Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's LandReid, Thomas
History
Two Voyages to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land
Reid, Thomas
Exiles -- Australia -- New South Wales; Exiles -- Australia -- Tasmania
With respect to the rising generation in the colony, I have not
sufficient data to enable me to speak with certainty; but it may be
stated that, notwithstanding the boundless depravity of the parents, the
children, generally speaking, are well disposed, given to industry, and
of religious habits. They are represented as being passionately fond of
instruction; and many of them, who are not blessed with the means of
obtaining information from more direct and legitimate sources, known to
make successful efforts to learn to read and write, without any
assistance.
This statement so much resembles that of a bitter fountain producing
sweet water, that credence to its accuracy can hardly be expected; yet I
had opportunities of satisfying myself of its truth in four or five
instances; and I was told of a great many others on testimony which I
have no reason to disbelieve, but I would not be pledged for their
authenticity. An anecdote related by the Reverend Mr. _Cartwright_, when
he and I accompanied the Governor in his late excursion to the newly
discovered country, may be relied on. This gentleman is the resident
clergyman at Liverpool, where on Sunday evening he usually gives
instruction to all the children who choose to come to his house. It
happened on one of those occasions, that heavy rains had caused an
overflow of the river, so as to render it impossible for any one to wade
across, consequently he did not expect any of those children whose
parents lived on the opposite side: to his astonishment, however, some
of them came. On inquiring how they got over, it appeared that they had
tied their clothes upon their heads, and swam across, intending to
return also in the same manner when the instructions they came to
receive were finished.
In more advanced age, these principles are further developed, and a
great many of the young men show themselves desirous of avoiding the
errors of their parents: but the impression on my mind, from the best
information I could collect, is not so favourable with regard to the
grown-up females, who, probably from want of that instruction which is
more accessible to the other sex,—I speak of the lower classes,—are
corrupted by baneful association and bad example. In this particular,
indeed, the statements of some respectable persons, desirous rather of
extenuating than magnifying, are strongly corroborative of the fact. It
was not extraordinary, they assured me, to see a young woman of this
description living a few months, first with one man, then with another,
and so on with five or six, fixing on one at last, whom she thought
proper to marry.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account