| Title: | Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1852 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4469 |
| Collection | The Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale] |
| File | beale/3 |
| Year | 1852 |
| Sender | Beale, Joseph Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | emigrant |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ship Sarah Sands, near Cape Town |
| Destination | Mountmellick, Co. Laois, Ireland |
| Recipient | Beale, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | husband-wife |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 625 |
| Genre | stopping at Cape Town, visiting the town |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Sarah Sands off Cape Town 11 mo: 8th 1852 [8 November, 1852] My dearest Love, I concluded my last letter on the 6th and went ashore with Jos'h Frs D. Kennedy and his son. Frs and I went to the post office more than half a mile, we met three gentlemen in one of the streets and enquired our way. They said we are strangers like yourselves, having only landed last evening from "the Australia" bound for Melbourne from St. John's New Brunswick. I told them our story and that a young man from New Brunswick was the only person who died on the voyage. The person I spoke to was the next door neighbour to the young man who died, he was well-known there, and much regretted by all the passengers on board the Australia. This ship has 105 persons on board, nearly all Irish born, or born of Irish parents. When I told them I was Irish they clasped my hands as if I were an old acquaintance. We posted our letters and then took a walk in the botanic garden. It appeared like a sort of dream to me, walking amongst tropical trees, hothouse plants, the walks border'd with dwarf myrtle clipped like box with us at home, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, etc. etc., roses in full bloom. I saw few plants except roses common with us. I recognized an orange lilly, and some white lillies, the latter far finer in the size of the blossom than I ever witnessed before. We spent a very agreable hour or two in these splendid grounds, and then proceeded with our new friends to their hotel. Their vessel was built for the passengers, they bo't their own stores, have their own Capt'n and crew, and have every comfort within themselves. We are to dine with them to-day on board the Australia. I like the climate of the Cape very much, it is not at all too warm for me, and the air is so clear and pleasant—fruit in abundance, and no poverty. There are a great mixture of race here, negroes, Malays, Dutch and Eng'h. One sees nothing like the poverty of Ireland. We remained in Cape Town from 7th day morning until the last even'g. Nearly all our passengers are on shore, so I have a quiet hour to enjoy conversing with thee my best beloved. My last left by mail on the even'g of the 6th, but another vessel is daily expected from Australia, which our mate told me would most likely reach England before the one which left on the 6th as the latter was disabled, so I thought it better lo have the two chances. We expect to leave this port for Melbourne on 5th day the 11th inst, and will likely be 36 to 40 days on the voyage, then our anxieties begin, but I humbly hope we may be provided for comfortably and so soon as we are I shall prepare to receive thee and all my dear family. Oh how I long to hear from you all. The more I reflect the more I believe our leaving Ireland is a right s[tep?] but the time to be separated appears so long and dreary-—the voyage is nothing almost, [I] should think it nothing to go back if advisable to have the pleasure of thy company on the voyage out—but I believe that pleasure I cannot have. Farewell, my dearest Love and with unabated affection for each of my dear children and all my friends and old neighbours, am thy attached husband Joseph Beale I sent 12 shirts to be washed to-day, for which I pay 3/6—the mate pays 3/6 a doz, for all things round. |
