PAGE 1 WHAT WILL YOU DO LOVE
What will you do love
When am I going
With the white sails flying
And seas beyond
What will you do love
When seas divide us
And friend will chide us
For being fond
Through waves dividing
And friends be chiding
Faith abiding Ill still be
True
And I pray for you
on the stormy ocean
With deep devotion that
Is what Ill do
PAGE 2 ( 2)
If I was spared Id
Bless tomorrow
And want and sorrow
That left me you
And Id welcome thee from
The wasting billow
My heart thy pillow thats
What Id do
What would you do love
When home returning
With hopes high burning
And wealth for you
Aha the Barque thats
Bound oer the foreign foam
Should be lost near home
What would you do
PAGE 3 What would you do love
If distant tidings
Thy fond confidings
Would undermind
And I abiding neath
Sultry shield
Would think other eyes
As bright as thine
Oh name it not though
Guilt and shame
Were on your name
Id still be true
And Ill pray for you
On the stormy ocean
With deep devotion thats
What Ill do
PAGE 3/4
We left Ballymoney about 8:15 and was in Derry about 10:20. The agent was at
the station waiting for us and took us to the office. We had to travel about
a mile. We paid 4 apiece for getting our boxes taken. Hugh had to pay a 20
for getting his trunks drew. When we got our tickets marked we were to be at
the tender at 11:00. It was 11:30 before we got started. It took us about
3 hours to go out.
PAGE 5/6
The steamer started about 3 p.m. We dont see much of the coast. It was too
rough on deck and the smell of the steerage made us sick.
We got our dinner shortly after we got on of potatoes, pea soup and fish.
We ate some of the potatoes, but the peas soup made us throw off. We all took
sick then and was sick till Sunday. We got some tea of our own on Sunday
which made us feel a good deal better. There was a heavy swell of Friday
& Saturday but Sunday was a fine day. On Monday night I was going out for
a drink when the man below me in the berth asked me if I would
PAGE 7/8
bring him one. I said I would. I brought in another for myself to drink
at night and set it at the corner of the bunk over his head in the middle
of the night I heard him cursing and swearing was I pishing down on him
there when I looked the half of the mug of water was spilt on his face
with the rolling of the boat. It was rough on Tuesday we dont taste the
ships meat that day either. Wednesday was a bit calmer. We were able to
take in the evening some tea and corned beef and bread.
That was the first night there was any dancing. The sailors danced the
waltzes, highlands and Gigs to a melodeon.
PAGE 9/10
On Thursday there was Irish Stew to breakfast. Hugh and me took ours up on
deck and ate it. We were able to take all the meals that day. At night
there was plenty of dancing. It had been stormy all day with some snow
and hail showers but we got down along the galles [gales?]and we were
all right Friday was a good day compared to Thursday but it was rough
enough to. We had good appetites that day and could nearly ate a man
off his horse. It got rough towards the evening. I threw some off
going to bed. Saturday was a rough day. I was a little sick and threw
off some more
PAGE 11/12
But I wasnt alone at it-there was plenty throwing off besides me.
Robert played on the flagelot that evening to the sailors dancing.
One of the engineers said it was the nicest music ever he heard. Sunday
was a very fine day-they put up the sails in the morning but
about the middle of the day they had to take them down for the wind
turned dead ahead it calmed down in the evening. There was hardly a ripple.
The sea was like a bottle. Monday was a wet day and very misty.
They were blowing the horn every few minutes. We expected to be in sight
on land about 2 p.m. but the fog was
PAGE 13/14
That thick she couldnt make good time. The pilot came on about
3 o clock p.m. We had to anchor 3 times before we got in. The first
land we seen was Sandy Hook-it didnt look very nice at first. It was
very low looking but we soon changed our minds about it. The point is
very low but after we got round it there was some nice scenery. It is
a very nice sail up the harbour into the deck. Nice villas and private
houses with trees growing round them. There are plenty of forts with
the cannon sticking out of them. There is a good deal of traffic-
ferryboats, steamer tugs, steamers
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Schooners, sailboats and every kind of ship you would name. It is a very
busy looking place. The ferry boats crowded with men and teams and the tugs
towing barges. The doctor came on before we got in and we had to show him
our certificate which we got from the steward the day before.
It took us a good while to get in. It was nearly dark before we got in.
Nearly the first one we seen was James. He spoke to us and told us he
wouild [would?] be down about ten in the morning. None but cabin passengers
got off that night. We got off about ten in the morning. James was waiting
there for us
PAGE 17/18
but we had to go to Ellis island in the tender and was kept separate
with ropes running across the schooner according to the number of our
card. It was a good while before we got through the island. The [they?]
had that many questions to ask-how much money we had,
where we were going ,, If we had any friends or if we were ever in
America before and a lot more questions. I didnt see what was there( their)
ends for asking. Them that didnt know where the were going was put into
place and kept there till somebody came for
them. James came shortly after we
PAGE 19/20
Came out and we took the ferry across to B.lyn [Brooklyn?]. We saw the
statue of liberty as we were going along. It is great monument. The shape
of a man standing on a pedestal with a dagger held above his head. When we
got over we landed on New York side of the river then took the Elevated
Railroad across the bridge to Brooklyn. Then took a street car
home to his uncles Mr. Howe. Mrs Howe give us a hearty welcome. We got
dinner then went out & took a room in 108 Hall St - off Myrtle Avenue. Then
James took us to his uncles were we got tea. Then we went to our room
PAGE 21/22
The next morning we got our breakfast at a restaurant where we had paid
20c [cents?]. Then we walked round til [till?] lunchtime when we lunched
with Mrs Howe. She was very kind to us. We went down to Mrs Howes in
the evening and got supper. On Thursday we had a great day walking around.
It is a fine city Blyn [Brooklyn?], lots of traffice [traffic?], elevated cars
and trolleys cars. The way the talk is stranger to us than anything we see.
Andrew Kennedy was qqaroiund that night but we didnt see him. We went round
to Mrs Howe after lunch. She is a very kind lady. She has two nice little
girls, May and Annie. Friday was a very wet day. We could hardly
PAGE 23/24
Stir out of doors. Saturday we went around looking for a job and got one
out near Richmond from a farmer that lived out near Mineola. The Sunday we
were invited to dine with Mr and Mrs Howe. We went to church for the
first day in America it is like a concert than [reaching [preaching?]
the sermon was about 10 minutes and like a lecture there was a piece of music
sung when the collection was taking up. James took me to see Aunt
Barbra that evening she is like the Knoxes as she can be. Robert Carton was
along. I wrote to her to come over. She came that day we were out walking
and misssed [missed?]her so we went over to see her. I forgot to say at the
first that Robert Carton and me was rooming together we pay
PAGES 25/26
$2 for our room per week. We get our meals out at a restaurant. We gave it up on
Monday morning and was out at James Kellys ( which is the name of the man
we got the job from, by 11.30. When we got here he was ploughing out in the lot.
He had one plough and his brother Dick was ploughing with the other. He gave us a
the plough when we went into the lot. I got his Robt [Robert?] got Dicks.
They were a bit awkward at first but we soon got into the way of them. The ploughs
are only about 60lbs weight. We got our dinner about 12 oclock. We ploughed
from that until night 6:30. We planted potatoes the next day. It is hardly the
same as it is at home, they open the the drilols [drills?] with a thing they
call the maker 3 rows at a time.
PAGES 27/28
It is made of wood with a shaft as it to go between the horses, 3 upright boards about 6 in.[inches?]deep and about 2 feet long, sharp, at the point about 6 in.[inches?] Wide at the end. They can put the thing apart so as to make it wider between the rows if they like. They make the rows about 2ft 9in.[inches?]and 2 feet 6 in[inches?] apart. Then they sow the manure or what they call fertilizer with a machine, neatly like a turnip burrow only with there are 3 wheels on it. The one on the front runs in the row. The other 2 on a drill at each side it holds about 80lbs and a thing like the foot of a grabber to mix it with the ground. Then they drop the potatoes the same as they do in Ireland,
PAGES 29/30
Only they stand straight which make it a good deal easier on the back. Then they
close them with a plough about 36 lbs weight. The point runs nearly straight
into the Ground or it wouldnt stay long in it. 5 of us planted about 6 acres.
They are 2 men and a boy and 5 girls and their mother. They are nice people.
We get plenty to eat and the work is much the same as at home. We rise at 5:30
and stop work at 6:30. Robert and me lies together. We get our breakfast
at 6, our dinner at 12 and our supper about 7. We went into B lyn [Brooklyn?]
the first Sunday after we came which was Easter Sunday. It is a market Farm.
He goes to NY [New York?] market on Tuesday and Friday.
PAGE 30/31
Starts the day before and comes home the day after. The second Sunday we were
here we took a walk down the length of Roslyn about 4 miles and we went up to
the top of a hill among the woods-the first woods we were in, in America.
Transcribed by PaulaTracey