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THE EMIGRANT SHIP "HARPLEY.'
When our last paper went to press, the Harpley
with emigrants, chiefly English refugee
work-people from France, had been for many
hours at anchor in the Bay, and with difficulty
rode out an unusually heavy gale of wind,
which parted two chain-cables, and so
completely prevented all communication with the
shore, that we could not then announce with
certainty even the ship's name.
At the outbreak of the French Revolution,
the number of English working for or
dependant upon manufacturing employers in Calais
and its environs was nothing short of a
thousand souls; of whom some have gone to
Sydney, a few more are coming hither, and a ship
load were to embark at Calais for Port Phillip,
a fortnight after the Harpley left. One such
arrival at Sydney and one at Port Phillip were
communicated to us on Thursday through the
Overland Mail.
It would appear that the unfortunates, even
when compelled to leave the French territory,
were unwilling to return to an over-stocked
labour market in England, and sent a memorial
to Lord Palmerston, dated April 12, desiring
to obtain passages to one of the English
colonies — a large number wishing to make
choice of South Australia, of which they
professed to have heard throngh our ''Voice." . In
three days, an answer was returned by his
Lordship, and a Government Commissioner
arrived to make the requisite enquiries. He
was immediately succeeded by Mr Cooper, a
gentleman from the office of her Majesty's
Land and Emigration Commissioners, who
instituted diligent scrutiny into the characters
and circumstances of the memorialists, and
then arranged for their passage to England,
preparatory to emigration for these colonies.
On their arrival in London, they learned that
a Benevolent Committee was sitting daily at
the Mansion House, under the auspices of that;
genuine specimen of nobility the distinguished
Lord Ashley, and eagerly engaged in getting
up a generous subscription for the relief of
those who were hourly compelled to return to
England.
The Harpley being chartered, the refugee
emigrants were embarked, and their wants
supplied—Mr Cooper being charged by Lord
Ashley to supply, from a stock of articles sent
on board, clothing and other necessaries to all
who stood in need ; in fact, to let them want
for nothing.
The only instance of death among the adults
was a man (in his sixty-seventh year), who
wes unwilling to be separated from his family,
and to whom the owner of the Harpley
humanely granted a free passage. He died in
traversing the Bay of Biscay, the only instance
of mortality besides being an infant of three
months old. A sea-apprentice and a young
sailor named Bateman fell overboard during
the passage, but both were saved by means of
a life-buoy. There was no case of serious
illness during the greater part of the passage,
and 256 souls have arrived in excellent health,
in a remarkably clean and well-commanded
ship, manned by a fine crew.
Since these deserving persons, with their
wives and families, have landed on our shores,
a very erroneous impression has gone abroad,
that, because they have been employed in lace
manufactories, they are little fitted for the
varied occupations of colonial life. We venture,
therefore, after due enquiry, to take up the
pen, in order to counteract an impression
which might otherwise, temporarily at least,
retard the accomplishment of avocational
engagements for which they may feel themselves
fully competent.
It is known to the generality of well-informed
Englishmen that, in consequence of the
progressive increase of British manufactories, the
ranks of agricultural, rural, and mechanical
labour are frequently thinned in particular
districts in order to furnish the sinews of human
organization for new or enlarged attempts of
mannfacturers therein. A recollection of this
circumstance has caused us to set on foot an
enquiry touching the original occupations and
primary localities of employment of the
persons who have so recently arrived. The
following particulars are the result, and may very
well show that they were fully justified in
resorting to a new and flourishing colony like
this, wherein to resume the employments of
their earlier days.
It may be proper to state, however, that
most of the young persons of both sexes found
ready employment, and that the observations
we are about to make chiefly relate to the
husbands and fathers of families who have
arrived in the Harpley:—
The native countries or counties are Derby,
Cambridge, Hants, Ireland, Kent, Leicester,
Nottingham, Somerset, Sussex, and Wilts.
The original employments may be gathered
from the following summary:—Blacksmith, 1;
butcher, 1 ; cowkeeper, 1 ; farm-bailiff, 1;
farmer, 1 ; labourer, 1; mechanics, 20; miller,
1 ; smiths, 5. The kinds of employment
desired by these persons, according to a list put
into our hands, are the following;—Blacksmith,
1 : butcher or farmer, 1; farmer and bailiff,
1 ; cowkeeper, 1; farmer, 1; gardener, 1;
labourers, 19; labourers or shepherds, 4; man
servant, 1; miller, 1 ; smith, 1, Several of
the wives are as able as willing to assist in the
support of their families by their industry, and
many of the married couples have adult children
or those who have arrived at sufficient age to
be very useful in an enterprising and busy
population like ours.
We rejoice that his Excellency has seen fit
to appoint an estimable gentleman, the father
of a family, to make arriving emigrants and
their well-being the objects of his peculiar
solicitude; and we hope the appointment will
stimulate and extend rather than retard the
exercise of that philanthropy which has hitherto
distinguished individual members of our
community.
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