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Townsend's Tale - Part 2
An account of the voyage of the York from Gravesend to new South Wales via Rio de Janeiro
submitted by Dione Dover, Kent, England,
www.familytreemaker.com/users/c/o/u/Dione-M-Coumbe/

Mr DAWSON Chief Agent to the Australian Company.
This gentleman appears to be not a little proud of his appointment and from what little I can observe is of a revengeful disposition he has behaved very despotic and illiberal to Mr ALLEN.  I believe him to be a severe enemy of mine on account of my not joining with others in insulting Mr. A and as I before mentioned I think he has injured me with the Captain.  I could observe he was highly pleased to see me abused on Shaving Day.  The Captain and Mr DAWSON are very intimate so much so that DAWSON appears to be more Captain than MONCRIEFF consequently displeasing DAWSON is making an enemy of the Captain, from several circumstances that have occurred I am well convinced I have no friend in either of them.

Mr EBSWORTH, Clerk to Mr. DAWSON
This seems to be an agreeable intelligent young man but he is afraid of passing a word with me if the Captain or Mr. DAWSON are present for fear I suppose of offending them if the slightest conversation takes place between us and either of them appears he moves off instanter.

Mr HALL, Woolsorter to the Company
This young man like the former is afraid of saying much to me and if either if the before mentioned parties appears he is off in a twinkling.

Mr HOLLANDE, Surgeon
I have been greatly deceived in this Gent during the few days I was at GRAVESEND I became acquainted with him and his professions of friendship were profuse but when he saw how the Captain used me and how I was situated on board he altered quite to the contrary and now we seldom pass a word with one another.

Mr SMITH, Chief Mate
This seems a quiet peaceable little man and hitherto he has behaved civilly to me though I much fear for his own comfort he will be necessitated to behave like the others.  I think he is rather cunning and on that account I am careful what I say to him.

Mr WRIGHT, Second Mate
This is a pompous consequential mean noisy little fellow and quite a party man.  I can see he is no friend of mine and I think for the sake of gaining favour he would lick the Captain's Shoes I fear I shall disagree is he at all interferes with me.

Mr WILSON, Third Mate
This is a young Gent about my own age and also a messmate.  We have as yet agreed very well but he is I think against Mr ALLEN and consequently I am afraid of saying much to him for  I think he is rather artful.  I do not mean to say he has behaved very openly to me as yet but yet it is necessary to be suspicious under the circumstances.

Mr. ALLEN
This Gentleman I have before mentioned he holds a Situation under the Australian Agricultural Company.  He has on board a Wife and 7 children, she lost a little Girl born a few days ago.

Unfortunately for him the Agent and himself are on bad terms in consequence of not having a proper understanding.  Mr ALLEN's agreement with the Company states that they are to find himself and family a passsage to NEW SOUTH WALES and upon his arrival there he is to place himself under the direction of Mr. DAWSON the Agent, here the principal quarrel lies Mr DAWSON being desirous of assuming power over Mr ALLEN during their passage which Mr. A would not submit to.  A disagreement also took place between them at Cowes Mr. A not being satisfied with provision allowed his family particularly as Mrs. A was in the family way he said he was deceived with regard to his living accommodation. Two of the Directors being at Cowes and not being friends of his they treated his complaint rather contemptuously but fearing he might leave the ship altogether they sent some Poultry on board for his use and told him he was to have fresh meat wine and other convenient and other palatable articles the same as the Captain and Agent enjoyed at their table however when we put to Sea this was refused and the quarrel of course commenced. 

As a beginning of what they intended to do Mr. A was forbidden to come on the poop he was by this means prevented from attending to several valuable boxes of plants which stood there some belonging to the Company and the rest private property and these plants Mr. A had experienced great difficulty in collecting before he left England many of them were presented to him by the Horticultural Society and required the care and attention of an experienced Botanist.  These plants were and still are attended by the Servant who cleans Mr. DAWSON's Shoes Viz a man I (?) Day who never raised a Cabbage.  Not satisfied with this they endeavoured to mortify and degrade him in every possible way.

Himself and family like the rest of the Passengers was allowed a certain quantity of spirit per day his share was taken off and soon after supposing he had some of what the rest of the family had it was all taken off.  They had nothing but water to drink the Agent also laying strict injunctions on the Rest of the passengers not to sell or give any to Mr A or family on pain of having their allowance stopped and incurring his displeasure.  Thus was a man his wife and large family who had always lived respectably in England compelled to drink only water in a Warm climate and Mrs. A upon the verge of 7 months pregnancy.  I will mention one or two more circumstances to prove how far they were inclined to injure the party.

Mrs. ALLEN feeling one day very poorly and having unwisely salt beef for dinner / which is at times hardly edible / sent to the Captain and DAWSON who were at dinner and desired the favour of a small piece of their fresh meat - this was contemptuously refused.  Another circumstance occurred which proved their extreme meanness - Mr ALLEN while at Cowes went to a friend and procured a quantity of vegetable mould he put this in some square boxes and sowed it with Mustard and Cress.  He was allowed to reap the first of this for the use of the Agent and Captain, however he was surprised one morning upon going to water some salad to find somebody had been there before him and had cut it. Upon enquiry he found it had been cut by DAWSON's Servant orders having been given to the effect by his Master after this they took possession of the boxes and mould and actually sent to him to demand him to deliver up the Seed to sow them with.

Many other overbearing circumstances have occurred but I have mentioned sufficient to  show their malice. 

Mrs ALLEN is undoubtedly a sufferer as she is confined 2 months sooner than expected.  I must say Mrs. A is a Woman I do not admire though I must say I have received many little attention from her and Mr. A.  I have returned them as far as laid in my power.  I fortunately had it in my power to give Mrs. A. A few bottles of wine which I assure you were highly prized for altho (sic) she in confined she does not receive a bit or a drop from the Agent or Captain fortunately she is a strong healthy person had it been otherwise she would have been in a pitiable Situation.

Mr A is a good hearted friendly man.  I think but rather hasty he is undoubtedly a clever man in his profession he has received acknowledgements from the Society of Arts for his communications on Botanical Subjects he has also received the strongest recommendations from the DUKE OF CLARENCE whom he was Head Gardener and Botanist to for 11 years.  The Company received many recommendations from several other eminent men.  Mr. ALLEN is also a Freemason and holds the dignity of Knight Templar in the extensive society, he is also something of a mechanic and has made an improvement in BRAMAH's PATENT LOCK which has been acknowledged to have increased the value of that article greatly, he is certainly a man of ability but yet were I differently situated I should not choose him for an associate, it is true our  intercourse is limited principly to playing a game of Chess now and then yet this has made Mr DAWSON an enemy of mine.

We have on board besides the above mentioned persons 11 Men 8 Women and 19 children principly Farming People and Mechanics.  They are all dissatisfied and swear they have been deceived and had they known what was the Company's intentions with regard to them they would have done anything sooner than left England.

Mr ALLEN tells me he will leave the ship at RIO JANARIO where we are going to take in water and are within a few days sail.  I expect there will be a piece of work about it he intends he tells me to prosecute the Captain and Mr DAWSON and the Company for the injuries himself and family have sustained on the board the vessel.

/August 15th /  I am surprised to find the Sailors still hold out threats against me particularly after having accomplished their purpose with me on Shaving Day by beating and otherwise ill using me, but what seems more surprising is the cause they have now and that is they have taken it into their heads that I am here in the room of a Sailor and consequently ought to work as one, they take every possible method of insulting me and seem to say unless I work as they do, they will drive me out.  I shall write to the Captain about it before we reach Rio where we expect to be in about a week.

/Tuesday 16th. August / This being Nancy's birthday I supped my last bottle to drink her and William's health.

/19th. August / Land in sight this day being some part of the Coast of BRAZILS.

/20th. August / All preparations are made for coming into port, Anchors hung on the bows, cables bent and everything ready for casting Anchor in RIO JANERIO, where we expect to be tomorrow or next day.

/ 22nd. August / On this day I sent a letter to the Captain MONCRIEFF / as per copy at the end of this letter page 48 / About 5 in the afternoon the Second Mate called to me below saying, "the Captain desires you will come up and help to put the Ship about / ie tack / this I determined not to do as I had declined working Ship in my letter to him in the morning, however I went on the Poop and asked him if he wanted me - he replied in a surly passionate manner - "I can't talk to you now don't you see I am putting Ship about" upon this I went below to my Cabin  I have heard nothing more from him this day, though, I went on the Poop in the evening supposing he would speak to me but though every facility of opportunity offered he did not say a word - I feel anxious for an explanation I shall request it in the course of two or three says if he still remains silent upon it - he has endeavoured to lower me before the sailors many times and to that I ascribe a great deal of acrimony on their part against me - particularly in one instance which was some time since I stepped into a boat where some Partridges were in a Coop belonging to the A.A. Co. Even the boys of the Ship were in the habit of going into the boat to look at them, in fact any body went who chose - however the Captain seemed desirous of picking a quarrel with me for when he saw me in the boat he ordered me in a stern imperious manner to get out of the boat said I had no business their and in a very insulting manner desired me to go forward and assist in setting up the fore rigging - one of the Men was present who of course told the rest and I was most grossly insulted by three or four of them but I knew complaining to the Captain would be useless.  I therefore took no notice but determined if I heard much more of it to complain to the Captain and request his interference - how it turned out I have before mentioned I mean as to the Shaving - I most assuredly do ascribe a great deal of their ill usage to the Captain's mortifying treatment of me for had he treated me like he does the rest of his officers they would not have presumed to molest me. 

/Tuesday 23rd August / We entered the Harbour of RIO JANERIO this forenoon and a beautiful morning it was the views are grand in the extreme Mountains of amazing heigth (sic)  covered with verdure hills dales and vallies (sic)  most beautifully formed by nature in fact the sight was quite enchanting upon getting opposite the principal Fort called SANTA CRUIZ we laid to, furled sails and waited about an hour when the Captain of the Fort came on board and we were ordered to drop anchor which we did between the Fort and the Town. The Customs Officers came on board and I left an officer and 2 soldiers on board to prevent any one going on the shore till the proper forms of entering at Customs then are accomplished and product allowed  - Some Captains and Lieutenants of the Men of War in this station boarded us and other official persons also came on board.  We were allowed though under that inspection to purchase fruit which came out to us in Bum Boats - Oranges seem very plentiful here, they sold them at about 20 for 4 Vintons or in English money 6d. (Sixpence)  - I understand you can purchase them as cheap again on shore - Cucumbers and Limes seem very plentiful as also a fruit called a Banana's this is a most delicious fruit in the shape of a Cucumber and growing in large bunches.  As the  evening precursed some Grog and what with that and smoking we soon became "half seas over"  we began singing and continued some time when a little after ten o'clock the Captain called below "it was past ten and time to give over Sea Singing" The Carpenter answered him saying, "If we can't sing Sea Songs shall we wing anything else then" however we didn't leave off immediately and the Captain shortly afterwards ordered us to put out the light - this was immediately done but being in the midst of a Song I was pressed to finish it this I imprudently did and the Boatswain sing a Song afterwards we then went to bed. /Wednesday 24th August /   After Breakfast I went upon the Poop as usual when the following words took place between myself and the Captain -

Captain - "So Townsend you don't choose to obey my orders "
Answer - "In what way do you mean Sir"
Captain - "Why did you not desist singing when I ordered you last night"
Answer - "I must own Captain that I did not but I was not the only one however I am very sorry to have distracted you by it but we were all rather too merry and this is the only excuse I can make"
Captain - "You do not obey my orders in other respects in working Ship I ordered you to help put ship about but you did not do it"
Answer - "Truly Captain I did not but you received my petter previous to that and the letter explained my reasons I did not come here as a Sailor"
Captain - "You are not the fist Clerk I have had and I have had Clerks work Ship and do anything I desired them.
Answer - "Well Captain I don't mean to dispute it but I must beg leave to say that I consider what they did is no rule for me to act by"
Captain - "Well as you do not choose to obey my orders I shall not allow you to come any more on the Poop"
Answer - "Very well Captain" and went directly off the Poop

I have now only access to the same part of the vessell (sic) as the Sailors and am consequentially more exposed to their insult - I shall request of course to go on Shore but I suppose the Captain will refuse to allow me  - for he seems determined to mortify me in every possible way and degrade me in the eyes of the whole ship's Company in fact nothing could be more so than ordering me off the Poop as that's the only place for the respectable persons on board to remain unmolested his treatment is most unaccountable for I never to my knowledge did any thing to displease him nor have I think disobeyed his orders altho (sic) his coolness to me has been remarkable.

/ Sunday 28th. August / We have had a great deal of dissatisfaction on Board since our arrival at Rio there has been all but mutiny on board and the Captain has been ever to blows with some, one man has left us, and volunteers on board a Man of War called the DIAMOND and several others seemed much inclined to follow his example their general complaint as "bad living" and if they complain how much more need have I to complain as I have exactly the same allowance as they do I have never been used to such living before as they have however their seems to be general dissatisfaction on board, not only among the Crew but also among the Passengers who are continually condemning themselves for having ventured into such a berth.  Having previously mentioned Mr ALLEN's disagreement with DAWSON and the Captain I must now relate what has taken place between them.

The Captain has prevented any body from going on Shore except the Cabin Passengers did yesterday Mr Allen has of course been anxious to go on Shore to apply to the British Consul for redress and get released from the Ship but they would not allow him to leave the Ship however they went themselves to the Consul and laid some frivolous charges against him in consequence of which he went before the Consul yesterday but they were wholly disproved and Mr. Allen was allowed to state his case upon which he is allowed to leave the Ship and a Cabin passage to England for himself and family is to be found at DAWSON's expense.  I find he intends to seek for redress in England as he says he may probably call on me as witness to come transactions that have taken place thus I cannot refuse and shall consequently trouble him with the carriage of this letter which will save some expense. I have within this last few weeks made a discovery about him which I not at all relish but yet as I have all along been social with him and himself and family have treated me well and also so we are to near parting I have taken no notice of it, what I mean is I find he is on friendly terms with WILLIAM YANDALL, their friendship  commencing when YANDALL was in business at KINGSTON - ALLEN was also a Wine and Brandy Merchant of the same place and consequently they became acquainted.  ALLEN speaks well of him and unfortunately as the discovery was made by my mentioning him first I have spoken casually of him but far from highly of his family quite the contrary. I said I had spoken in two or three instances to Mr. YANDALL I always found him a gentlemanly well behaved man but as to the mother and rest of the family I had heard various reports about them and I had also  understood that YANDALL had become latterly a constant attendant at a Public house in his Vicinity.  I believe this is the substance of the only conversation that ever took place about him between us.  Knowing your antipathy to YANDALL's family had I been aware of Mr. Allen being in terms of friendship with any branch of them I should have studiously avoided any association with him but it is one of those unforseen (sic) evils when strangers become acquainted, very often a circumstance of the sort intervening and makes one party on the other regret ever having met.

This day the Captain has allowed part of the crew to on Shore the remainder are to go tomorrow and I expect as the Crew have permission I shall get leave tomorrow.

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Last modified: April 17, 2007