| Title: | Thomas Cather, New York to David Cather, Limavady. |
|---|---|
| ID | 597 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cather, Thomas/58 |
| Year | 1836 |
| Sender | Cather, Thomas |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | New York, USA |
| Destination | Limavady, Co. Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Cather, David |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | son-father |
| Source | D/3220/5/6: Deposited by the late Lady Tyler. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9807602 |
| Date | 15/03/1836 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 21:07:98. |
| Word Count | 1602 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York. March. 15th. 1836 My dear Father. Just as we arrived in sight of American land, we were boarded by a [___?] boat, to the [___?] in charge of which I gave a letter for you, he promised faithfully to leave at the office of the Packet that was to sail next day. so I conclude you have heard ere this of our having crossed the Altantic, & arrived safely off the American Coast. Our voyage was pleasant enough. We had rather a heavy gale for two or three days, which had only the effect of shivering two of our sails, - affording us the [___?] spectale of the ocean We a [___?] & di[___?] to a very uncomfortable degree the stomachs of some of the Passengers. Our vessel must be a good craft, for he got eleven & half knots out of her sailing on a kind, & we over carried sail spurned a vessel that was obliged to lie to. There were only three cabin passengers beside ourselves. one of them an American gentleman who was returning from a 3 years Tour through Europe was a very pleasant, well informed person, and a great acquisition to our society he visited Philadelphia, and on leaving this, requested that we would not pass through that city without letting him know. when he said he should be happy to do anything in his power to serve us. The Evening of the day after the date of my last letter we arrived here & not being able to get rooms at Buukles which is rekowd [renowned?] the best House we put up at the City Hotel in Broadway (it should rather be called Long Way) a street that the New Yorkers pride themselves very much on, though it is nothing to talk of we found the streets covered with snow in some places three & four feet deep. hard frost & the weather intensely cold - thermeter [therometer?] at zero - they say here it has been the most severe winter since the Revolutionary War there has been continued frost & snow for the last 3 months & the cold weather has continued much longer than usual, by arriving here [___?] we have some Idea what an American Winter is - more cool than comfortable, though fine clear h[___?] weather just the time for taking plenty of exercise.- they have abundance of coal & keep good fires in all their rooms. however unfortunately the second night I was here, the warm fire in my room had the effect of drawing out the bugs from their winter [___?] - & the Amercian bugs seem to be of a peculiar breed, about the size of small clocks, bloody minded sharp toothed, strong jawed vessels I had scarely got into bed, when they attacked me in force, & so worried & bedevilled me that I was obilged to ring for a fresh supply of baudles, and remain up the rest of the night but as I have discontinued having a fire I have escaped their attack though when the warm weather sets in we may expect to be devoured. The Hotels here are enormously large at this one, about 200 persons dine every day in one long room, and such scenes of scrambling and devouring I never witnessed every person eats as if his salavation depended on the speed with which he can bolt his dinner in the course of ten minutes, then half of the company are up and away. The Amercians are great Economizers of time, they do every thing in a hurry ,and are constantly on the run.- House rent here is extravagantly high - this Hotel pays 12000, Dollars a year & there is another now being finished, that will be able to accommodate five hundred people, & the rent of it is upwards of thirty thousand dollars we have seen Mr. Sampson several times, spent the other evening at his house, & have a general invitation to go there whenever we are disposed. Mr. S. [Sampson?] is very kind and attentive so is Mrs. S. [Sampson?] she is a fine old lady, their daughter Mrs. Tone & her little daughter (the only grand child of Theobald Wolf Tone) live with them - Mr. Sampson has been in delicate health for some time, he is now recovering & able to be out of doors.- I think I should have known him from his resemblance to his brother - but his spirits are not so lively - We met Dr. Mac Kenize there, he is a fine old Irishman with animated manners, that cordiality & warmth of feeling and is enthusastic in the cause of his country as [___?] was in his youth - he called on us the next day, and invited us to his house.- yesterday morning we spent there, we were received with a "cead Mile Failteagh [Failte?]" - a more pleasant Evening never spent, a more pleasant engaging family I never met. Mr. Sampson and Mr. Tone were then to meet us - & the Recorder of New York, he has invited us to visit his Court today - & has promised us a letter of introduction to General Jackson. Dr. Mc & Mrs. S. [Sampson?] say they are not on good terms with the President, on account of opposing him on the Bauk question - The other day a Gentleman called on us, said he had seen my name announced in the list of arrivals, asked if I was a son of Mr Cather of N. Lvady [Newtown Limavady?] and introduced himself as Mr Cochran [Cochrane?] - he said you would recollect him very well, as he had lived with you some 27 years ago, he is a very respectable looking man & seems to know every one here he says he resides in Virginia, but generally passes three or four months each year in New York. The day after he arrived we went to see Harry Hasson. I addressed him but he did not know me, [He?] said he had never seen either of us before, & when I did assure him that " I was "Myself" - he kept gazing at me for some time before he was quite satisfied, it seemed to puzzle him very much how I came there - Poor Harry does not look well, he says the climate does not agree with him, he talks of going home next Autumn. I dont think he could weather it another year - he was anxious to come with me as sevt [servant?] to travel - but in the south & the west a servant would rather be an incumbrance than otherwise - his brother Pat has got married. I had the honor of a first visit the other day from Mr. Ned Murray - formerly of the Reddish Hotel - N. [Newtown?] Limavady he told me he saw me in a Virginia Newspaper, on account of a new Market being opened in Newtown by John Hunter, you see how News travels - Tone Eaton's daughters are well - I promise to enquire about [___?] Lynchs brother about whose safety he was uneasy - he arrived in this country safe and is well - I think they are all the enquires promised to make. With love to all. your affect [affectionate?] Thomas Cather Dear Jane - I expect that you and George at least will write after - & I promise to write you all letters in rotation - firing a full & true account of our wanderings the [___?] an a Sheet set - but I must not form a Hasty opinion - as far as I have seen the ladies are gawkies, with a [___ ____ ___?] love for fine bonnets - if they have a gay bonnet with abundance of feathers & artifical flowers, they are not very particluar about the other part of their dress- yesterday evening we met some enchanting young ladies the daughters of Dr. McNevise - & a cousin of theirs one of the prettiest girls I ever saw, with [___?] large black eyes which I think have quite bothered Henry Tyler, and foud [found?] a big hole in his heart - he is at my elbow teasing me to leave done writing, & go with him to pay a visit at Dr. McNevise so as a matter of safety, we must soon leave this - I think we will go to Philadelphia in a few days when you write direct to the care of Mr. John Gihow, & Co 166 Pearl St New York - Henry is putting on his gloves & [___?] about to be off - I must finish - love to Ritter - Dear Jane - from very aff [affectionate?] Thomas Mrs McNevise has give me a lock of General Jackson's hair for you - it will be an addition to your [___?] to have a relic of "old Hickory" - I must get his autograph for you - I have a letter of introduction to Byrant - but most unfortunately he is at present in Europe but I hope to see him when I return home & also Washington Irving & Cooper This is carried by Mr Davison & cousin of the Ruokboy family, his family lives in the county Monaghan. Soon after his return to Ireland, he will pass through Newtown [Newtown Limivady?] on his way to Mr McClellan of Larch mount - & will perhaps call - tell George to be attentive to him he says he met George at Knockboy - T C [Thomas Cather?] |
