In 1774 Thomas Rispin, a farmer from Fangfoss, East Yorkshire together with his friend John Robinson, sailed for Nova Scotia.
They spent some months exploring Nova Scotia and New Brunswick noting farming methods, soil types, crops, estates for sale, markets, native people and flora and fauna. The same year their account ("A Journey Through Nova-Scotia") was published in York by C.Etherington as a 47 page pamphlet price sixpence.
"On Friday the eighth of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventy four, we took shipping at Scarborough, along with about one hundred and seventy other passengers, on board the Prince George, and sailed out of the harbour on the same day; and, on the fifteenth of May following, at eight in the morning, we landed at Halifax, in Nova-Scotia, after a pleasant passage of five weeks and one day.
Neither of us had an hour's sickness during the whole voyage, although the greatest part of the passengers were sick for nearly a fortnight; after which they aquired what sailors call a sea-brain, and became very stout and healthy.
A child that was in a bad state of health when it was put on board, died when we came near the coast of Nova-Scotia, a few days after which, its mother was safely delivered of another, and recovered exceedingly well.We landed at Halifax just the same number we were when we took shipping at Scarborough, all in good health.
It may not be amiss to recommend to such as go to America, to provide for themselves; ship provisions are not agreeable to those who have been used to live in a very different way. Every passenger had a certain allowance per day, viz. a pound of beef, and the same weight of bread. This, perhaps, would be thought a scanty allowance by many.
Passengers would, therefore, render the voyage much more comfortable, were they to lay in a stock of provisions for their own use.Before our landing at Halifax, the prospect appeared very discouraging and disagreeable, nothing but barren rocks and hills presented themselves to our view along the coast.
This unfavourable appearance greatly dampened the spirits of most of the passengers, and several of them began to wish themselves in Old England, before they had set foot in Nova-Scotia."
Source: From a pamphlet written by Thomas Rispin and John Robinson. Reprinted in 'Discoveries of America' (1997)Edited by Barbara De Wolfe
