I DECIDE TO COME TO ADELAIDE.

Meanwhile I had gone to hear a man who was lecturing. He dealt with all the colonies in turn, and when he referred to South Australia and Adelaide, so pleasing were the pictures he drew of the country all round, that they made a deep impression on me. I knew no one in Adelaide, and I knew no one in that lecture-hall, but as I sat there my mind was made up to come to South Australia, having the choice between it and either Melbourne or Queensland. I told the Rev¹. A. N. Somervill, when I showed him the papers, that I would like to come to Adelaide, and he said that a college friend of his was in the city of Adelaide. His name was Dr. Gardner, and they wrote to each other. From Dr. Gardner's account he thought it would be a nice place to live, and when I left Glasgow Mr. Somervill gave me a letter to Dr. Gardner, who was minister of Chalmer's Church, North-terrace.

I was healthful, sound of body, and free from disease, and I did not think so much of the trouble of the voyage.

It seemed, such a short time after the papers were sent away till I had an answer back to say that I was to hold myself in readiness to sail from Liverpool or Birkenhead in a ship called the Morning Star. That was near the end of October. I had not told them at home what I had done in regard to applying for a passage, and I was to be at the place of embarkation² not later than November 2. With a fluttering heart I went to Slamannan. They would not believe me. Then they did not want me to go. I was sorely tried. I wondered at the maze³ of difficulties; the only thing which determined⁴ me was that it was too late to draw back. I craved⁵ for their sympathy, and asked them to let me go. I overheard a man speaking to my father. He asked if it was true that I was going out to the colonies. My father said "Yes." He replied, "Surely you will not let your daughter go." My father said "Yes." The man had some family himself, and he then said, "If it were a daughter of mine that wanted to go to that wild, outlandish place I would take her to the plantation⁶ and take a gun and shoot her rather than let her go to such a place."

I heard it all, and had a cry. I did not know enough to realise the distance or the time I would be on the sea. The Morning Star was a sailing vessel⁷.

In spite of my impulsive⁸ nature it was hard to give up all the humble⁹ joys of youth, and I thought I could face the future better in Scotland. What would a strange land hold for me? It is no use to tell how the colliers and their wives and friends crowded to see me, as they said to mix up the sour with the sweet. We were living in the main street of Slamannan then, and my sister and her husband, as well as the colliers and others,[Pg 45] gathered together and got the large hall and arranged a concert on my behalf. I felt grateful to many whom I had never seen before. All round I was asked such strange questions, and was told I was rushing to destruction. Some thought I would get eaten when I got out here.

The final morning came. It was dark and cold on November 2. All my own relations travelled with me to Glasgow, but at the railway-station at Slamannan there were the people again with their hearty¹⁰ farewells. I told them I would come back and see them some day, and I did so. The brave spirit which sustained me gave way, and I went in tears to say good-bye to my friends in Glasgow. Oh, the bitterness of that hour! To see the old scenes of my daily life and say the last word. I saw Dr. Reily, and he gave me some useful advice for ship life. In Scotland the days are short in November. The train left at 5 p.m. It was dark, and every familiar object grew dim. There was no one in the train whom I knew. I was told that it would be 7 o'clock the next morning before I would get to Liverpool. All night the train journeyed on, and at some of the stations we picked up some more weeping passengers. It seemed to console me when I saw others who I learned were going to Adelaide in the Morning Star.

When we got to Liverpool we were taken to Birkenhead. There was a queer-looking building where we were taken. I soon found that plenty of people were there to the appointed time for the voyage, and they did not seem afraid to travel to the fair land beyond the sea. Such a mixed lot of strangers I saw. There were Welsh and English married couples with their families. There were Welsh and English single young men and Welsh and English single young woman. Then there were Scotch¹¹ and Irish married couples, and also their families, and single young Scotch men, and single young Scotch women. I can still remember how many single women there were altogether. There were 105. We had nothing to complain of. There were separate divisions for all the young women in a department by themselves with the married couples next to us. Then the young men were at the other side, and in the ship the same plan was carried through all the way on the voyage.

We did not sail till November 19, but there were no unreasonable¹² restrictions¹³. We went in and out at will. I went about with some of the married people, and clung to them all the way out and after. I go and see some of them at this date when I can find the time. The ship was brought alongside of the depot¹⁴, as this place was called, and I thought it looked so splendid, so clean and nice; but, for all that, more than I thought it might be our last resting-place. The touch of kindness in it all was wonderful to me. One lady, also a free passenger, was elected as matron. She was an English lady, and she endeared herself to all. The doctor had all our names on a roll, and he called them[Pg 46] over every evening and morning, and we had to answer to our names to see that none of us got lost. The doctor acted as chaplain. He was a bachelor, and had many years' experience of sea life. There was a punt that went to and fro from Birkenhead to Liverpool, and vehicles of all kinds with horses attached passed over on this punt. It cost a half-penny for each individual. We often went in companionship in that way, and we saw many things to surprise us in Liverpool.

We were watching to see when the Morning Star would sail, and wondering why we were there so long and were provided for, without payment, with good as well as suitable food. The last afternoon before we sailed we had our tea on board the ship. Some were skilled in music amongst the men, and they formed in a harmonious¹⁵ way and marched on board in order playing some lively tunes¹⁶ with flute¹⁷ and fiddle¹⁸. Only to think that we must gradually get settled and be pent up within the walls of a ship for three months and not see land in that time! We girls were arranged so many for each table, and the table had a number. We took it in turns to keep the utensils¹⁹ and vessels²⁰ that we used clean. The sleeping convenience, too, was adjusted for sleeping only. There were comfortable hammock-like beds, and two shared a compartment²¹ together. A young English girl came to me and said her name was put with mine for sleeping in the same division. I had not seen her before, as she came on board only in time to sail, as her home was in Liverpool. She cried bitterly at leaving home and mother. She was about 20 years of age, and so beautiful and pleasing, and she could sing. We went to sleep, and in the morning when I awoke I found the ship moving gently. We were being towed out of the dock by a steamboat.

1 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

2 embarkation   

n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船

参考例句：

• Lisbon became the great embarkation point. 里斯本成了最理想的跳板。 来自英语连读（第二部分）
• Good, go aboard please, be about very quickly embarkation. 好了，请上船吧，很快就要开船了。

3 maze   

n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑

参考例句：

• He found his way through the complex maze of corridors.他穿过了迷宮一样的走廊。
• She was lost in the maze for several hours.一连几小时，她的头脑处于一片糊涂状态。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 craved   

渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求

参考例句：

• She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。
• A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

6 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

7 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

8 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

9 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

10 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

11 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

12 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

15 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

16 tunes   

n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
• When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时，她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

18 fiddle   

n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动

参考例句：

• She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
• Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。

19 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

20 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。