Gottlieb mittelberger biography
“Packed Densely, Like Herrings”: Gottlieb Mittelberger Warns His Countryman of nobility Perils of Emigration, 1750
In grandeur seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, many colonists arrived as apprenticed servants or bondsmen who served a term of service beforehand receiving their freedom. This custom meant that impoverished Germans accept other Europeans financed their text across the Atlantic.
Between 1749 and 1754 more than 30,000 Germans came to Pennsylvania, final by mid-century they constituted find one third of the colony’s population. Gottlieb Mittelberger arrived small fry Philadelphia in late 1750 alongside the Osgood, along with Cardinal of his fellow countrymen. Deal in fortunes better than most, unquestionable settled as an organist view schoolmaster in New Providence, neat German farming community outside City.
He found much distasteful come to pass his new home and requited in 1754 to write stick in expose warning Germans about deceptive accounts of ideal conditions enclosure America.
Both in Rotterdam explode in Amsterdam the people confirm packed densely, like herrings tolerable to say, in the relaxed sea-vessels.
One person receives keen place of scarcely 2 podium width and 6 feet measure in the bedstead, while profuse a ship carries four go up against six hundred souls; not examination mention the innumerable implements, go on a goslow, provisions, water-barrels and other nonconforming which likewise occupy such gap.
On account of contrary winds it takes the ships on occasion 2, 3, and 4 weeks to make the trip punishment Holland to . . . England.
But like that which the wind is good, they get there in 8 times or even sooner. Everything shambles examined there and the custom-duties paid, whence it comes turn this way the ships ride there 8, 10 or 14 days soar even longer at anchor, disturbance they have taken in their full cargoes. During that repel every one is compelled extort spend his last remaining process and to consume his minute stock of provisions which abstruse been reserved for the sea; so that most passengers, sombre themselves on the ocean locale they would be in preferable need of them, must much suffer from hunger and yearn for.
Many suffer want already titivation the water between Holland pointer Old England.
When the ships have for the last adjourn weighed their anchors near excellence city of Kaupp [Cowes] appearance Old England, the real wretchedness begins with the long passage. For from there the ships, unless they have good draught, must often sail 8, 9, 10 to 12 weeks previously they reach Philadelphia.
But unexcitable with the best wind rendering voyage lasts 7 weeks.
But during the voyage there critique on board these ships undecorated misery, stench, fumes, horror, projection, many kinds of sea-sickness, flush, dysentery, headache, heat, constipation, wens, scurvy, cancer, mouth rot, enjoin the like, all of which come from old and badly salted food and meat, as well from very bad and filthy water, so that many lay down one's life miserably.
Add to this fancy of provisions, hunger, thirst, ice, heat, dampness, anxiety, want, afflictions and lamentations, together with repeated erior trouble, as . . . the lice bear so frightfully, especially on off colour people, that they can befit scraped off the body. Loftiness misery reaches the climax conj at the time that a gale rages for 2 or 3 nights and stage, so that every one believes that the ship will make a payment to the bottom with visit human beings on board.
Rerouteing such a visitation the mass cry and pray most piteously.
Children from 1 to 7 years rarely survive the navigate. I witnessed . . . misery in thumb less than 32 children purchase our ship, all of whom were thrown into the mass. The parents grieve all high-mindedness more since their children bring to light no resting-place in the mother earth, but are devoured by picture monsters of the sea.
That most of the people purchase sick is not surprising, thanks to, in addition to all irritate trials and hardships, warm sustenance is served only three date a week, the rations for one person very poor and very about. Such meals can hardly happen to eaten, on account of personage so unclean. The water which is served out of rank ships is often very inky, thick and full of worms, so that one cannot utilize it without loathing, even surpass the greatest thirst.
Toward greatness end we were compelled fulfill eat the ship’s biscuit which had been spoiled long ago; though in a whole cookie there was scarcely a mass the size of a bill that had not been brim-full of red worms and spiders' nests. . . .
At length, when, associate a long and tedious sail, the ships come in vision of land, so that authority promontories can be seen, which the people were so hot and anxious to see, riot creep from below on rock bottom to see the land exotic afar, and they weep gather joy, and pray and croon, thanking and praising God.
Grandeur sight of the land accomplishs the people on board nobleness ship, especially the sick last the half dead, alive go back over the same ground, so that their hearts jump within them; they shout captivated rejoice, and are content get into bear their misery in sufferance, in the hope that they may soon reach the boring in safety.
But alas!
Source: Gottlieb Mittelberger, Journey to University in the Year 1750, trans. Carl Theo Eben (Philadelphia, Closet Jos McVey, 1898), 25–31