Heroines of "Mormondom": The Second Book of the Noble Women's Lives SeriesVarious
History
Heroines of "Mormondom": The Second Book of the Noble Women's Lives Series
Various
Chittenden, Mary Dunster, 1818-; Latter Day Saint women; Latter Day Saints -- Biography; Smith, Mary Fielding, 1801-1852
Four years after their marriage, at which time the introduction of
convicts into Australia was prohibited and the government of England
offered good inducement to skilled laborers to settle up the country,
William Chittenden concluded to go to Australia. Previous to this time
the English convicts, who were under life sentence, had been sent
down to Australia, landing generally at Botany Bay. These convicts
were brought down and sold as life slaves to those freeholders who
were willing and able to purchase their labor. Sometimes they escaped
from their masters and made their way into the interior of the
country. These escaped convicts herded together in small parties or
bands, and are called "bush-rangers." They have now become a powerful
tribe, fierce, vindictive and unlawful. They resemble very nearly, in
occupation and temperament, the wild Bedouins of Asia and the wild
tribes of Arabs or Berbers of northern Africa.
Between the years of 1840 and 1850, England transported many skilled
laborers and artizans to Australia to build up and colonize her
possessions in the southern seas. Numbers of the husband's countrymen
were going down to the "new country," and he resolved to go too.
Mary objected; she wanted to go to America. I think, between you
and me, that she used sometimes to remind her husband sharply of
his unfulfilled promise. But his was a calm, kind, but essentially
self-willed disposition, that listened good-naturedly to all Mary might
and did say, but was no whit moved thereby to give up his own way. And
so, after much controversy, the removal to Australia was decided upon
and accomplished.
The young couple had determined to engage a farm on shares, and so
went, immediately upon their arrival, to a country part near Botany
Bay. Here they remained a short time and then went up to Camden, which
is about one hundred miles from Sydney. William took a farm and then
commenced a long career of farming in Australia. Most of their children
were born there.
And now let me tell you something of the character of this same Mary,
ere I relate to you two strange dreams which she had while living at
Camden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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