A pamphlet of _Twenty-four Letters from Labourers in America to their
Friends in England_, has lately reached our hands. These letters have been
addressed by emigrants to their relatives in the eastern part of Sussex,
and have been printed _literatim_. We are aware of the strong prejudice
which exists against the practice of parishes sending off annually, a part
of their surplus population to America; but some of the statements in
these letters will stagger the _Noes_. We quote a few from letters written
during the past year:
_Brooklyn, Jan._ 14, 1828.
John is at work as carpenter, for the winter; his Boss gives him 5_s_.
a day, our money, which is little more than 2_s_. 6_d_, English money.
They tell us that winter is a dead time in America; but we have found it
as well and better than we expected. We can get good flour for 11_d_.
English money; good beef for 2_d_. or 3_d_ do, and mutton the same
price; pork about 4_d_.; sugar, very good, 5_d_.; butter and cheese is
not much cheaper than in England; clothing is rather dear, especially
woollen; worsted stockings are dear.
_New Hereford, June_ 30, 1828.
Dear Father and Mother,
I now take the opportunity of writing to you since our long journey. But
I am very sorry to tell you, that we had the misfortune to lose both our
little boys; Edward died 29th April, and William 5th May; the younger died
with bowel complaint; the other with the rash-fever and sore throat. We
were very much hurt to have them buried in a watery grave; we mourned
their loss; night and day they were not out of our minds. We had a
minister on board, who prayed with us twice a day; he was a great comfort
to us, on the account of losing our poor little children. He said, The
Lord gave, and taketh away; and blessed be the name of the Lord. We should
make ourselves contented if we had our poor little children here with us:
we kept our children 24 hours. There were six children and one woman died
in the vessel. Master Bran lost his wife. Mrs. Coshman, from Bodiam, lost
her two only children. My sister Mary and her two children are living at
Olbourn, about 80 miles from us. Little Caroline and father is living with
us; and our three brothers are living within a mile of us. Brother James
was very ill coming over, with the same complaint that William had. We
were very sick for three weeks, coming over: John was very hearty, and
so was father. We were afraid we should loose little Caroline; but the
children and we are hearty at this time. Sarah and Caroline are often
speaking of going to see their grandmother. Mary's children were all well,
except little John; he was bad with a great cold. I have got a house and
employ. I have 4_s_. a day and my board; and in harvest and haying I am to
have 6_s_. or 7_s_. a day and my board. We get wheat for 7_s_. per bushel,
of our money; that is about 3_s_. 7_d_. of your money; meat is about 3_d_.
per pound; butter from 5_d_. to 6_d_.; sugar about the same as in England;
shoes and clothes about the same as it is with you; tea is from 2_s_. 6_d_.
3_s_. 6_d_. of your money; tobacco is about 9_d_. per pound, of your money;
good whisky about 1_s_. 1_d_. per gallon; that is 2_s_. of your money.
_Hudson State, New York, July_ 6, 1828.
I must tell you a little what friends we met with when we landed in to
Hudson; such friends as we never found in England; but it was chiefly from
that people that love and fear God. We had so much meat brought us, that
we could not eat while it was good; a whole quarter of a calf at once; so
we had two or three quarters in a little time, and seven stone of beef.
One old gentleman came and brought us a wagon load of wood, and two chucks
of bacon; some sent flour, some bread, some cheese, some soap, some
candles, some chairs, some bedsteads. One class-leader sent us 3_s_. worth
of tin ware and many other things. The flowers are much here as yours;
provision is not very cheap; flour is 1_s_. 7_d_. a gallon of this money,
about 10_d_. of yours; butter is 1_s_., your money 6_d_.; meat from 2_d_.
to 6_d_., yours 1_d_. to 3_d_.; sugar 10_d_. to 1_s_. yours 5_d_. and 6_d_.
Tell father I wish I could send him nine or ten pound of tobacco; for it
is 1_s_. a pound; I chaws rarely.
_Constantia, Dec._ 2, 1828.
Dear Children,
I now write for the third time since I left old England. I wrote a letter,
dated October 8th; and finding that it would have four weeks to lay, I was
afraid you would not have it; and as I told you I would write the truth,
if I was forced to beg my bread from door to door, so I now proceed.
Dear children, I write to let you know that we are all in good health,
excepting your mother; and she is now just put to bed of another son, and
she is as well as can be expected. And now as it respects what I have got
in America: I have got 12-1/2 acres of land, about half improved, and the
rest in the state of nature, and two cows of my own. We can buy good land
for 18_s_. per acre; but buying of land is not one quarter part, for the
land is as full of trees as your woods are of stubs; and they are from
four to ten rods long, and from one to five feet through them. You may buy
land here from 18_s_. to 9_l_. in English money; and it will bring from 20
to 40 bushels of wheat per acre, and corn from 20 to 50 bushels per acre,
and rye from 20 to 40 ditto. You may buy beef for 1-3/4_d_. per pound; and
mutton the same; Irish butter 7_d_. per pound; cheese 3_d_.; tea 4_s_.
6_d_.; sugar 7_d_. per pound; candles 7_d_.; soap 7_d_.; and wheat 4_s_.
6_d_. per bushel; corn and rye 2_s_. per bushel. And I get 2_s_. 4_d_. a
day and my board; and have as much meat to eat, three times a day, as I
like to eat. But clothing is dear; shoes 8_s_.; half boots 16_s_.; calico
from 8_d_. to 1_s_. 4_d_.; stockings 2_s_. 9_d_. to 3_s_. 6_d_.; flannel
4_s_. per yard; superfine cloth from 4_s_. 6_d_. to 1_l_.; now all this is
counted in English money. We get 4_s_. per day in summer, and our board;
and if you count the difference of the money, you will soon find it out;
8_s_. in our money is 4_s_. 6_d_. in your money.
The reader will perhaps think we give only the "milk and honey" of these
letters, but they bear the stamp of authenticity.
* * * * *