The Heather to the Hawkesbury

by Sheila Hunter

  The people in Skye travelled little, for really there was nowhere to go except to visit a close neighbour. The thought of leaving their island was a challenging one, but to travel across the world to an unknown land was a thought so frightening that it almost could not be imagined.

  The Skye farmer was a tough man. He had to be to cope with the wild cold land he farmed. The woman, too, was tough, but maybe was not the adventurous person her man might be. He had to be brave and strong to tackle the huge job of transporting the whole family through an experience like the one that Murdoch was contemplating. she would always stay by his side.

  At least, they would not be alone. Murdoch’s good friend, Mary’s brother, Fergus, his wife and four children; Murdoch’s sister Caroline and her husband Alistair MacLeod and their three children; and Alec and Margaret Fraser with their six children, would make up the group with Murdoch and Mary’s own five bairns[2].

  The boys went with Murdoch to cut and stack peats and Mary busied herself with her usual farm chores with the three younger children about her, thankful that their chatter kept her mind occupied. Every now and then, ten year old Catherine would put in a question and Mary answered these as she could. She sent them all with a message to her mother, as she finished her work, telling them to stay there until she had visited their Aunts Caroline and Elspeth up the hill.

  Before she could leave the house her two sisters-in-law arrived in great excitement.

  “Mary, what do you think of it all? Aren’t you thrilled that word has come at last? I wanted to come earlier but the cow has just calved and Alistair needed me.”

  “Oh, Caroline, I do suppose I’m excited, too, but I’m frightened as hell.”

  “Yes, I am too,” joined in Elspeth. “Now that we really are going I wonder if I truly want to.”

  “But we’ll all be together and we will have Margaret too” said Caroline.

  “There’s no doubt about you Macdonalds, you will try anything. Caroline, you are so like Murdoch. I am sure he is not afraid and I seem to be filled with thoughts of all the things that can go wrong.”

  “Mary, you know you don’t want to stay here. What is there for us? We are hard workers” Caroline said eagerly,” and we know we will do well if that’s what is needed. I for one am very tired of working for very little and want the chance of getting my children into the sun. I don’t want them to get sick like Fergus. How is he this morning, Elspeth?”

  “Pleased that we have the word.” she replied, “He does feel he is a burden though, and wonders whether we ought to go. I do pray he gets better soon. It would be wonderful to see him in full strength again. I think your mother is pleased to see us go, if only to get Fergus well again, Mary.”

  “Yes, I think she is holding on to that thought and weighing it up against our leaving. what will we do without our mothers? We have always had them near by.” Mary cried.

  “We’ll just pray that we can stay together and help each other. Aren’t we fortunate that we can do that, as far as the colony, anyway” said Elspeth, “and then we will just have to leave it to the Lord to take care of the rest.”

  “Yes” said Caroline, “He will be with us wherever we are. Did you know that MacLeod’s are having a ‘ceilidh’ [3]tonight? Everyone wants to hear about our news, so most of our friends will be there.”

  “I suppose there will be many ‘ceilidhs’ in the time we have left. Do you remember when Murdoch’s cousin went away, there were many” mused Mary. “I wonder if there will be others to have ‘ceilidhs’ in Australia with us. We must never let the children forget our dances, poems and songs.”

  “Lassies there is one thing that concerns me and I feel that I must speak about it.” Caroline looked seriously at her sisters-in-law, “it is one thing to take Fergus along, sick and all that he is, but we love him so that we’ll not find him a burden even if he cannot work for a long time, but can we really cope with Alec Fraser? I know we are fond of Margaret, but truly, I think she has such a lot to manage with her six bairns, being an unruly lot at the best of times and I feel sure that you’ll agree that Alec Fraser is not an asset.”

  “Don’t fret, Caroline, Murdoch and I have talked about Alec a lot. I know he is a shiftless man, but Murdoch feels that he can keep him on the right road. We’ll all do it for Margaret’s sake. She is so dear and we can help make her burden lighter.” Mary assured them.

  Chapter 2 - Preparation

  There had been a great deal of preparation for months, many hours spent weaving, spinning and sewing, boxes made for packing, food prepared for the journey, but even though much had been done there was still little time in those last two months for sitting by and being idle. There were the normal farm chores to do for the farm, that would be taken over by a new tenant and Murdoch wanted it left in good order. This was some consolation to Mary and Murdoch, as their poor little piece of farmland would remain to be used by Murdoch’s younger brother Angus and thus make his life a little more secure. Poor though the farm was, it was more than Angus had now. It was a case of move out and make room for others.

  Mary spent as much time with her mother as possible. They both knew that their parting would be the hardest of it all.

  “We’ll not talk of it,” suggested Margaret MacKenzie, at first, “We’ll just speak of our time together.’’ They found this impossible as this journey was the all consuming thought in each of them.

  So they just talked and talked, of their fears and their hopes, deeply realising that soon they would see each other no more.

  “I’m so glad you are all going together, lassie. You’ll be able to look after the others. Do tell me how Fergus progresses. I know he will be better when he gets into a warmer land.”

  “I think he is better already,” said Mary, “just thinking about it seems to have given him vitality. I do feel he has improved. He does seem to be coughing less than he did. It will be good to arrive in spring in New South Wales. We will really be having one very long summer and the Laird told Murdoch that the voyage could be mostly warm. He said that it is the best time of the year to go.” She fell to musing. “Mother, how can it be Springtime there and Autumn here. What a strange place it must be. I wonder what the ship will be like?

  I wonder how we shall manage food, sleeping, oh, Mother, I wonder so much. It is like walking to a cliff and stepping over, not knowing how far you are going to fall.”

  “Have faith, my daughter,” said Margaret “the Lord will take care of you. Without this assurance I could not let you and Fergus go, and my grandchildren. It will be a big hole in your father’s and my life, but we mustn’t dwell on that. We will know that you are secure and that the children will have the prospect of a good future. It will be hard on you and Murdoch for you will shoulder a great deal of the burden, but Caroline, Margaret and Elspeth will help you and Murdoch will have Alistair and I am sure Fergus will help when he can. Please God he gets better quickly.”

  “Yes, Mother, and I will write as often as I can and tell you how he is. I am sure we will make out all right. It’s just not knowing what is in front of us.”

  ********************

  On most of the lengthening evenings after supper, Murdoch and Mary would take the children out. Just walking around their homeland. This rugged, green island that was so much part of them. They would walk over the meadows, through the soggy peat, up into the hills, the children running like young calves, jumping the babbling burns, hiding in the clean fragrant heather, or perhaps turning seaward to sit on the cliffs to watch the gulls and sea hawks, an otter playing on the shore, or just sitting and breathing it all in. They didn’t seem to want anyone else, which was strange. They just wanted to absorb all that was around them so they could take of it what they could to this strange new land that someday may mean to them what this one did now. That was too impossible to think about, right now they only wanted this.

  One such evening, almost at dusk, as they sat looking out to sea, a voice sounded behind them, the sof
t footsteps coming up to them on the hilltop.

  “I see you people come here often. I watch you so close. I think I know what you feel, for I felt it when I left here to go to college.”

  “Oh, Mr Macleod, sometimes we feel we are going to prison or something like that,” cried Mary as she watched the Rev David MacLeod walk up to them.

  “Not so bad as that, Mary,” laughed Murdoch, “but we do feel as though we cannot get our fill.”

  “Tis a grand view indeed Murdoch, and to my mind none better but there may be some in the parts where you are going. My cousin Hugh tells me Australia is a truly grand country. I would say just right for people like yourselves.”

  “That’s kind of you, sir. We pray that we make a job of it, with God’s help.”

  “What will the church be like in Australia, Mr MacLeod?” was Mary’s query.

  “Well, the places are so scattered that you may have to make your own, Mary. It will much depend on where you go. Where ever you go the Lord will be with you, you’ll not be lonely, He will be at your side. Do you have any plans Murdoch?”

  “I do know that we’ll not go to the goldfields, Mr MacLeod. I’ll not take my family there, even if the Highland and Island Society would allow us to. We did hear that so many men are leaving their farms that there would be places the plenty. So we’ll go to Sydney and try to get places through there.”

  “I believe you are right. I’ve heard that Melbourne resembles a madhouse, so I would keep away from there. My cousin Hugh told me that a hard-working man can earn such wages that they can soon buy their own farm. You’d like that Murdoch.”

  “Aye”, I would. It’s something that would never happen here, Mr MacLeod. It is a great dream we have. I would dearly love to set Mary up in a nice wee house and with the boys to work hard on a farm that was ours. Think of it, Mary love, just think. I hope to get a job as a shepherd or a farmhand and work to save our money. The boys, too will work for that. I hope Mary need not.”

  “There is a great deal of land for a hard worker there and the Government is only too anxious to help those who are willing to pioneer new country. Murdoch, we’ll miss you in Skye. We all look to you as a leader. When the Society started sending people to the colonies, I’m sure the Laird didn’t want to ship people like you out, or Alistair or Fergus. They would truly like you to stay and perhaps rid us only of the shiftless ones, and talking of shiftless ones, you’ll need to keep your eye on Alec Fraser. You’ve taken on something there, man. I daresay he will listen to you, particularly as it is only under your care that the Society is taking him. He is a lucky fellow to have you in charge. I do feel that it will give the children their only chance to be in your care. Oh well, as I say, we’ll miss you.”

  “It is kind of you to say so, Mr MacLeod. We find it hard to go, but we can all see that there is little for our children and theirs, if we stay, and the prospect of getting on is very tempting. Don’t worry about Alec. We’ll manage him, and hope to keep him in line if only for Margaret’s sake. But he is a very like able fellow.”

  “I know that, and I hope it works out well. The Laird was telling me the other day that he almost envies you somewhat. He would like to do the same for his bairns, but thankfully he is a true clan chief and his people come first and he will stay here no matter how hard it is.”

  “Aye, he told me this himself. He is a grand father to us all.”

  “Look at those young ones, not a care in the world.” MacLeod pointed with his stick at the young Macdonald’s rolling in the heather like puppies. Tiny John sitting by watching his brothers and sisters in their frolic. Chuckling he went off down the hill.

  “Remember it all, lass,” said Murdoch, “remember it all so you can tell our young ones. Malcolm and Duncan and even Catherine will remember some, but absorb it all so you can tell wee Maryann and John, for they’ll not know it at all. Just look at the sparkle of the water, the deep red purple and scent of the heather, and the bog myrtle there amongst it, our purple mountains oh, what a sight. The green grass but I suppose they have that in Australia.”

  “Oh, Murdoch, you sound like a poet.”

  “I feel I could write and write lots of poetry about this, but the words don’t really tell what I feel. We’ll miss this land of ours, Mary, but come, we must take the children home. Tomorrow will soon come and more peats are to be cut for Angus and mother.”

  Collecting the children they wandered back to their home. Mary put the two little ones to bed while the oldest ones sat at the fire with Murdoch, who knocked the peats together to boil water for their bed time drink. They plied him with questions about their new life, Catherine listening with amazement at the answers her father gave the boys. It was all so strange. She just couldn’t take it in, so she let her eyes wander round the inside of their house, looking at all the things she knew so well. Soon they would be packed up and taken, where? It was a bit frightening to think about. This dear house, so closely did they live together, even sharing it with their cow. She could hear the cow lipping her food in the trough. “I suppose Uncle Angus and Seanmhair Cattie[4] will like to live here with her” the sleepy girl thought.

  Chapter 3 - Setting Out

  The ship was coming at noon, the four families had to have all their possessions packed and ready and at the waterfront ready to be ferried out by boat. Hugh MacLeod, who owned the rowing boat had luggage piled up in boatloads so they could be handled easily. As soon as the steamer came round the point they shoved Hughie’s boat out and quickly loaded her.

  At last all the gear was aboard and old Hughie was on his way back for the passengers. The Frasers went first and then the MacLeods, the Mackenzie's and the Macdonalds. The boys full of excitement and the girls also eager, but more conscious of the poignant moment that their parents were experiencing. The men saluted their beloved parents and covered their emotions by organising the loading of the children.

  Mary and Elspeth frantically farewelled their mothers and as each was handed a small child they climbed into the boat. They sat side by side on the broad seat, not speaking. Their faces tense, white and pinched, determined not to shed tears and clutching their burdens until Maryann in Elspeth’s arms said, “Aunty, you’re hurting.” They tried to relax but sat looking back at their beloved isle, the homeland that they would never see again, and at their wonderful parents, the centre of their lives until now.

  A feeling of panic welled up in Mary, and then the tears came. “Mother, oh Mother,” she sobbed. “How can I leave you? Oh Mother.”

  “Mary,” came the deep gentle voice of her husband, behind her, “bear up, Lass, take it all in, and don’t miss a bit of that sight. Open you eyes and take it all in.”

  With a sobbing sigh, Mary wiped her eyes. “Yes, Murdoch, you’re right. I mustn’t lose one moment of what we have left. Look, Elspeth, look at that beautiful land.”

  God was very kind for it was a rare sunny day. Not often was it so calm and blue. They drank in the beauty before them. The green bareness of the fields running from the sparkling sea up to the blue and purple mountains Cuillins “were there ever such mountains as these?” breathed Mary.

  The houses and bothies[5], some white, dotted through the emerald fields and the smaller white dots of the sheep that had been the cause of the clearing of the farms.

  “Breathe it up, lassies, and have your last look. We’re here.”

  With a struggle, they got themselves and the children and all their possessions aboard the steamship, and said their last farewells to old Hughie.

  “God be with you, my lads and lassies” he said, “we’ll miss you sore indeed.”

  “And you, Hughie, thanks for all you’ve done.”

  They watched their last link with Skye row himself back to their waiting loved ones on the shore. The steamer blew its whistle and hauled up its anchor and nosed out to sea.

  “Fergus, are you all right?” cried Elspeth, catching sight of her husband’s white face. “Oh, Murdoch, quick.”

&
nbsp; “Heh, man, grab hold of me and sit down. Here, sit on the luggage and don’t move until we get settled in.” Murdoch lowered Fergus to the bags of clothing and soon his colour came back.

  “I’m all right now, friend, but will stay a moment if you don’t mind. I wonder where Alistair and Alec are?”

  “Here now, Fergus, You stay here,” said Alistair, “I’ll just see to our quarters, and I’ll get the women and children settled first. Come up on the deck with our stores and soon I will show you where to go.”

  Now that the voyage had begun they stood and looked around them. The noise and smell of the coaster was something that they could not have believed! They soon settled into their quarters but there was room only for the women and girls, the men would have to make do on the deck. Queer and cramped they thought it, but felt they could manage as it would only be a matter of days before they would be in Liverpool, thankfully the weather was fine for the moment, and then their really big voyage would begin.

  The children were anxious to explore and it was with difficulty that the adults were able to curb the curiosity of the young. The little ones were only content to stay by their mothers as it was all so strange and noisy.

  “Noise, noise, will it ever stop?” said Mary holding her hands over her ears. “The worst noise we’ve ever heard was the sound of our storms, but this just goes on and on.”

  “They tell me you get used to it, but I find that hard to believe,” encouraged Elspeth. “Maybe the sailing ship will be better. I don’t think it could be any worse.”

  As quickly as they could they put their travelling things away and went up on deck to see the last of their island.

  “What great fortune the weather is so good. The sea is calm and I feel sure we’ll not suffer from seasickness, Mary.” Murdoch turned to see his brother-in-law behind him. “Fergus, should you be here lad? You maybe should be abed.”