| Title: | John James Murphy to Martin Murphy, 5 December 1863 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4036 |
| Collection | Argentina - Murphy |
| File | murphy/11 |
| Year | 1863 |
| Sender | Murphy, John James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | emigrant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Destination | Haysland, Co. Wexford, Ireland |
| Recipient | Murphy, Martin |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | brothers |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 447 |
| Genre | account of passage |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Rio de Janeiro Dear Brother and Friends, The part of this letter dated from St. Vincent was written with a view of sending it by the packet we were to meet there. But having missed her during night I had to enclose by this although not as well as should wish it done yet far the improvement I can make in it. It's not worth while to commence writing it over again but shall commence with a few remarks of the voyage from that date. We left St. Vincent on Saturday 4 o'clock P.M., crossed the Line Thursday 26th, sighted the coast of Brazil 28th, arrived in Pernambuco 29th, left there same evening, arrived in Bahia on 30th, left there on 1st December, and arrived here Rio de Janeiro on Friday 4th in good health and spirits, thanks be to God. I have been on shore at all the above mentioned places and I must say that they present a great of scenery and romantic curiosity to the stranger. Those countries all are very mountainous, and the difficult streets of the cities can be only traversed by means of chairs carried by negroes. There are an abundance of all kinds of fruit, and the natives are clothed with scarcely enough to cover them. The ship we arrived here in, named the Paraná, proceeds no further than here. She is met here by the Mercy, that trades between here and Bs. As. She brings the mail from Bs. As. and then they are conveyed home by the ship that brought us out. We proceeded from her for Bs. As. on Monday 7th, and expect to be in Bs. As. on Sunday 13th. I shall write from there by the first packet and let you know how all friends are. After getting on so well this voyage I shall not think so much of making one hereafter. From the hubbub that's on board it's almost impossible to write any thing, so you must content yourself with the present. I should nor have written at all under such circumstances were it not that I promised to write on every opportunity. There are six prisoners going home by this packet, to be tried by the laws of England, for having murdered the Captain, Mate, cook and some sailors on board an English ship off on the coast, or in the River Plate. They are chiefly not Englishmen as I believe none of them. Dear friends, I must conclude by wishing this may find you all in good health which will ever be the prayers of your dear and affectionate brother, John Murphy |
