Tag: Bristol Times and Mirror

The following letter has been received by a gentleman, in this city, from Mr. Burton Pinsent, one of the passengers on board the Great Britain, on her passage to Australia: Dear Mr. H — Cape of Good Hope, Oct. 15, ’52. We are arrived here all safe, after a run of fifty days, all stoppage included, from England. We find this very pleasant country, quite different from St. Helena: Beef and mutton, 2d to 3d per lb.; wine, 3d. to 1s. per bottle. The people are quite different from the Jews of St. Helena: but the Dutch blood here prevents that go-ahead which is necessary to give dispatch to steamers: only native blacks are employed in coaling — English people being too scarce. The natives get 5s per day each; it takes sixteen to twenty to raise two small bags of coal, which any two or three of my old men would do easily — they are so slow and will not work at night; so expect we shall here ten days. One fellow goes before to dance and keep time, carrying the end of a rope, the rest sing, and pretend to pull the rope, to a sort of English chorus. Oats, I find, are 6s. per bushel here, and 10s to 50s. per bushel in Australia, so that, if you have sent off any, they are likely to pay well. There are accounts late here from the diggings at Melbourne: provisions and fodder are a great price, and gold continues to be found in abundance. We have two vessels here from Scotland, loaded with emigrants for Melbourne; they have been 84 days. We had one of our passengers, named Stewart, reported to be drowned today in the quicksand, the first death we have had: had we coals enough, we should have made the quickest run. We have every reason to be pleased with our ship, captain, and crew, but the owners’ management has not been good. It’s such a treat, although it cost me a great deal to get ashore away from our bad tea, coffee. & everything here is so very good; but they say all the steamers were worse off than we are, still this is no excuse. I shall be very glad if you have sent off any oats, etc., as oats, butter, and oatmeal are likely to pay well. I like this country very much; where Mr. Partridge lived is now a beautiful country: capital roads, quite shaded with beautiful oak trees, and everywhere studded with beautiful vineyards, &c., but it is said, owing to the monopolising spirit of the Dutch, it is not good place for settlers, but very good for English labourers. I have sent you a paper. I have put off writing to you until 1 came ashore, and now I find no pens, so excuse the short letter. Tom and I are very well, and desire to be remembered to all inquiring friends. We have a French steamer and an American man-of-war here. They stare with astonishment at the size, number, and respectable appearance of our passengers. At St. Helena, the beggarly inhabitants cheated us in a hundred ways, but never came near us; here they come off in thousands — a fine, tall race of people, dressed equal to Bristolians or Londoners. If anything prevents our starting, I will write again.’ I hope business is good, and everything prospers with you. Hoping to hear shortly. yours, etc., B PINSENT. P.S. — There is a gale coming on, so I have written this in a hurry, I must get on board before it blows too hard.

Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.

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