Digger's letter home from Campbell's Wharf, Sydney with news of Melbourne, ALS.
1852. Manuscript letter describing in vivid detail the rush of fortune seeking British immigrants to Australia in the 1850s, written on board "Vimeira, Cambels (sic) Wharf, Sydney Cove, Nov. 30th".
The writer addresses the letter to "Dear Uncle" in England, letting him know that he has arrived safely after a passage of 88 days to Melbourne on the [Demure], and that he counts himself lucky for getting away so soon as every ship "loses all their hands the first or second day"... and because no deaths or sickness occurred on the voyage. He reports that "we beat the Steamer Sydney, "they left [Plimouth] five days before us", but that the 'Marlborough' beat them (80 days) as well as the ['Balratt'] which took 78 days.
He goes on to provide much detail on contemporary conditions, including Hobsons Bay jammed with ships, quarantines imposed on ships due to passengers infected with small pox and yellow fever, Melbourne's high prices and its canvas tent cities, the high wages commanded by laborers and sailors, and the arrival of the largest vessel afloat, the "magnificent" 'Great Britain'.
He writes of his short stay in Melbourne, "[it] was in a terrible confusion when we left; provisions and lodgings was enormously high ... Lodgings could not be got at any price. Hundreds of tents was pitched outside the Town. There was four thousand persons arrived in one day- 7 and 8 ships coming every day are full of emigrants. This day we were out & through the Heads a large ship passed in with seven hundred on board, and the 'Great Britain' had upwards of a thousand.
Wages was enormously high, common labor getting a pound per day & sailers (sic) getting one hundred pounds for the run home and could not be got for that. Sydney is not quite so bad, common sailer (sic) get ten pounds per month ... several ships have been waiting here two months for men, we have got very few on board now.... 'Great Britain' and 'Sydney' are here now. ... [Great Britain] is now to be open to the publick for 5 shillings each, there is great complaint about it being so high. [Malachi Green] made two hundred pounds in the first three months at the diggings, but not much lately. He is at the Hanging Rock digging near Mateland (sic)... He concludes with news of the welfare of friends who also emigrated to Australia, and hopes that a friend [William] can also emigrate, signing as affectionate nephew, James B. [Stratham?].
Only the day and month are recorded on the letter, but the year is 1852 as the list of ships in harbor printed in Sydney's newspaper 'The Empire' records the 'Vimeira' at Campbell's Wharf on November 23, 1852. The mighty 'Great Britain', designed by Isambard Brunel, the largest ship afloat, carried immigrants to Australia beginning in 1852. The writer also notes a celebration for the 'Great Britain' in Sydney, likely to be for her first arrival there: "she certainly is a magnificent vessel. There was a large party given to all the principal people of Sydney, yesterday upwards of three hundred were there. Capt. [Capt. Henry Neatby, captain of the 'Vimeira' from which the author writes this letter] Neatby went."
4 3/4 x 7 3/4", folded, 4pp. Written on pale blue laid paper, the last page written in cross-hatching, three original folds. Very crisp and clean. Very good condition. Item #22184
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