The Colonial Records Project
Jan-Michael Poff, Editor
Historical Publications Section
4622 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4622
These letters of 1711, written by the successful original Swiss settlers to New Bern, North Carolina, were translated by The Colonial Records Project from German into English, in a collection called, "Christoph von Graffenried's Account of the Founding of New Bern," edited by Vincent H. Todd, Ph.D., "Copies of Various Letters from North Carolina." The website is at
http://www.ncpublications.com/colonial/Bookshelf/Graff/Letters.htm
In their letters to home, the Swiss colonists to New Bern, North Carolina in 1711 wrote about their impressions and experiences.
We are in a very good and fat land. I am in hopes that within a year I shall have over a hundred head of horses, cattle, swine.
Regarding the land in general. It is almost wholly forest, with indescribably beautiful cedar wood, poplars, oaks, beech, walnut and chestnut trees... and so many other fragrant trees that I cannot describe the hundredth part.
I am in hopes that if I stay well to provide five or six households with food and drink for possibly a year long.
I live well and happy and would not wish to have remained at home... [A colonist] can get land as much as he needs. He can keep as much stock as he is able. Swine cost nothing to keep. Cattle go the whole year on pasture, become fat and good to butcher by themselves.
I will soon take up a plantation which comprises toward three hundred acres.
One can have as much swine and cattle as he wants without labor and expense.
No one has any desire to be back in Switzerland, for one can eat but little meat in Switzerland, but here in Carolina I need have no anxiety from this year on, that every year I should not butcher thirty or forty to fifty swine, more if I wish.
... we went about a hundred hours by water and land, yet always guided and fed, and the people everywhere have done us much kindness and there is in this country no innkeeper. All go from one place to another for nothing...
If one would present me with the whole lowland, in order that I should go back again to Switzerland and take up the former service I would not do it on account of the freedom of conscience.
The place and the country, the rivers where we now live and dwell is a good soil, and cattle raising also good and safe, and there is freedom in North Carolina.But there are those other things which suggest hardship --
The land is good, but the beginning is hard, the journey dangerous. My two children, Maria and Hansli died at Rotterdam in Holland and were buried in the common burial place.
The land is uncultivated, yet is to be hoped tolerably fruitful; but yet I would not cause any one to come here, nor would I advise it, because of the costly and difficult journey over the fearful and wild sea. Yet we arrived safely and suffered little sickness, and for my part, did not get here so badly. For old and young it is hard... The great God has kept all. To be sure it has cost much and gone slowly in these expensive, hard, war times.
Of vermin, snakes, and such like, there is not so much as they tell of in Europe. I have seen crocodiles by the water, but they soon fled. One should not trust to supporting himself with game, for there are no wild oxen or swine.
I do not lack food nor clothes, but money is rather scarce in this country.
We have no minister but we hope soon to get one.
But one thing lies heavy on us which I a cannot write without weeping, namely the lack of a true and a zealous pastor. We have, indeed, prayers in our houses every Sunday, but the zeal to cleanse away the canker of our old sins is so small that it is to be feared it will consume everything to the foundation, if the pitying God does not come to our help.
We have no women folks that wash and mend for us.
The greatest failing and lack here in Carolina is that too few people are here, and no good mills. There is one being built by us people who are in Carolina.
There is a great lack of German women folks.
No one else of us Siebentaler people has died, but of the others though, three Palatines. Of the people among whom we live, however, a good many have died.
This place has been entirely uninhabited, for we have not seen any signs nor heard that anything else ever was here except the so-called wild and naked Indians. But they are not wild, for they come to us often and like to get clothes of us... they guide the Christians through the forest and show new ways... Some also can speak English well. They have an idol and hold festivals at certain times. But I am sorry to say, of the true God they do not want to know anything.
Brought here hale and hearty, the shoemaker Moritz did not die till he was on his farm. He was well on the whole journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment