File 1: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 4, pp. 1-402, 1811-1856

On service

Mr Tho^s Hassall Mr Birnies Sydney.

R. Hassall

MS 57

2 May 1817

My Dr Eliz^th

I recd your kind and affectionate letter but had not taken time to answer it until now the contents though generated tears of Joy - fail not to write me by every opportunity and in return - as I improve I hope to be able to write a better letter than this -

For news I must refer you to my Brothers letter - Marys letter keepsake by Teterre came safe to hand give my love & thanks to her with your Dear Mother Jane & Martha & Charles

Accept these hasty lines with my best wishes for your present future & eternal happiness & believe me to remain

Your respected T TH

Remember me to Mrs Bishop who I hope is well

58 Copy to Mr Smith Miss M & C Marsden May 3 - 17 - by the Harriet Mr Underwood & copy of the Letter to Miss AM –

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Copy

Thur 18th Dec 1817

My Dear Father

Should this reach you before my letters from Batavia I think you would be much surprised and as there is some pro-bality that such may be the case I shall run over the voyage to this place in as brief a manner as possible - At the Derwent to my comfort I met the missionaries in the Harriet & having heard from that they arrived safe I shall begin from our leaving the Derwent which was on the 13 May with a fair wind and pleasing expectations, after having been detained much longer than we expected - on the 19th had a smart gale & found a leak under our stern, which induced the Capt to haul up and go to the northward on the 1 June we made Lord Howe Island & about the 11th Indian Head or the coast of N H- [indecipherable] we were beating off till the 18th at which time tis supposed we were not above three or four days sail from Sydney with a good Vessel

After passing Indian Head we had generally very pleasant weather along the coast of which was truly picturesque though dangerous we had to anchor every evening which & this made the passage much longer - We struck on a reef on the 17 July but got off in the course of two

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hours without any known damage - on the 27th we rounded Cape York & the day following bid a hearty farewell to the shores of N H - Anchored off Booty Island we learnt from a printed board the [indecipherable] & Campbell [indecipherable] had passed having been only 26 days from [indecipherable] which was just about half the time we had been coming the same distance. I am sorry to state that the kangaroo is (by all on board) [original text has been crossed out- is] supposed to be [indecipherable] Vessel as they have sailed in - on the [indecipherable] the Island of Timor - here we lost one of our passengers Mr Jno OHearn the day before we left & [indecipherable] afterward Sarah Hill - on the 20th we arrived at Batavia where we staid for repairs &c untill the 1 Octr- At this place I fell in with two Babtist Missionaries Messrs Robinson & Phillips who very kindly entertained and kept me with my New Zealand Friend John met with two [miss...? (missionaries?)] from the London [miss...? (missionaries?)] Society [indecipherable] to [Malacea?] that arrived soon after us so that in a strange land abounding with wickedness & Idolatry I found some that

*While here I wrote several letters & left them to be [indecipherable] by the first opportunity

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rejoiced my soul and led me [indecipherable] back into the bosom of my Fathers Family. The City is very large and under Dutch Government the natives are [indecipherable] or [indecipherable] but there are a great number of Chinese who appear to be the midling class of people - There are very few English consequently for the first week was very much at a loss - Who Mrs Phillips introduced me to Mr [Slater?] one of the [miss...? (missionaries?)] he immediately enquired if "I could speak english which caused us a hearty laugh After bidding farewell to Batavia where the [bolder?] Officers left us, we came to anchor at [indecipherable] fort for wood & [indecipherable] at this place G [Blarcell?] Esq: [dated 3 Octr?] I was sitting with him at the time of dissolution, here my Dear Father I could make many [reflections?] [original text has been crossed out] subject because [indecipherable] but shall [indecipherable] them at his [indecipherable] - On the 9th we have up [indecipherable] with emotion of gratitude, mixt with the sort of [indecipherable] remembrance that though we had been Sea [indecipherable] on our voyage we might expect to be nearly at [indecipherable] more ere we reached our [indecipherable] port- Mr Nelson with my [indecipherable] by the Captns permission took charge of [less?] [indecipherable] which afforded a source of comfort I cannot

[well? ?]:- He has given me a little instruction and as we can both sit to read & write at the same time - The time does not lag so heaviy as formerly - On the [indecipherable Logalles?] bank we lost another passenger by [decline?] John [indecipherable] and on the [indecipherable] Por Old [indecipherable] departed this life about [indecipherable] after a long illness from the same disease he had at Parramatta [indecipherable Structure?] old man for [indecipherable] very much he constantly told me that [indecipherable] & yourself said he would not reach home which had certainly been the case

For my own part I have enjoyed a tolerable good state of health since we left the [indecipherable] - At Batavia I had a vio= -lent cold and fear the consequences but Mr R - gave me some Physic and Mrs Phillips kindly attended me so that I got [round?] [original text has been crossed out- the next day about noon ........ in the course of eight & forty hours - a [original text has been crossed out- ] - After leaving [indecipherable] the Captain who had hitherto behaved very kindly to me asked me to read Prayers of course I consented & have performed to the best of my ability ever since when the weather permitted Indeed this has been a secret pleasure to myself and I hope to some others especially the old folks [indecipherable] we have [indecipherable] ~ ~ Mr [indecipherable] most kindly gave me a letter of recommendation to a friend of his at [indecipherable] to whom I intend forwarding this [original text has been crossed out- and got him to] with the [indecipherable] that he will send forward it on to Port Jackson by the first opportunity- I do not write any of my friends except [indecipherable] by this conveyance it being a very uncertain conveyance [indecipherable] shall write several of them by the first opportunity [indecipherable] if nothing material [indecipherable] &c &c &c