| Title: | Andrew Collin, New Orleans to His Parents [Ireland?]. |
|---|---|
| ID | 672 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Collin, Andrew/29 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Collin, Andrew |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | T 2834/1/2: Deposited by Dr M.McGeown. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9406166 |
| Date | 30/11/1853 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 07:06:1994. |
| Word Count | 929 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New Orleans Nov. 30th 53 [1853?] Dear Parents I after a very quick passage sit down to write to you knowing that will all be anxious to hear of our arrival well all our party has arrived safe in the best of health thank God I wrote several letters out of Liverpool but I had left my boarding house ere I got an answer to any of them we lay out in the river 6 Days and I wrote to you on the day we set sail that was on the 25th of Octb.[October?] and we landed here to day which makes our passage in 5 weeks which I believe is one of the quickest has been made from Liverpool to Orleans for the 1st week after we sat out it was very rough and unpleasant weather and head windt [wind?] all the time on the night before hallowene [Halloween?] the Ship rolled so bad that the passengers cooking Stove was broke to pieces and then all hands were living on dry victuals that is bread and water for 4 days. They were then about to put into Cork harbour to get the stove repaired but the wind turned in our favour and then we fixed it up in a temporary manner to carry us across but as there was about 500 between passengers and crew that it was very difficult for every one to get along comfortable Some parties paid very high to get cooking done by the cabin cook. The cook and Stewart [Steward?] wanted to hire me to assist at cooking but I did not wish to be bound to it and so I offered my services on conditions that they would cook our victuals free and that was agreed to so we had a very comfortable time for the balance of our voyage we had a [serffia?][surfeit?] of good victuals and we all enjoyed ourselves first we have had fair winds for the last 4 weeks and very sickness and only one death and that was an infant and we had 2 births on the voyage so we landed more numerous than we Started which I am afraid will not be the case with a great many ships that have came out lately from the accounts I hear there was a ship landed hear [here?] called the blanche from Liverpool some days ago which lossed [lost?] 27 passengers on the trip the Gleimarma Sailed 5 days before us has not arrived here as yet there is one thing I am certain of that if the Ship had put into Cork 1 out of every 4 of the passengers would have made their America in Ireland I think for life the yellow fever is altogether abated in this city but the cholera is breaking out in it and I am afraid will go ahead Pat [Patrick?] McAliece and wife and Mary McAliece & Bridget are all going up to St Louis to morrow and I intend going to Mobile to morrow for Francis Devlin William Mackle and Samuel Wilson I cannot say exactly what they will do yet they speak of coming on to Mobile but to advise them I would not like for fear it might not turn out favourable there is plenty of work here and wages tolerable good at present and I believe we are all as fit to go to work this day as we were leaving home and in good health if not better I have been through the city a good deal to day but I seen no person I knew no mon Dear Parents I am happy to inform you that my health and strength has both increased since I left Liverpool and I am not the least discontented about the ramble I took only for one thing that is that it seemed to go so hard again [against?] your will and the will of my friends for me to leave home the second time but I believe I could not have settled at home without seeing it out; turn out how it may but with the help of God I will do my endeavour to make it turn out as well as I possibly can and I hope none of you shall make yourselves uneasy about me for if I had the choosing of my health I could not wish it to be better than it is and I will strive and keep it so. I hope all my friends are in as good health as when I left them I send my love to Daniel. Rosey and Anna and Lewis and likewise to my Uncle Felix Aunt Betty & family remember me to Hugh McLinden and tell him I will write to him in 2 or 3 weeks when I got settled I hope his mother has recovered her health again I will conclude by wishing you all a happy christmas and I expect you to have this for a christmas gift I remain your loving son to death Andrew Collin I wish to inform you that we all landed in as good friendship as we we met in at the Portadown Station and it was so all the way which made everything go along sweetly and I think so far as I see that all our party are well satisfied with each other Direct your letter to Andrew Collin of Mobile State of Alabama United States America State your write immediately Will write to John to St. Louis some of those days and I then can get all the St Louis news |
