| Title: | Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1852 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4471 |
| Collection | The Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale] |
| File | beale/5 |
| Year | 1852 |
| Sender | Beale, Joseph Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | road worker |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| 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 | 2118 |
| Genre | arrival, reality shock, the diggings, prospects, account of the Colony, local economy |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Melbourne 12 mo. 25th 1852. [Chrismtas Day, 1852.] My ever dearest Love, Thro' favour of Divine Providence we landed in health and safety here on the 16th inst, our voyage from the Cape was not attended with any thing worth notice, but on our arrival here we found ourselves amongst a new people—new according to our ideas in every respect. We have read a deal of Australia, but no book yer printed gives an idea of this Colony. I believe every passenger was disappointed—situations were all filled—so we concluded it better to take our tent 9 miles up the country and work for the Govt. at 10/- per day, except Jas Kennedy who gets 8/- paid every 6th day—thus we save £11.0.0 (eleven Pds) a week allowing D. Kennedy £1.0.0 per week clear of his food etc. In this Colony one must work, labour is the most expensive item of expenditure. A number of first class passengers are glad to mingle amongst us who have become working men. We acknowledge them, do them an act of kindness, but here every man is for himself. We intend to purchase a horse and cart and work on the roads. We can save (clear of expense) £o.0.0 (six Pds) per week by a horse. It requires some interest to obtain the permission but I have made friends in the Govt. Offices at Melbourne and have the influence of the overseer of our workng party and that of the adjoining party. They promise me to give me employm't for our dray. The cost here of outfit will be about £100. We have a store established [at the Spring Gully road camp] for the supply of 120 workmen, as well as ail passsing strangers. Sh'd things continue as they are at present, which is very doubtful, from the immense immigration, we shall be able (if fav'd with health) to lay by in Bank £600 a year— more is to be obtained by every industrious man, but he must earn it. Thou wouldst scarcely know me were thou to meet me on the road in my working dress—however I find education commands respect amongst all, and that I am able to do a days work as well as others with a shovell and pickaxe. We keep together and when the day's work is over (at 6 o'ck) we have our tea and take a walk in the woods or amuse ourselves as we please independently. Many people live by digging gold but I am satisfied with our present state of certainty—to the uncertainty of gold-digging. Our tent as I before mentioned is about 9 miles from Melbourne on (he road to the "diggings". Many people pitch their tents near ours. While at work there, or in the even'g or early morn'g I have a chat with the diggers (I rise before six, before any of our party is out of bed) and from all I hear I believe working people can obtain a better return for their labour by gold-digging than by any other mode of life, but the hardships are considerable, and I am of opinion that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" and so long as we can lay by £11 pr. week as at present, and when we buy a horse and cart £15, I am satisfied. Many things offer here by which money is to be made, but on reflection one thinks, if I make 15/- per diem by this undertaking, I must deduct 10/- for my own time, and 5/- per day is nothing here. Here is plenty of money for labour, gentlemen who are above working are tho't nothing about, diey spend to their last shilling and are of no account, the really working man is consider'd above all others. Luxuries arc extremely dear here, amongst them are reckoned things which we never think of buying viz. eggs 6d each, poultry (small) 12/- pr couple, geese 20/- each, butter 2/- pr lb, cabbages (mere leaves) fid pr head, onions 1/- pr lb etc etc. Every child is useful in the Colony, everyone that can pull up a weed cm earn their days keep, but owing to the foolish laws of the country, one cannot obtain an acre of land to build a house upon, unless the fee simple is purchased say near Melbourne at a higher price than in the neighbourhood of London. If market gardeners were encouraged, vegetables would be obtainable, but no one will reclaim the forest unless the-y are secured for their labour. On reflection I and the boys are well pleased at coming here. There is an opening not obtainable in Ireland, nor in any country in Europe, in fact it is too good to last long, but while we have the opp[ortunit]y we will endeavour to make the most of it. The working classes here are very rough, earn money easily and spend it foolishly, but I manage them without any trouble. A long sea voyage breaks one in well for new scenes and strange occurrences, one is prepared for almost every thing, hard food, hard bed, rough living in every way, so that a change from shipboard to even this country style of living is a change for the better-—In fine to describe this country as it is is impossible —I would advise no one to come out but a man accustomed to labour, all others are useless here. So much for a dry letter, and now let me add a line for thee, my beloved and most precious Marg't and my dearest children. Josh and I are most anxious to have you here, but don't come until we have a comfortable house ready for you. Tell Mary Brophy [our old family nurse] Jos'h will pay for her passage and [her daughter] Charlotte's to come with thee, their labour is worth anything here, 7/- a dozen for washing clothes etc etc. I shall write soon again and remit thee cash for all thy expenses, and Oh when we meet, how happy and thankful shall I be to have thee and all my precious children around me. "Oh, let them haste to gladden and surprise And kiss the doubt from these delighted eyes." Farewell my darling life, present my very dear love to my dearest sister Mary and all her flock, kiss each of my beloved children for me, and believe me to be thy ever fond, affectionate, faithful and loving husband Joseph Beale. I am to pay D. Kennedy 20/- pr week, from this time for one year and he is provisioned, the rem'r of his wages goes to us and all James earns. Please to continue his wife's weekly allowance and I will remit thee from him £5 in my next letter and £5 to buy a dress for thyself—we are putting money together to buy a horse, cart and tackling. I suppose all will cost about £100 but we are to be paid £9 pr week, by Government for one horse's work—when writing, direct thy letters to care of Raleigh, Locke, Thorp & Co. Merch'ts Melbourne. Win. Locke, the second in the firm, is an old friend of mine. He was surprized when I accosted him, took me with him to his country house, where I dined and spent the night. I also met Wm. Robinson of Dublin at meeting, he and one friend with ourselves and two strangers formed the silent meeting—no women were present. Deb[ora]h Thompson does not attend meeting. I have not seen her. She lives at Colltngwood, 2 miles from this city. There are several towns around us of a larger size than Mt Melick. When thou comest out bring as little luggage as possible with thee. It is a great incumberance and care, greater than its value here. Jas. Roach, who wrote to me from this place, is since dead. Please inform his friends. Now for a list of prices (the articles we use are comparatively cheap). We sell tea at 2/- pr lb and buy it by the £ chest at 30/- best black or about 1/5 pr lb, coffee 2/- bo't in quantity at 1/6, beef and mutton 5d pr lb, by the carcase 3 ½ d or 4d. Flour £20 pr ton, bread 18d per 4 lb loaf, a bakery here would pay well, or a grocers shop. In fact money is spent in astonishing quantities. Houses are very dear here. Our house at Barkmill [Monordreigh] if placed here in a pretty good situation for business, would bring £350 or £400 pr ann. [in rent]. We all wish my dear William were with us, he could earn for us £200 a year —Anything that requires labour is dear, vegetables enormously so, for instance potatoes are 6d pr lb, green cabbages 6d each, green peas something like ½ d each pea!! Cherries 5/- pr lb. A gardener could do well, but he sh'd reckon his own time at 10/- pr day. We feel quite independent, working as we are is not in any degree consider’d degrading here, on the contrary, those whose good wishes we might desire to cultivate, estimate us more for doing as we are. We expect to be able to have a comfortable residence for thee and the children about 8 months hence but we should not incur any expense in a house until we hear from thee. Perhaps thou wilt come to me next 9th month, to leave home early in 6th month. If you call at the Cape of G'd Hope, be sure to ask for a letter for thyself from me. The Post Office at Cape Town is just by the Botanic Gardens, walk on thro' a shaded walk of oak trees ab't 100 yards, and thou wilt see the Governor's house on one side (the left) and the entrance to the botanic gardens on the right. There is no charge to strangers. We find everything diff't here from Ireland (yet we all like the Colony and people), instead of begging work, workmen are begged for. A man asked D. Kennedy to work for him, he said he was engaged, and the man offered a sovereign to Dan if he would find a workman for him. Thou wouldst be surprised to see, as is an every day case here a common dressed man (no better than Tom Carny at home) ask another what he would drink, throw down 8/- for a bottle of Champaigne and drink it off, and then treat his neighbour to another bottle. Copper is seldom used, if thou buys 8d worth and pays 1/- thou gets a lb sugar or something else for change. Butter we dont use, it is too dear, 2/- pr lb, neither bacon 2/3, nor milk 1/- a quart. With ones family to assist, plenty of cash can be made and we can enjoy life with each other. Remember me to all enquiring friends. Dont encourage any one to come out for everything depends on whether one works or not and not to be above doing whatever is to be done. If Charlotte Brophy comes with thee and her mother she can do very well here, she will probably soon get a good match and if so her passage money will be repaid to us cheerfully. I think thou had better not tell anyone that we are doing well, except our own immediate friends. I found no use from letters of introduction and never delivered one, but a letter from an influential person to the Gov'r here would be very useful. A common letter of introduction to him would be worth nothing, but a particular letter asking him to assist me as an old friend [member of the Society of Friends] would be of great service. Once more farewell, my dearest earthly tie, to look forward for so many months before we meet appears a very long time and a great privation indeed, but when thou comes here thou wilt, I am fully persuaded, have plenty, yea, abundance of every thing without care on thy part—be sure thou and the children come as first class passengers, Mary and Charlotte as second, and they can be with you during the day and have the same food as first class. It would be imprudent for me to go tor thee on the boys' acc't and loss of time, which is loss of money here, though I sh'd be delighted to do so for my own gratification and to assist thee on the voyage out. However thou will enjoy the voyage after a week or so. |
