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Immigrants on the high seas - Part 3 A Voyage letter written by E. Robbins on the S. Parthenope from L.pool to Melbourne, Australia, June to September 1881. Part 1 Part 2 August 7th/81, Dear Father & Mother Brothers & Sisters & all, There is quite a change since I last wrote to you. It is awfully cold now, such cold winds they seem to go thro you, last Sunday we travelled quicker than we have done all the voyage 270 miles in 24 hours, the sea was very rough & we have kept up the speed nearly all the week, we are not far of the Cape now and it will take us about 3 weeks from there to Melbourne. Yesterday it was very cold and rough indeed to-day it is cold but the sun shines beautifully and the water is a splendid blue, it is astonishing what a quantity of pigeons there are flying about, they came from the Cape & Cape Hens, they look grand flying about and then they ride upon the waves and look very nice. Walter is going to try to catch some, the feathers make a splendid Hat. We are about level with English time again but soon we shall be getting ahead of you, we shall have to gain 9 hours & 50 minutes before we reach Melbourne. One of the saloon passengers a Mr.Crosby as been talking to Walter a good deal at different times and last week when it was very wet on deck he offered to lend him a pair of sea boots so he thanked him and gladly accepted his kind offer, they are proper, they will keep his feet dry and warm. They come up to his knees, he won't hurt much when he has those on and his big over coat. He Mr.Crosby is a very nice Gent. The boatswain has made us a proper mat oval shape about 3 feet long and 2 wide, such a nice pattern it will last a long time & one of the sailors will make us one too, the carpenter finding the stuff. If I stop here much longer I shall be out of a job. It gets dark soon after four, it is winter here, we shall cross the Merridan to-day Lat. 41 & 25 South Long 1 + 21 East. Wind strong from S.West, the cold wind comes from the South and it is cold too we are very thankful that we brought those candles for if we had not those we should often be in utter darkness at our meals. I wonder what you are having for your dinner to-day. Perhaps Lamb & green peas or kidney beans I should like some, we shall have plum pudding and bread and butter and a bit of fowl the steward gave us the bread & butter, we could not wish for better only we don't get enough of bread have to make up with biscuits. I am awfully hungry all the time. Walter is too. I have only had one attack of the sick headaches, that was last week. Walter was very attentive and soon brought me round and in the evening we paced the deck about an hour and that seemed to set me up again. It is moonlight now again at night and when it is calm enough its proper to pace the deck. It is dinner time now so good bye. August 14th/81, Dear Father & Mother, you cannot say I do not write often to you for I have written something every week as yet, I am happy so say we are both well & happy as far as circumstances will permit. Last Monday afternoon I went into the saloon to mend the dining room table cloth, the dog had torn it so the steward ask me to do it, they have a stove in there & I tell you it did smell warm. I was in nearly two hours, the Captain told me to sit close to the fire and put my feet on the fender, I was very comfortable for the time and I had a good look at myself for the first time since I left home and I think I look a deal better, more flesh on my face which I am sure needed it but I have to thank Walter for that for I have had nothing to worry me in the least, had my meals all ready for me, could lie down when I like, get up when I like, sew or read just when pleased me to, you never need be afraid about me being taken care of. We have had it very rough indeed this last week 10th most particular the waves I never saw them so high, the deck was not dry all day long such big seas came over & made the boat tremble again one day we had to have dinner here in the carpenter's shop, I could not get downstairs & at tea time he took charge of me & I tell you I was all of a tremble when I got down, I went to bed directly after tea for that is the best place, it is so awfully cold there, it is something dreadful to lie and hear tons of water rushing over your head & it was all night the boat creaked & groaned again, the water dashed down stairs & came on our bed but nothing to harm us. I can scarcely get any sleep at night it rolls so, you have to lie flat on your back if you don't want throwing out on the deck. On Thursday 11th we got round the Cape, they say it is always rough here. The Captain was catching cape pigeons yesterday & giving them to the passengers, they have beautiful breasts, the carpenter says they are no good, he will try & get me an albertross or cape hen, they are worth skining he says. I don't know what we should have done if we had not had her to come, the passengers are not nice at all, they are continually quarreling about something & swearing, I never heard their equal so we steer clear of them altogether. Walter spends a deal of his time helping the carpenter, he has to go up the masts every Saturday to oil & Walter nearly always goes with him, also he has been making bird cages for the steward, he has not smoked near so much as I thought he would. The Captain gave Walter a pigeon, just before dinner the boatswain skinned it & the carpenter cleaned it & stretched it on a board to dry, they are as white as snow, it is a beautiful day to-day. I have been reading on the forecastle since dinner. I had better tell you about dinner, we got the cook to make us a meat pie, it was very good, he put a few potatoes in, he gave us some broth with rice in that was nice and then the usual pudding which proved very good & enjoyable indeed, we are beginning to count the days when we shall land, hope you are all quite well at home. I have often wondered how Mary is going on, did you go to see her Dear Mother, give our love to them, but I guess you will send this for them to read. Aug. 21st/81, Dear Father & Mother, I have not much to write about this week, there seems such a sameness every day & week, the time is getting monotonous, we shall be very glad to see land & tread it once more, she has not travelled as fast as we should like or else the wind has been blowing from the wrong quarter. Sometimes she has to go 2 or 300 miles out of her course because of the winds being contrary. Last Tuesday the Captain gave us two young Molly-hawks. They are fine birds, we have them skinned & streched & are now drying. I do not know what use I shall put them to yet. On Wednesday he caught an albotross, such a beauty. They only preserve the breasts of all the birds & that one measured 24 inches each way such beautiful pure white feathers, they make splendid muffs, it measured ten feet from tip to tip. I think I had better tell you a little about the carpenter because its very probable that he will call & see you some time, he says anytime if we have anything to send or you have anything to send here he will bring it with pleasure. He is a German by birth & is of a pleasing disposition, very aggreeable & sociable, he speaks English rather imperfectly at times but you would soon understand him, he is about 30 years old & has been married only four years & by what he says he might bring his wife out to Melbourne & settle there. Walter & he get along very well indeed, they are always plagueing me & you know I have no one to take my part. From the cape he has to take watch the same as the sailors do, so yesterday it was his watch below, that means in bed, so we had to clean his shop out. I scrubbed the bench & Walter the floor, such a lark we had over it. One day last week the cook gave me a pork scop for my dinner, it was good I tell you. Sep 2nd/81, My Dear Father & Mother, (please excuse the writing as I am in bed) I did not write last Sunday as before simpley because I had not the chance. I did not get up till after dinner. I had to make pudding & pie in bed because it was the safest place to be in for at day break on Sunday we had a nasty storm, the wind raged & the rain came down & tossed the ship about frightful. I tell I began to feel alarmed. She shipped some awful big seas, at times, the water was level with the rails on the bulwarks (that was the greeting we meet with from the weather when we awoke) & I did not want Walter to take the pudding to the cook but he said yes I will if I swim for it. I am glad to say he went and did not get wet. It cleared up & was fine in the afternoon. Monday it was very calm, the Captain caught several more birds, two were cape hens & Mr. Crosbie had those & he gave me the wings, they are proper. I shall be able to make a splendid colarottee out of them. The week before the Captain gave me a splendid bird, the breast measures 12 inches all beautiful white feathers they have to be cleaned & then stretched in a frame & whitening put on till they are quite dry. That sailor that I said would make us a mat has done so & it is beautiful two colours. I should think it is worth 5 or 6/-. I wish we had a map to send you & then you could see the course we have taken. Mr. Crosbie has one & he brought it for us to see the other day, it seems an awful long way on the map, let alone the reality. I am thankful to say we have not much further to go, we are on the Australian coast & they say it is one of the most dangerous coasts to approach. Yesterday we had or rather the last day in August we had an awful time, it blew a full gale of wind ... 18 hours. I never saw anything like it before. I went up to the carpenters shop just after dinner. It was his watch below & he had not been in bed long before they shouted all hands to shorten sail. Well they took all of but 4 & in the night it tore one of them up to pieces such a sea I never saw before and don't want to again. I had to stay there all night. Walter fetched me a pillow & shawl & I lay at one end of the bench & he at the other but not a bit of sleep did we get. Well I was there untill about Eleven oclock the next morning & then two sailors carried me across the deck which was full of water. Well I went straight to bed & have been there ever since. Walter can get about you know of course for he has those shoes but it's awful for me as I should get my feet wet directly. How thankful we were when the wind fell a little, she is now travelling quick, about 12 knots an hour if this wind keeps up we shall be there in about four days, only one other Sunday on board, if we are fortunate. 14 Osborn Street, Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. Sep.12th/81 My Dear Father & Mother, Since I last wrote many things have happened (but to go on where I left off) I was saying that we expected to be in in four days but unfortunertely we was a deal longer. After the storm had gone & the sea got smooth again we had a good breeze for a few days & then we were becalmed, we sighted land on the 8th early in the morning; oh what a beautiful sight it was to us. We sat & watched it until we could make out several things. How every one rejoiced to see land again. Well towards noon it was so calm that the ship nearly stood still & you may guess how that would be to impatient folks like us. The next day was nearly as bad or worse for we thought we should have got there by breakfast time for the pilot came on board at 2 o'clock a.m. on Friday morning & we were drifted into Hobson's bay. We had just got in & then there was a dead calm & we had to drop ankor, that was about eleven oclock a.m. I dare say you can imagine our feelings after being on a ship for so long & could see land but could not get on it. Well about 2 oclock p.m. a tug boat came up & tugged us into Melbourne or there abouts. It took from 2 till 8 oclock at night & they again dropped ankor about 2 or 3 miles from Melbourne & 1 mile from Williamstown; a lot of little boats came along side & we were straining our eyes to look if any one was for us, but we had almost given up & I was going down stairs (but all our bedding was packed) when Will Robbins jumbed over the side. He had got a little bot to bring himm from Williamstwon to take us to his home. My word we were glad I can tell you. We got to his house just before eleven oclock p.m. on Friday night the 9 day of Sep. Well we had our supper which we enjoyed very much & sat talking till the small hours of the morning & then retired to a nice bed & bed room. It is a very nice house. It would just suit you Mother for there are no stairs all on one floor, 2 bed rooms, parlour which is our bed room for the present & two kitchens & long garden, bath room etc. It is very convenient indeed & oh, so open & pure, the air is. When we got up on Saturday morning the sun was shining grand & we could do nothing but stand & admire everything. After breakfast Walter & his nephew Walter went out a walk & then came back for me in an hour & we went round the beach which is very nice. After dinner Walter & Will went to Melbourne for Walter to see the shops he would have to call on. They had a good walk round & then Bella & I joined them at seven at night & went through the principal streets to the Market. I never was in such a grand place in my life. It was lit up with Electric light & hundreds of people were in. Oh, I did enjoy it & what I saw of the town, it was grand indeed but I shall be able to tell you more when I have seen more of it. Just before we started for Melbourne Jim Man came with his young lady. They had tea with us & then we all went down together. He is very well indeed & so does everyone seem to be here. On Sunday Walter, Will & I went to the Congregational Church at Melbourne. My word it was nice. Carr's lane Church at B'ham is not near so nice. The pews & gallery are circular & the designs were beautiful, organ & beautiful singing & they opened with the anthem O taste & see. To-day Walter & I went down to the ship to look after the luggage but did not get it passed the custom house but Will tomorrow. Walter is going to see about work tomorrow. Will thinks he will have no difficulty in getting work. He said he could have got him work where he is but he prefers him working in Melbourne to get experience first. We are quite well & all here. We were glad to see John's letter & Fathers, glad to hear of Sam's progress & Nellie's trouble over. Give our love to everybody who asks after us. If it will not be to much trouble I should like you to send this letter to Mary, George, Nellie at B'ham & L.pool & then to America & then they will see how we have got along after our long voyage. Love to all of you & at Ramsbottom St. P.S. Walter will write to his father & Mother next mail. Love to all from Bill & Bella to them from your affec. Son & Daughter(Sgd).E. & W.T. Robbins. Absolutley Private |