Item #24636 American settler in 1850s Port Curtis QLD, ALS. Queensland, John Bates.

American settler in 1850s Port Curtis QLD, ALS.

Port Curtis, Australia: May 24, 1859. Letter from an American fortune seeker in Australia, to his mother in New York, regarding his voyage and stay.

John Bates recounts his voyage to Australia on the S. H. Talbot, and the loss of a seaman as the ship was rounding the Cape of Good Hope in heavy weather. Bates describes his journey from Melbourne to Sydney, "that worst of all places in the world -- at least it has proved so to me".

Unable to find work in Sydney after 4 months, "I left it and came to Port Curtiss (sic) a new settlement about 900 miles north of Sydney. Here he found "respectable" employment at a "fair remuneration". Bates intends to stay in Port Curtis for some time, although he hasn't ruled out the possibility of going to California.

8 x 10" blue paper. 3pp. Addressed to Mrs. H. Bates, West Farm, Westchester County, NY., with embossed stamp of Smith and Hinton Stationers, Sydney at top of page. Slight loss to last leaf due to removal of wax seal, with no loss of text. Period folds flattened; slight ruffling to top edge. Very good overall. Item #24636

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