Sweat gathered in places Elizabeth never knew she could sweat!
How can a body endure this heat and moisture? Me skin is always wet and me clothes always feel as if they are sticking to me. Even me precious air coming in through the porthole doesn’t refresh me, it is always hot and I never feel refreshed after me sleep.
Elizabeth jumped as a voice spoke from behind her at the door. “Elizabeth, please pack my belongings and your own, we will be docking at Sydney Cove today. You will need to rejoin the other females on deck when we dock. I will be busy all day so I won’t be down again.”
So the time has come.
I am to leave him and go back to me chains and whatever fate has in store for me. Pack me things. What things? I have been with him for nearly six months and he still doesn’t know that I have naught, other than the dress he gave me.
Elizabeth dragged her feet as she approached the other females gathering on the deck. One of the guards approached her with a smirk and quickly put her chains on again, while also giving her a quick smack across the face for good measure. Well I suppose I should have expected that.
Suddenly she jumped as overhead there sounded a bang as the guns rang out. Thomas had warn me last night that there would be a 13 gun salute when we approach the harbour. What was the point?
Standing near the rail, shading her eyes, Elizabeth was amazed at all the sights vying for her attention. If only it wasn’t so blasted hot. The view shimmered in the heat haze, but she was struck by the brilliant blue of the sea. Where are all the buildings? I thought there would be more buildings. So many tents and rough huts. Not like England at all. Breathing erratically, she realised that this was a very different place from her homeland.
Orders were given for disembarkation. Shuffling behind the other female convicts, she found herself herded like sheep on one side of the deck, while the men were on the other side.
The soldier was reading out from a large scroll. I had better pay attention or risk another cuff across the face from the guard.
Then she saw him, her Red Coat, and heard the soldier read, “Elizabeth Selwyn, sentenced for seven years, assigned to Lieutenant Thomas Rowley, as Housekeeper.”[1]
Grabbing her cloth bundle, she hurried to his side. Not a free choice, but I can do this. If I had a choice though, I would choose him!
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1 Ancestry.com. New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806- 1849 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Home Office: Settlers and Convicts, New South Wales and Tasmania; (The National Archives Microfilm Publication HO10, Pieces 5, 19-20, 32-51); The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England.
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