Pathways Through Our Past

They pass through the English Channel

Entering the Channel the emigrants view ships large and finer than their own, their masts twice as tall as that on their ship. Those people who laid in bed with the sickness brought on by the toss and tumbling of the sea found their was up from the bowels of their ship as their own ship lay on a calm sea where the sun warmed the decks.

Soiled bedding was brought out where it could be aired and food (much as there was) was cooked and served to those laying abed bringing strength to the weaker emigrants. Now they really knew they were almost to North America and memories of the country they had left became dimmer. There were many ships in and around the Channel, even one headed towards the country they had left behind. A few tears were shed but no one wanted to return.

As they proceeded thru the Channel they hoped they had weathered all the storms but soon found they had a lot more periods of over whelming storms.

Daily the emigrants questioned the deck hands if this was normal weather. Many of the deck hands were emigrants or just hired for this voyage so information was sketchy and the families had to remember what they had done to get through the storms on the other side of the channel and as time passed many grew used to the roll of the ship. These people were used to working from morning to night and they were always busy making their portion of the ship as clean as their home on land had been.

Finding work to do made the time pass quicker. They had been at sea for five weeks but it felt much longer.

Farmers began talking of the crops they hoped to grow in this new world, checking the seeds they had brought with them to sow in this new land.

Come see our oriental display and the wonderful drawings provided by students for the poster that will be seen giving directions pertaining to the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway which will be held June 25. Watch for more information.