| Title: | Robert Love, Petersburg, Va to his parents, Banbridge. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3633 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | love, robert (nephew)/92 |
| Year | 1819 |
| Sender | Love, Robert |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant? |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Banbridge, Co. Down, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | male-female |
| Relationship | son-parents |
| Source | T 2393/2/4A: Presented by Messrs Heron & Dobson, Solicitors, Banbridge, Co. Down. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9405163 |
| Date | 20/08/1819 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:05:1994. |
| Word Count | 1292 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Petersburg Virginia Aug 20th 1819 My Dear Parents I sent you a letter dated the 1st June by a Vessel for London I had only been here a few moments when I wrote it so I could not be very explicit [every?] thing that happened particular you will get here. On Sat 22nd May I came on Board in the Evening and on the next morning about 9 O Clock weighd anchor and set sail with a light pleasant breeze the Prospect of the [----gious?] Shores together with a great many boats sailing down the Bay after us conspired to enchant the sight we were becalmed all day on Monday in the Channel however on Tuesday a breeze sprang up we passed Mull of Cantire [Kintyre?] in Scotland several other small Scotch Islands Rathlin Island Ireland Giants Causeway and finaly [finally?] on the 26th took our departure from Enistrehul [Inishtrahull?] Island and So we began our Voyage through the Sable floods. I told you in my last I got into the Cabin and I was very glad at it for the Steerage was by no means a comfortable place Most of the passengers having left their sea legs & stomachs on land vomited and stumbled about most grieviously I was as well on Sea as ever I was in my life we had scarcely been a week out when we experienced a very heavy Gale a Sea which broke over our Quarter knocked the Hen Coops from their lashing I was sitting on one and it had nearly sent me overboard The [Lega--hock?] was a miserable Sailer [Sailor?] and her passage a tedious one her Cargo which was of salt made her strain terribly with rolling she seemed to be fitted out by the Parish there was not rope on Board strong enough to hang a Cat with. There was only one suit of Sails and after being out 5 weeks we split our foresail we had to do without one till it was mended. The first week of the passage it was very pleasent [pleasant?] but as the novelty wore away we got tired of looking constantly at sky and water and as we had nothing to Employ our selves at. "Full rolled the hours and tedious hung the Day " On the [4th?] June spoke the Higson of Cork with Saml [Samuel?] Riddle on Board on the 21st spoke a Dutch Vessel on the 22nd spoke the Albion of N. [New?] York from Charstown for Liverpool on the 23rd we got Soundings on the Great Bank of Newfoundland we passed through a fleet of French fishermen at Anchor we [hove?] to a little to try to catch Some but we were unsuccessful We Spoke the Brig Navigator from Jamacia [Jamaica?] for Quebec loaded with rum and Sugar the rats had eat holes in their water Casks and lost all their water One of their men had drowned himself for want of it they had only about 15 Gal [Gallons?] on Board among 10 of them we gave them two Casks for which they were very thankful their Captain is an Irishman. On the 17 we got the Pilot on Board and on Sunday the 18th I rose early and as I seen our sailors was lazy about looking out for Land I thought I would take a peep myself I went up and was so fortunate as to get a sight of it once more we got into the [-----?] 2 O Clock. On the passage we caught 2 porpoises Several Dolphins and a large Sunfish whose Skin was like a file the Dolphins was elegant fish and good eating I seen I suppose above 20 whales they are a terrible size Every place you go in this Country you will see [torn] but [torn]tinued woods [torn] woods of every Vigourous Green [torn] above [Stage?] high waving oer [over?] the hills And to the far horrizon [horizon?] wide diffused A boundless deep immensity of Shade We sailed up the Bay in Company with a great many vessels we had to be at the fort for the Doctors inspection a [?] [?] [?] and with light breeze sailed up to the town We moored our Vessel to one of the wharfes and I rejoiced to find myself on a kindred shore On going to the Bay a young man from Dungannon named [Mr?] Clarke and I having [stuck?] a fish called a skate with the harpoon we were hauling it up when suddenly he left me I did not know any thing [anything?] was the matter when I got it up and had given it to the sailors to cut up. I went down into the cabin and I found all of them about Mr Clarke the fish had stung him in the knee I never [?] [?] [?] so much [torture?] for the time he got better, the next day but I really thought for a while he would have died we seen 8 or 9 elegant Large Steamboats going up the Bay and I counted at [?] view 44 Sails. I send this p [per?] Mr [Cammon?] he will be going over again in a month so you can send a whole bundle of Letters with him every vessel coming to the united States you may send [?] with the farthest post will only be 25 Cents postage Baltimore is a most Beautiful City There are some Elagant [Elegant?] Buildings in it the streets all along are lined with Poplar trees on the Borders of the Flags the [they?] keep the sun of you and has a beautiful appearance they [the?] People are Fonder of the poplar here than any other tree there was a great fire one of the nights I was here in some torpentine [turpentine?] works as soon as got here our sailors all left the Ship and was driving about the City in Coaches all the time I was here The City is I think about 3 times as large as Belfast contains 80 thousand inhabitants and has a great deal of Shipping The Fort is about a mile out of town and the most beautiful Situation about it it commands a view of the whole river I expect soon to get a place in Petersburg Mr Murray is seeing about one for me I will send another letter enclosed in this one to let you know how I got to Petersburg I had no time to write another letter after this as I intended as he is going away sooner [than I?] expected I left Baltimore on Sunday Morning and arrived here on Sat morning July 31st being just 10 weeks on my journey Mr Murray [stained] here just a week after Mr Riddle & Mr Murray has been uncommonly kind to me I must ever feel the warmest Gratitude to them for their Kindness to me they treat me not as a Stranger but as a friend times are very dull here indeed every person is complaining No person should come out here that is not a good trade Shomakers [Shoemakers?] tailors Carpenters are the best business here you will pay 3 Dol [Dollars?] for a pair of Good Shoes and leather not dear but very bad 18 Dol [Dollars?] for making a Coat Sometimes more Carpenter has from 1 1/2 to 2 Dollars pay I never [torn] better health than here but weather is uncommonly [torn] and the [?] [?] Chances have a liking to a Drop of Fresh European blood you see how long a letter I have written I have no [room?] to say any more but to remember me to all my Friends & may Good bless you all Robert Love [addressed to:] To Mr John Love Banbridge County Down Ireland |
