance than I shall; at any rate at first. But persons going to a strange country, where everyone is taught only to take care of himself, and going there friendless and without money, must expect to meet with difficulties, and to suffer privations and hardships. If I do not meet with such I shall indeed be disappointed.
Do not be at the expense of sending the two books, or anything else that we can do without, as instead of being able to send you any money for what you have already done for us, I find from a calculation which I have made that I shall be £4 short, unless something unforeseen turns out in getting the tools, which I ought by no means to omit taking with me. I shall be sure to go from England penniless, but I have some hope of getting something to do on the ship, at which I may earn a pound or two during our voyage, and if I can do so, it may be of the greatest use to us when we arrive at Sydney. I suppose we are sure to go next month. the ship Lady Raffles, which leaves Gravesend on 27th of March, finally leaves Plymouth on the 8th April, If we go in her everything should be here by this day six weeks at the latest.
If James and his wife have linen to last them for a month, Clarinda and Anne can make the other on the voyage, but they must bring the cloth ready washed. James will have no time to lose. Tell him, and also John Varney, if you see him again, the substance of this letter as far as relates to emigration.
You will see an interesting account of the effects of transportation on society in New South Wales in the number of Chambers' Edinburgh Journal sent.
We have paid our rent out of the money which we made of the woodwork of the lathe, and other things brought from Birmingham. We could not take them with us.
I send the paper which you had before, for you to keep for anyone to see who thinks of following us. Also a small pamphlet, which you can keep for the same purpose.
Your affectionate brother,
P.S.—Give our sincere and united love to our beloved father, and mother, and to Maria, Eliza, James and family, George and wife, Thomas, dog, cat, and all. Tell my mother I am only unhappy when I think of her.