The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 376, June 20, 1829Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 376, June 20, 1829
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account