| Title: | Isabella Marshall, N.Y. to Andrew Marshall, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 36 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Allen, Isabella/104 |
| Year | 1838 |
| Sender | Allen, Isabella & W. J. Campbell Allen |
| Sender Gender | female-female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife-businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | NYC, USA |
| Destination | Belfast, N. Ireland |
| Recipient | Marshall family |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | daughter and sister / son-in-law, brother-in-law |
| Source | D/1558/1/2/34: Presented by F.D. Campbell Allen, 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9803624 |
| Date | 19/09/1838 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:03:98. |
| Word Count | 2246 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York, September 19th 1838 My Dear Sisters. I suppose by the time this reaches you you will both be settled at home. Alada painting pictures from the sketches she has taken on the Highlands whose by word [---?] to any lady you are a pretty article to be presenting for the country in such a way. I received Rosa's letter on Wednesday evening on my return from Niagara and I say what a treat it was. I have but the direction was in Alida's handwriting but I was delighted to hear that she was enjoying herself in Scotland. You dont [don't] say anything about having written by the Packet of the 13th so I suppose seems not to expect her to bring me any news. I suppose by the time the Great Western has reached England and you have of our safe arrival and intended town so I will begin at the beginning and give you a sketch of our journey. We started on Friday evening with Mr and Mrs Brown picked up Mr Buchanan and his son - English going on the same way and with Mr Maginnis made a [stained] The two girls are very pleasant fellow travellers. The two seemed [stained] and careful of self. The [-----?] a good centred Welsh man and much information but always goodhearted and the case of the [stained] people. We all went on board the steamer going to Troy 150 miles up the Hudson. The [-----?]ing was dusty and we saw little of the river but cared less as we parted at the end of the day probably not to meet again in America. From Troy we took the next crossing the railway to Saratage Springs a first fashionable resort in crossing for fashionable its waters are considered finer than any in America, and equal to [----- -----?] It is a very pretty village surrounded with woods the streets are each side seeming to terminate in a forest. The Hotels with the [------?] of ours is closed they are large wooden buildings with long surrounding vines or creeping hanging [-------?] from pillar to pillar every thing was comfortable and we remained there Sunday, went to church and visited a pretty lake in the evening but I am [stained] on our route and my grandest will you afterwards the [stained] On Monday we took a stage for Whitetrall 38 miles distant. The [stained] as very easy and the miles good but oh Poz had you [stained] over the roads, they are just made by the ground being cleared for a certain width from grass and trees and a place of wood marked on each side. No stones laid down but when crossing a swamp trees are laid across the entrancess filled with mud the first part of the journey was comparatively easy but the last seven miles were beyond my expectations we went into holes and out of them no grand style and could not help admiring the dexterity of the driver who took us along in rapidity very few accidents happen on the roads and the people in the country think nothing of a few heights and hollows. We next morning took the Steamer across the Champlion it is the most beautifully finished boat I ever was in a perfect babyhouse. She reached St John's the next morning, took a railway to the prairie, there got into a steamer and crossed the Mighty St Lawrence to Montreal the weather up till then had been oppressively warm the thermometer in the shade at 75 but as soon as we entered Canada it was cold and bleak the skies clear and beautifully blue. Indeed I never saw it equalled in my own country. We were very much pleased with Montreal went searching for furs and found to our surprise that all the skins are sent to England, dressed and made up there and sent back here, so that they are quite if not more expensive in Canada than at home. In New York they are very dear and as to cromine it is scarcely to be procured so Marg [Margaret?] will provide herself much more cheaply at home On Friday evening we took a steamboat again, and sailed down the river to Quebec. I was disappointed in the scenery on this part of the St. Lawrence the banks are flat but very thickly inhabited and the width of the stream in parts is immense. Quebec is beautifully situated and is a most extraordinary looking place quite unforgettable. Saturday was unfortunately a pouring day the only wet one we had on our travels. We visited the citadel however, and had seen the town cathedral in the previous evening. On Saturday night we went on board again and steamed driving all Sunday reaching Montreal on Monday morning just in time to catch the stage that goes on the road to Biagtoa. at the end of Lake Ontario. We heard everywhere in Canada that disturbances are expected on Lord Durham's departure and each winter is likely to be a very unsettled one. All seem vexed at the idea of his Lordships leaving. For two days we steamed and staged alternatively taking the stage where the rapids were too strong and too rough. to be navigable. We slept on board vessels at nights and boarded in them. The river is much more beautiful as you sail up, numberless islands wooded to the water's edge over its surface make it very beautiful, villages and houses all neat and thriving are along its banks and the steaming of some very strong rapids give an excitement to the sail. On Monday morning we embarked on Lake Ontario the boat was a very fine one strong and finely fitted up. Our passage one of 24 hours to Lariston on the Niagara river was very rough. The lake is like the ocean we were frequently out of sights of land and the waves on it must have been tremendous for they struck the boat so as to make her tremble from end to end. We were seasick but what of that the morning took us to the Falls. Now I wished I had had you all beside me as I stood looking at the magnificent lane. My expectations were far exceeded I could have conceived nothing so grand so overpoweringly beautiful. We stopped on the American side at the Cataract house from which we could see the train hurrying to its fall and hear the outward rush of the water. The evening of our arrival we spent on the American side seeing all the fine points and the different falls in the detail. The last sound I heard was the music of the water and the same sound awakened me in the morning Say you "how could you sleep at all near such a [-----?]" alas travelling about so much fatigues our bodies and in spite of ourselves we must eat drink and sleep. Friday morning was wet but it cleared and we took a stage to the Liverpool two miles below the Falls on our return we took the ferry boat to cross to Canada; the boats like a Larne ferry boat towed by one beam leaves the shore scarcely ten yard from the American and not a quarter of a mile from the great house shore Fall, the water is amazingly calm and wears a smooth surface to conceal the raging beneath it was with fever and breathing I crept into the boats, the spray came across us in clouds and our crossing in safety so near the cataracts seemed miraculous. We landed and walked to table each stood at the edge of the tremendous fall looked down below where it frothed and foamed and threw a body of spray far higher than the rocks over which it fell went down to the entrance of the place where persons go underneath the fall, saw six men dressed to enter, returned to the ferry, crossed and then bade adieu to a scene that I never expect to be equalled. I would have encountered double the seasickness and fatigue to see it it was truly magnificent. From that we took a railway to Buffalo thence a stage to D[--?]aster on Sunday staged 63 miles to Auburn. From that had railway and stage to [-----?]. On Tuesday we visited the Newton falls which are perfectly beautiful, the scenery is romantic and the river takes 5 successive falls each one of them about 5 times (or probably more) the size and height of those on the Clyde. The day was bright and warm and the spray formed into beautiful rainbows we were all in good spirits and I think it was the pleasantest day we had on our excursion. William and I parted company from our fellow travellers at Wica taking the railway night train to Albany which place we reached in time for the boat down the Hudson. We had a glorious sail the river is romantic and interesting, we devoured [Poy's?] letter which was awaiting us and here we are in good health and spirits in the Carleton once more. We travelled 1600 miles in less than three weeks saw what was to be seen and enjoyed ourselves highly so you may think we were not idle. On Monday week we talk of starting for Augusta where we have received an invitation for Mr Campbell to take up our abode with him which we intend doing. I am afraid we will for bother too great a tax on his hospitality but William says not. This is a pouring wet day. Yesterday I was shopping with Miss Corbitt and assistance and with the expection of buying a bonnet had everything Frencg goods &c are much dearer that at home. And now my papers has come to a close. What are you all doing at Wellington Place I wish I could take a peep at you, see you busy at your occupations and say two or three words to you. If before One O'clock tomorrow I have anything to add I will cross a piece Now goodbye for the present Give my love to my dear [----?] & [-----?] Knowly John W.J. the Boys and all and believe that I am everywhere your attached sis [sister?] Isabella To all to whom these presents shall come their son in law or brother in law (as the case may be) sends greetings. So far as Isabella will permit me to peruse her epistle general, I perceive she has given you a brief sketch of our journeying since we landed on the continent. Our absence from New York must be our apology for permitting two or three packets to sail without any letters from us, but I am not sure that where there are so many of you, or will be ready to receive any excuse for a packet leaving Liverpool without a commence catern for us;- The advantage of crossing the Atlantic by steam was finely illustrated to us, (notwithstanding our comparatively unfavourable passage) by the fact that Orpheus which sailed from L'pool [Liverpool?] the day before we left Bristol only arrived here last Sunday, after we had travelled on this 'Continent' upwards of 12,000 miles. - I can add nothing respecting our journey except that Isabella has proved a much better traveller than I anticipated: we had some sufficiently fatiquing day's journey in the stages, but she never complained and was always ready for the following days occupation whatever it might be. - Rosa will accept my thanks for her mention of my mother: and I hope from what she says that the old lady will be induced to go out more frequently this winter than she has been in the habit of doing [----?] when I am at home. I should be glad to hear, what arrangements she has made with respect to servants, and whether she has concluded on heartburning herself until my return with the helpful youth I left with her. Unless I hear of these matters from some one of you; she will take good care that I shall not hear of any of her annoyances until I reach home although if I heard [----?] I might have it in my power [____?] distance to before them in some degree. - One circumstance has been omitted I see by my secretary and that is that at Buffalo a town at the foot of Lake Erie, which has sprung up within 23 years where no trace of civilisation was to be found 30 years ago, we stopped in a Hotel superior to nine tenths of the houses in our largest towns in England or Ireland, and that Mr. Brown & myself were in the evening to a theatre which in point of elegance has no equal at home out of London and where the orchestra was very much superior to any thing I have ever heard were in the Hawkins [-----?] Theatre in Dublin. With regard to the music this is not merely my own opinion but of others who were with me and have seen the places I have mentioned. - Kindest regards to all which of course includes Miss Knowles. I imagine you will tell my mother that you have received this epistle from us: and I remain most truly yours W.J.C.A. [William John Campbell Allen?] |
