Blackwall  1849

It seems quite a while since I have included anything from  Charles Dickens, to remedy this oversight, I  will bring to your attention  an unusual piece of journalism by the great author.

Blackwall railway station 1840s

‘A Rainy Day on The Euphrates’ finds Dickens standing at Blackwall Train station in 1852.

 The 13th of January, 1852, was a decidedly wet day. You, reader, as a shadow, not affected by the weather ; I, as a motionless, damp substance, under the porch of the Blackwall Railway station, looking up at the immense wet slate in . the sky, and down at the few human sponges whom fate urged, for some motive or other, to a run across the puddles on the pier. The river before us had a languid, sickly look, as if it had just come from swallowing a sewer. As for the opposite shore, utterly flat, it seemed to be depressed entirely, on account of the uncomfortable aspect of the morning.

It was our fancy to come down to Blackwall half-an-hour before the time appointed for embarkation on board the steamer which was to carry us alongside an emigrant ship.

I now ” hold in my hand ” (because I have just pulled out of my pocket) an Occasional Paper, published by the Committee of the Female Emigration Fund, containing specimens of letters recently received from emigrants sent out by them. While we await the arrival of the train which is to bring our young friends of today, we may profitably spend the little time we have in gossiping about the Home Talk of their predecessors. As for the Fund itself, to be sure there are some wise people who complain of the small scale on which an operation of this kind has to be conducted ; who complain that it can exert no influence upon the aspect of our social system, and that by favouring a few women who are sent away in peace, it becomes unjust to those equally deserving objects of compassion.

Dickens  is referring to  sixty poor girls who have been selected to emigrate to Australia and New Zealand. This is the twentieth and largest party of the needlewomen and  domestic servants sent out by the Right Honourable Sidney Herbert’s Female Emigration Fund. The whole number of emigrants despatched by this Fund, on the nineteen previous occasions, has been six hundred and thirty-seven ; so, including the present set, about seven hundred poor girls had emigrated.

Whilst Dickens refers to letters from emigrants who had made a good life for themselves and  often got married in the first year aboard, he is dismayed that Britain had failed the young women and no matter how hard they tried their prospects were poor if they stayed.

The girls go from Blackwall down to the ‘Euphrates’ in Gravesend on a steamer called the Meteor.  After a meal on board the ‘ Euphrates ‘ , it is time for Dickens, family and friends to leave and return on the Meteor. Dickens describes the scene as the girls prepare to say goodbye:

 The steamer is alongside, and the unfinished food is left, and all the girls, heedless of rain and uubonneted, are upon deck for the last accents of farewell. Pleasant it is to see the matron made a prisoner of love, unable to get free of the fingers which fond girls put out to her, who had given them perhaps the first sense of home comfort. A stout girl, clinging resolutely to a sister who must go on board the steamer, is standing on the plank and blocks the way ; she is warned off not gruffly, far from it. And, though she holds her place, and clings about her sister, caring most for the few minutes left for that embrace, and little for all the world else just then, (though she tries to make way for the other passengers,) nobody warns her off again. We all contrive to pass without disturbing her. At length the steamer has put off, the emigrant girls climb to where they can get the last look of the friends whom they may see no more. There are attempts at parting cheers, in which they seem to choke ; there is a mutual waving of handkerchiefs and hats : a mutual and complete goodwill. The sailors, who have all gathered in the bow of the ship, give three cheers of a louder sort to the departing steamer, and tomorrow morning early the Euphrates will set sail.

Typical emigrants ship accommodation 1852

Although this is where the Dickens piece ends, the story can be taken up by a fellow emigrant to the girls called  Emily Anne Wilson who wrote a record of the journey in a journal. Here are a few extracts:

I am told I shall have to rough it as the same vessel takes out about sixty female emigrants, some from Ireland (to whom Miss Hall is appointed matron) and that I must enter one of the classes or “messes”. This I do not mind and I am resolved not to murmur. I feel quiet and subdued on leaving my home. I parted from my brothers and sisters on Saturday afternoon, from my dear father on Sabbath afternoon, from my beloved mother on Monday afternoon, and yesterday morning from my brother Philip, who came to see me off. There was a good deal of weeping about us, but I struggled to be quiet and tho my spirits are saddened, the sky clouded and the rain falling in abundance, I will not droop. I am full of hope.

Unfortunately Emily’s hope did not last long, a few days later and she began to feel homesick.

I have been, and still am, rather low spirited. I have never felt the loss of a mother’s care and attention so much as I have done the last few days. I never felt so helpless. I could not move hand or foot. I have several times regretted coming but as I feel it is all for the best I have prayed (and I hope, fervently) to God to help me and strengthen me for the voyage. I was very low spirited on Sunday evening and cried very much. Miss Hall came and talked to me very kindly, and so did Teresa.

She cheers up a little and begins to get involved more in the ship’s activities until she has a really bad toothache. The Doctor offers Emily some interesting drugs to take.

April 4th. I was so bad last night Mr Brown was obliged to give me a ginger and laudanum poultice, and some opium to take. I had just got to sleep when the noise of the Irish girls awoke me and frightened me very much. The opium did me more harm than good.

Whether she was now in a opium induced state, she seems to develop some unusual tastes in food.

On Thursday, I saw a porpoise caught. I tasted it cooked several ways. It was delicious. It belonged to one of the sailors.

Eventually, they reach Sydney and the start of a new life for Emily and the girls.

May 24th. On one side of us we can see a vessel and on the other the shore of Sydney, the long wished for land. Although I was neither glad nor sorry that we were so near, my heart beat as I gazed on the land of my adoption.

Emily finds work as a governess but within a few months she decides to get married.

Blackwall was famous for centuries as a embarkation point for emigrants going to many different destinations. Dickens standing on a wet Blackwall train station watching these drama’s give us a little insight of what was once, a common sight of men, women and children looking to start  a better life aboard.