John arrived home at the time of the local agriculture show to see Mary win her equestrian event. His father and mother won several prizes as well, so together with his return, it was a happy homecoming. That evening at dinner John related the events of the court martial and the results that occurred. His family sat and listened until he had finished.
His father spoke first. “What do you intend to do now?”
John replied, “As I am a former commissioned army officer I would like to use my qualifications. I intend seeking a commission in the Colonies. The father of an old school friend of mine, George Nickle, is the commandant of a regiment in the Colonies. I met him once. Perhaps he will remember me. I’m sure you know him, Father.”
“Yes, I do. He and I are members of an association. He hasn’t been home for several years but we are acquainted. I can attach an epistle of introduction to your application if you wish.”
John’s mother and sister had sat quietly listening to their conversation, both thinking of the distance of separation. John going to the antipodes, it was the other side of the world! It had been a long day for all and they retired, each with their own different thoughts.
Next morning John wrote out his application, detailing his education, qualifications and military training and experience but made no mention of the court martial. He addressed it to — Colonel Robert Nickle, Commandant 12th Regiment, Melbourne — Colony of Victoria.
John attached his father’s epistle to his application and asked Jack Keane to take the package to his father’s shipping agent for on-forwarding by clipper ship to the Victorian Branch of the Bank of New South Wales. The journey to Victoria would take around three months. He did not intend to wait for an answer; he would follow up the application within the month.
He wrote to Maeve and told her of his intentions and again asked her to marry him. He wanted her to go to Melbourne with him. He already felt he knew her answer as she would not leave her father or Aunt Jane. He must first settle in Melbourne and then plan to bring the three of them to Australia together.
When he received Maeve’s letter he would then decide his immediate future. He recalled Maeve’s comment, “that she was only a simple farm girl”. He went to see Mary and mentioned Maeve’s comment.
Mary went to the family library in her father’s study, extracted a book and handed it to John. “This is a present for her.” The book’s title was Etiquette for Young Ladies. John included the book in his next letter to her, hoping it would ease her concerns. He was unconcerned but after her comment, he felt he should give her more support in her future as his wife.
John enjoyed his leisure time at the farm. He helped the supervisor, Jack Keane, doing the normal duties of ploughing, clean up shearing and horse shoeing. He visited his relatives, old school friends and his father’s other properties.
The time passed quickly. Soon enough he received Maeve’s answer to his letter. It was as he expected. She would not leave her father and Aunt Jane but expressed her love for him and would wait for their time. He made up his mind to depart Liverpool within the week and travel via Ireland to see Maeve. He now sat with his father to seek his wisdom of age.
John was not daunted by his coming adventure but needed assurance from his father that he had considered all aspects of his future life. His father advised him to remember his upbringing, to trust his judgment and believe in God. These were the words of advice his father had given him and that advice had served him well.
John’s parents arranged a farewell dance in the winter sheep barn. The barn had not been used for five months. The floor was firm and it smelt of lanoline from their shorn sheep wool. It was not an unpleasant smell. Most country people were aware of it and wouldn’t be offended.
His mother invited nearly one hundred relatives and friends and John knew that it would be a very happy night. The two big fireplaces were burning brightly and soon warmed the chilly air. The cooks had prepared two long tables and had laden them with typical country food including vegetables, eggs, meats and breads of various kinds. They sat on hay bales and wool bales eating their meals. After dining, the band started with waltzes and reels which were popular in the north country. Couples paired and danced the night away. There was only one speech and that was given by John. He thanked his parents for the evening and then their friends for coming. He wished everyone a happy future and stood at the door to farewell the guests. He shook nearly fifty hands and received nearly fifty kisses. It had been a long night.
He left two days later, after a very tearful family goodbye. His father gave him a letter to be handed to the Bank of New South Wales in Melbourne to open a bank account. He shook his son’s hand, turned and walked back into the house.
Jack Keane accompanied John, who was riding Duke for the last time, to the coach station in Penrith with his baggage. He asked Jack to look after his family, particularly his father. Jack was a trusted employee, almost a member of the family, and he both liked and respected the Hall family.
John shook Jack’s hand and handed him Duke’s reins. Then he quickly stepped up into the coach. He waved to Jack as the coach horses trotted away and headed to his destiny.
John’s sea trip from Liverpool to Dublin was very quick with good winds and calm seas. He travelled from Dublin to Kilrush by coach, stopping nightly at inns.
The trip took several days to reach Kilrush. On arrival he hired a cart to drive him to Maeve’s home. His arrival was a scene of pure joy for all. Maeve, her father and Aunt Jane were in Jane’s kitchen and were absolutely delighted to see him.
After Jane served tea, John told them of his plans and asked the three of them if they would come to Australia at a later date. Maeve waited until her father and Aunt Jane spoke. They would not stand in Maeve’s way to marry John but were unsure about leaving Ireland.
Maeve wanted to marry John and go with him but John could see she was in a dilemma. John did not want to take her away from her family and have her feeling guilty. He suggested that they consider coming after he had settled in Melbourne and had prepared a new home for them. They all agreed that they would probably be happy with his proposal.
Maeve and John spent time walking on the cliffs, enjoying each other’s company and discussing their future in a new and strange country. They were both excited with the prospect of starting a new life together.
John stayed for a week and went through another tearful farewell. Maeve was to write to him by way of John’s father, who would send her mail to him in Melbourne via his shipping agent in Liverpool. He now had two families and he would miss them both. As John left Maeve gave him a letter addressed to her other brother, Patrick, who was a shipwright in Cork.
John headed to Cork by stagecoach, from where he would sail to Melbourne.
After a long but uneventful road trip he arrived in the centre of Cork. It was bigger than he expected and had a large harbour. He found Patrick’s rooms down by the docks, close to where he worked in a ship yard. After Patrick read his sister’s letter he greeted John and invited him into his rooms. He asked after his father, sister and aunt.
They enjoyed an ale and a humble meal together and spoke into the night.
John found Patrick a likable person who resembled his brother, Michael. Michael had not been mentioned during their mealtime conversation.
Patrick eventually raised the subject of Michael conjecturing as to where he might be now. Little did they both know that he was still in Cork Harbour on board a convict hulk ship, waiting to be shipped to Van Diemen’s Land.
After being held in Kilrush for a month Michael had been sent to a Cork hulk. He had been on board for about a month. These ships were unserviceable naval ships, converted and stripped of rigging.
John thanked Patrick for his hospitality and left to visit the local shipping agent to finalise his booking to Melbourne via Hobart. The ship he was to sail on was called the SS Ventnor. It was anchored midstream, as it had eighty convicts on board who had been transferred from
the prison hulk two days ago. There were also twenty Royal Marines aboard guarding them.
The next day he was at the dock at noon. A whaler collected him and the other seven passengers and their baggage and took them out to the ship.
The ship had been chartered by the British Colonial Office to deliver the convicts to Van Diemen’s Land. It had been built as a cargo vessel and later converted to accommodate a few passengers with the main hold converted for transporting convicts overseas.
John looked up at the three-masted ship with its high quarter deck and small enclosed wheel house for its helm and binnacle compass. It looked like a fine ship and he looked forward to his journey.
John stood on the deck, getting his sea legs and familiarising himself with the vessel. The most obvious items on the main deck were a capstan for the anchor, two main hatchways, two whaler boats, rope lockers, barrels of water lashed to the gunwales and several small animal pens. The captain greeted the passengers and then they were shown to their quarters.
John’s cabin was small but it would do him. He had learnt during his previous sailing trips not to leave things suspended in one’s cabin due to the rolling and pitching of the vessel. Similarly, it was prudent to leave items in their cases or boxes and wedge the baggage at floor level whenever possible.
John was pleased to be advised that he had been invited to dine at Captain Marshall’s table.
¶
The convicts were positioned between decks in the main cargo hold. Prior to embarking on the SS Ventnor they had washed and been given new clothes. Many of them were Irish rebels and had been convicted of quasi-political crimes. Only a few were regarded as genuine criminals. Their crimes were mostly stealing goods to survive.
Michael’s crime was probably seen as one of the worst offences, by the government of the day.
The convicts slept in double tiered berths, one above another in rows either side of the ship’s side bulkhead. Each berth accommodated three convicts. Adjacent the hatchways were several hammock rails. Selected ‘trustees’ among the convicts were assigned these positions and provided with a hammock.
The trustees were generally from the ranks of the Irish rebels. They rarely gave trouble and some were even pleased to be on board. Here they had shelter, clothing, a blanket and basic food — broth, beef and potatoes, and sometimes bread or a biscuit and cheese. A far cry from the starvation they faced from the potato famine at home, which still affected their daily lives.
They were all issued with eating and drinking utensils and a small water keg. The trustees were given some menial tasks that allowed them to go up on deck; tasks such as collecting the food for their fellow convicts, filling the prisoners’ water casks and emptying the sewage buckets.
Michael was classed as a risk. He had been involved in a violent act and was not given a chance of being classed as a trustee. He could not set foot on the main deck until Hobart Town was reached.
Fresh air was provided via the scuttles in the side bulkheads. At times during the voyage, vinegar was swept on the deck to help kill bugs and disinfect the hold. Heating was provided by a stove ventilated through to the main deck.
Inactivity was a major problem, especially for those who were not given the chance as a trustee. They sat around all day with only themselves and the bulkheads to stare at. This frustration often caused fights. However, some of them were articulate and would recite poetry while others would sing; a plaintive voice singing a ballad with words reminding them of home often brought tears to the eyes of the strongest convicts.
Daily the Royal Marines entered the hold with the doctor and did a walk through inspection to check the convicts. The Royal Marines were armed with fixed bayonets and had all been veterans of the Indian Wars; they were not to be tempted. The convicts sensed their no nonsense demeanour and gave no trouble. Such was Michael’s introduction to his voyage to Van Diemen’s Land.
¶
It was 23rd October 1852, when the ship headed out into the harbour on a beautiful sunny morning; a light swell and a south west breeze made a picture of perfect maritime splendour.
The sails were full, the decks clean, ropes cheesed and cargo stowed neatly. The chicken coops, sheep and pigs pens were on the main deck. They even had a milking goat. It promised to be a pleasant voyage, at least for the passengers and the crew. The convicts were stowed below the main deck and were lounging around wondering what awaited them at the end of this journey.
Their course steered towards the Canary Islands. After leaving the sight of the craggy cliffs of Ireland the seas began to increase. The wind freshened and white caps appeared on the wave tops more frequently. The vessel started to roll and pitch. To stand up was an ordeal for the non-nautical types. Walking required a firm handhold.
Only a few passengers appeared at the captain’s table for dinner. When John arrived the captain had just sat down. He introduced John to the other passengers. A married couple from Limerick sat next to John. The table conversation was stimulating between catching sliding plates and holding cups of tea. The food was pleasant and well cooked. John wondered what the food would be like in two to three months’ time. The dining finished promptly at 2100 hours. John went to bed immediately afterwards and promptly fell asleep; no doubt the few glasses of Madeira wine helped him.
The next morning the sea had abated a little, although there were still some white caps on the waves. He had walked around the deck and gradually become used to the sensation of stepping lightly and feeling for the deck with the rise and sink of the deck beneath his feet.
John had breakfast with some of his fellow passengers; one was the doctor supervising the health of the convicts.
Another diner was the Royal Marine captain, who was responsible for guarding the convicts. He and John became friends immediately. No doubt their military relationship was common ground. After they introduced each other, they sat chatting.
The Royal Marine was Captain George Walters and he was from Yorkshire.
“I have been in the military for ten years and have served in Ireland for two years and was glad to leave. I felt the politics being applied to ordinary Irish people was wrong and that few people in England know the full situation. This trip is my second voyage to Hobart. I may settle in the colonies one day.” He spoke highly of the country he had seen. This greatly enthused John with his decision to go to the antipodes.
Two of the other passengers were land surveyors who were on their way to join the new Victorian Government. Their job was to survey the land outside of Melbourne for the planning of new towns in the surrounding country. The other passengers were a farmer and his wife who were heading back to Hobart after settling the sale of a property in Limerick. The final passenger was the wife of the ship’s captain. Mrs Marshall and her husband were very devoted to each other and had voyaged together ever since he gained his command some ten years earlier. John found Mrs Marshall to be a most pleasant person. She was affable, intelligent and a good hostess.
Each week Mrs Marshall would invite the passengers to the captain’s cabin to enjoy afternoon tea, weather permitting. Sitting in this cabin, balancing a cup of tea and not spilling any of the contents while maintaining a conversation, required considerable concentration.
The dinners were pleasant and the conversation covered a cross section of passengers’ interests. The topics were wide and varied, with the discussions sometimes continuing late into the night, particularly with Madeira as a stimulant.
The voyage started with John viewing it as an adventure but it was gradually becoming monotonous and then downright boring. He had read all his books and written letters for handing over at the first opportunity. The ship was experiencing variable winds and these were causing the captain to tack his ship back and forth to make distance as they worked the ship southward.
He found sleeping at times was difficult due to the creaking and groaning of the ship’s timbers working with the stress on the hull. The convicts were quiet and John only knew th
at they were on board when they started singing or there was a loud argument. Although it was difficult to ignore the stench from their hatches. John had expected to hear floggings but none had occurred so far during the voyage.
The captain had told the diners one evening that this might be the last convict voyage to Tasmania. He had read an article in the Times repeating a submission forwarded from Hobart representing a Peoples’ Anti Transportation voice with Western Australia requiring more convicts.
The days dragged on and on. The ship passed the Canary Islands and Cape Verdes to check their longitude. With the captain’s chronometer’s accuracy and sextant shots of the sun he could obtain a position within twenty miles of his charts.
John sat on the deck in the bow watching the land slip by. He often sat there looking for other ships on the horizon. It was exciting when he saw one. Several ships did appear in the distance, but disappointingly did not come close.
Eventually one ship did approach them. The ship was viewed suspiciously until the Union Jack was seen fluttering in the wind. The ship’s captain bellowed through a trumpet, “What ship are you?”
The captain of John’s ship replied, “SS Ventnor out of Plymouth, and you are?”
“SS Colonist out of Liverpool.” Mail was transferred. The captains exchanged their latitudes and longitudes, they bid bon voyage before continuing onto their destinations.
It had been a pleasant interlude. John returned to scanning the horizon for the next change to the maritime scene. He wondered what the captain would do if they encountered a privateer. Were there any in these times? Other than the marines, he had seen no weapons with which to defend the ship. He must ask the captain at a private moment.
The sea was often alive with various marine species. The dolphins’ performance was always a pleasure to watch. John stood in the bow and could see below him. The fish dived and darted across the ship, sometimes only a few feet separating them from the bow strake.
The Convict and the Soldier Page 10