| April 1877 | The Ship Charles Dickens sailed from Hamburg, GermanyG, in April 1877 with Eduard Tegel, Anna Nothnagel, Mathilde Julianna Anna Tegel, Wilhelmine Anna Rosalie Tegel and Wilhelm Karl Eduard Tegel aboard and arrived in Brisbane, Australia on 4 September 1877.
The following articles appeared in the local papers:-
CHARLES DICKENS
The Charles Dickens was an iron sailing ship of 3 masts and had been built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1856. The ship was originally named "Danube" and owned by Bibby & Co and was registered in Liverpool, England. In 1876 the ship's
name was changed to the "Charles Dickens", sold to P M Sloman & Co, and registered with the Port of Hamburg. The ships captain was Frederick Bochwolt, the ship's doctor was Christian Uterhart and the Matron was Mrs Croucher. She was not a very large ship being only 230 feet long , 30 feet wide and 18 feet deep and weighed 1329 tons. She was divided into three
section, single females at the front, married couples and their families in the Centre and single males at the rear. All told there were 510 passengers on board made up of :- 6 fully paid, 13 assisted, 370 free and 119 free nominated.
During the voyage there were 2 males and 3 females born, 1 marriage and the death of 1 single female , 1 male and 1 female child and 5 male and 2 female infants. Each person was allocated a sleeping space of 6 feet and 18 inches and if under 12 years of age only half that size. The conditions were cramped to say the least.
The cargo on board included 50 cases of champagne, 130 cases of mineral water, 190 cases of beer, 27 bales of hops, 5 cases of cigars, 8 drums of caustic soda, 20 barrels of silicate, 10 cases of toys, 400 boxes of nails, 120 sacks of fine salt, 1346 sacks of coarse salt, 20 tons of rock salt and 10 cases of coffee. She left Hamburg on the 6th April 1877, sailed directly to Queensland around the Cape of Good Hope and did not touch at any port during he voyage. She arrived in Moreton Bay on Friday 10th August 1877.
"The Queenslander" published a record of the voyage on August 25th 1877. The report reads:-Captain Bochwoldt reports that the Charles Dickens ship, from Hamburg, with emigrants sailed from Cuxhaven in tow; April 6, light westerly winds, passed lightship at twelve o'clock, cast off tug, beating up channel; April 11, sighted lightship at Goodwin Sands, light westerly winds and calm; April 13, light easterly winds; May 1, sighted St Antonio; May 8, Popaul Hahl jumped overboard and was drowned; May 11, crossed the Equator, light variable winds; May 16, got south east Trades; Strong westerly winds and heavy squalls, passed the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope; June 4 , in running down easting winds from south to north-west, with heavy rain squalls, wind not keeping in one quarter, twenty-four hours under close-reefed topsail; July 1 sighted Tasmania, light winds from north-east, and calms; coming up the coast light winds, north-east and heavy rain; July 10; light westerly winds and heavy rain; July 14 passed cape Moreton at ten A.M., received pilot, north-west winds; at one o'clock anchored off Yellow Patch, strong westerly winds; 16th light westerly winds, heading up channel from eight A.M. until four P.M.,
anchored of Cowan Cowan; July 17, eleven A.M., Norseman. s., took us in tow and towed us across the Bay; anchored at Bar at two P.M., westerly winds.
A letter was sent to the ship on Sunday 12th August from the health department stating that the passengers have to be quarantined for a period of 18 days clear. A report was sent back to the health department on Saturday 18th from James W. Wassell saying "I went alongside the Charles Dickens this morning when the doctor reported that the convalescent patients with measles are still doing well, with no fresh cases of measles, but there is now one case of fever, the nature of which he is at present unable to say. He appears very anxious to have the passengers landed without delay." By early afternoon
all the passengers had landed at Peel Island with their luggage arriving by 3.30 P.M. on the same day. The Superintendent of Quarantine, Mr J A Hamilton, then gave instructions that all the fittings of the………. from phthisis, two from convulsions, one from cramps, one from bright's disease and one from Apoplexy. It is not stated whether measles still prevail on board but we may assume that it does, the two deaths from this cause having occurred within a few days of the ship arrival in port. Neither is any reason given for the occurrence of so much sickness; but the number of children on board at date of sailing was 172 which may be considered far too large a number of children for one vessel. The health officer ordered Captain Bochwoldt to
hoist the yellow flag and has recommended that the ship and passengers be placed in quarantine. It is expected that "The Gazette Extraordinary" will issue orders today placing the ship in quarantine, and she will probably be towed over to Peel Island today or tomorrow. The Immigrants are mostly German, But we notice in the list a goodly sprinkling of Polish names.
THE TELEGRAPH 08.09.1877
The ship Charles Dickens will be towed from the quarantine ground to the anchorage by the Kate, tomorrow. The single men, single women, and a few married people will be brought to town on Friday, by the Kate.
THE QUEENSLAND TIMES 09.09.1877
A telegram was received in town yesterday stating that the steamer Kate had proceeded to the Bay for the purpose of conveying the German immigrants recently arrived by the ship Charles Dickens to the Brisbane Immigration Depot.
We understand that a number of them will be sent up to the immigration depot at North Ipswich tomorrow, so those desirous of employing this class of Labor will have an opportunity of doing so.
THE IPSWICH OBSERVER 11.09.1877
A number of single men and girls and one married couple are waiting engagement at he immigration depot. Some of the German immigrants by Charles Dickens arrived late last night.
THE IPSWICH OBSERVER 16.09.1877
All the immigrants with the exception of ten married couples and two single girls have left the depot. It is pleasing to notice that nearly one hundred immigrants have obtained employment here in less than a week, and it augers will for the future of immigration to Queensland when this occurs in such exceptional hard times.
THE TOOWOOMBA CHRONICLE 18.09.1877
A petition was presented to the Governor today against the further imprisonment of the Danish sailors, who were sentenced to a year's imprisonment for breaking quarantine from the ship Charles Dickens. |