From Thomas Waters Jr. to his parents, Elizabeth Waters and Thomas Waters Sr. (August 19, 1849)

[Thomas Waters to his parents]

[from a transcript]       30

19 August 1849. Digby,Nova Scotia

Dear Father and Mother

I commence this letter with a bad pen, and you will say a bad excuse for bad writing.  I arrived in Halifax on the 12th August after a pleasant passage, from thence I started by mail coach to Windsor, from thence to St John’s N.B. by steam boat and from thence to Digby N.S. where I am at present.  While writing this I have just heard of the arrival of my Captain who left England two days before me, he and the vessel in which he was passenger was castaway on C. Negro, all hands saved, you see how uncertain are human prospects, he thought to have been home at least a week before me, but instead I am here a week ahead of him, all safe however, I am glad it is no worse.  I do not know where I shall go to from here as the vessel is not ready for me yet.  I received a letter from home and was glad to hear you were all quite well.  I suppose Ben is down to Birkenhead before this.  I wish him prosperity, the cherries here are just out of season, but there are plenty of apples and pears which I have begun to practice upon.  The climate here is very warm and dry which has occasioned the crops of hay to be hardly worth cutting but the potatoes are very fine and as yet I have heard of no appearance of blight.  It is rather singular that in the same latitude and longitude in which the unfortunate C. Bartlett was run down by the Europa, we passed pieces of wreck of some vessel nearly about the size she must have been as we could judge by the masts which we saw, moreover we picked up a life buoy but no marks upon it to tell its former owner.  I am sorry to hear that Sarah was not well but I hope she will soon recover.  I found my chest and clothes all right in Halifax, but I had to leave most of them as I had no place to stow them, however they are safe. Probably I shall remain here four or five weeks rigging and fitting the new vessel so that I shall be ready for another letter from home.  There have been several ships lost on this coast lately occasioned by the dense fog. I am glad that all, with only one exception, are well at home and I hope Uncle, Aunt, and Cousins are well. Having no more news

I must conclude with love to all

I remain Your affectionate son

          Thomas Waters

Very bad pen and in haste as the mail only starts once a week and I want to get this in in time.