we poor drovers has sometimes good sport, and has to stand all wether I will mention
one little occurence that happened to me,
one morning M' Martin and I parted on a
strange road which we knew nothing of, one gowing west and ther other south to
purchase cattle I bought ten that day by riding 65 miles and Mr Martin bought eight
however I was making my way to some place of lodgings through the beach woods
night came on and there I was, 9 miles from the shelter of a roof making my way
through the woods guided by the branches beaing cut of[f] the trees was the only index
board for my directions scampering along on my most noble horse, with no companion
but the woodpecker that is a bird and a good case of revolving pistols and a boey knife
I was gowing about 5 miles per Hower when rushed out of the woods a wild hog and
crossed my path my horse started and rushed in to the thicket and I could not save
myself any other way but cling unto the branches of a tree, and extracating myself from
my horse as the branches of the trees cut my head I was in no anger only for the fright
of my horse
however the poor animal was mor[e] scared than I was I had some
trubble in finding my horse among the trees but when I named him he came to me his
name was Napolean I remounted and found after riding 6 Miles a comfortable lodgings
with an old dutch man for 5 shillings and in the morning Mr Martin and I met at our
mustering place at 8 o'clock, when I sold all my cattle I had rode on horseback three
Thousand miles that would have taken me round all Ireland, after I had sold al[1] my
bullocks I bought and sold 14 Hoarses and the[n] entered to my old business with my
unkle and since that time we have lived in harmony on account that he found the want
of me, it is very prob[a]ble that I may take another trip this summer as far a[s]
Robert Smyth, Philadelphia, to his family, Moycraig, County Antrim, 25 March 1844
Description
Smyth apologises for not writing earlier and assures them he will not forget them and does not intend to marry in this country but instead hopes to wed "a sweet flower that has grown on the Carculloug[h] hills". He promises his brother James to continue to keep his purse open for him and will bring him out once more [to America] if his wife agrees, in consideration of enmity from her family for "acting a manly part in the case of your marr[i]age". Smyth then relates his weeks-long journey from Philadelphia to to the "western country" on behalf of his uncle business, over the "alleygency mountains" with his partner Mr Martin — who had once been in smuggling partnership with Smyth's uncle Jonathan. After settling his uncle's business, Smyth purchased 100 cattle in the "western reserve" and drove them home on horseback, averaging thirty miles a day and passing "45 other droves", even as he stated that "road droving" was very dangerous "though respectable". Smyth notes there are no fairs, like in Ireland and instead cattle are sold by riding "amongst the farmers and purchase them and appoint a place to muster your drove". After recounting a "little occurance" with a wild hog, Smyth concludes that he must "make his fortune to match with W.R. [the flower of Carncullough] before I can hang my hat up here" or he will never return to Ireland.
Date
25/03/1844
Date Issued
27/03/2023
Resource Type
Text
Archival Record Id
p155/1/3/2
Publisher
University of Galway
Extent
7pp
Topic
Smith/ Smyth Letters
Geographic
Philadelphia (city),Philadelphia (county),Pennsylvania,United States,Moycraig Hamilton (townland) Antrim (county),Ireland
Temporal
Nineteenth century,Eighteen forties
Genre
Letter,Transcription
Note
Title and transcript provided by Professor Kerby Miller. This transcript includes handwritten corrections to transcript from PRONI, made with reference to original letters. Letter description provided by University of Galway. The names Smith and Smyth are used interchangeably in this series so both are quoted.
