Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Letter from Peter Heywood to Capt. Jeffrey Raigersfeld, 24 Nov. 1808, and letter to Charles Rumker, 16 Sept. 1826
Ah 54

Letter from Peter Heywood to Captain Jeffery Raigersfeld

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Dear Jeff
I have been in the humour several days past of writing to you, but I
have had so little to say that would be worth the expense of postage so far,
that I have rather to let it alone; however as I have this day received
your letter of the 9th I must now tell you that I sailed from Portsmth on
the 9th & left the Chaplain & a few more behind - [anchored?] at Causand Bay
the next morning at G. sailed next morning & joined the Channel fleet under
Lord Gambier on the 12th off Ushant, & remained there till the evening of
the 15th when the first of a SWester drove us up here where we have been at
an [anchor]ever since & likely to remain as far as I can learn as long as
the Wind hangs Westerly - I have fallen in with an old Messmate of yours & a
Countryman & formerly a fellow mizer of ours in the North Sea - Capt Chas
Richardson who commanded the Caesar for Richard Strachans

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proper flagship, & where he & all his Lieutenants & followers are as yet
though he has his flag at present on board Venerable in the Downs - He & I
have had some long stories about old times & you were of course a good deal
the burthen of one Song -- he was glad to hear you were now so domesticated
& happy as I described you to him, & rejoiced to find you had sowed all your
wild oats - for I find my lad that you used to be just as wild & mischevious
as any young Gentleman need to be when you were together in the Vestal -
however those days are all gone by & age teaches us wisdom -
This is a noble ship and seems to have every good quality that it is
desirable that a ship of her class should possess. Her officers are all
respectable & know their duty. She is not to be sure as well manned or in
anything like the order that my old Poly was but they seem to be a willing
set & so far everything has gone on to

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my satisfaction & given me little trouble -- I have however been under the
necessity of checking by early severity a bad propensity that many of the
People have to tippling & that is what I never have or will forgive,
particularly at sea, because I know it is the root of all evil -- I find by
the Papers that the Court of Enquiry is going on, so I suppose Mr Pultney
will not be long away from his ship & I shall get to work on my Charts
again, though I shall be at my Lord Mulgrave to give me some employment or
other & set my friends to work too - I have not brought with me any of my
drawing tools except a pencil [& a piece] of India Rubber but that you'll
tell me is quite enough to sketch with if I have leisure & inclination as
yet I have not had much of either but if I have will do my best - I am glad
you were pleased with my poor Nessys little Book & that the impression it
has made in the minds of those who have read it has been favourable to
e -- My best regards Mrs R. & a good Buss to little Harriet & I remain
yours ever truley
P Heywood.

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as I am a Batchelor & most of the [indecipherable] returned & being ashore
domesticating I am a good deal at the Lords Table he seems a worthy good
kind of man & I like him very well

Capt Raigersfeld RN
Maidstone
Kent

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Letter to Charles Rumker, 16 Sept. 1826

Highgate 16th Sept. 1826

My dear Rumker
It happened rather unfortunately that I took my Wife and Diana into the
North this year to see the beauties of Scotland & the delightful scenery in
Westmoreland and Cumberland; & having staid rather longer than I intended or
expected I did not desire that my letters should be sent after me. The
Consequence has been that I did not get your welcome letters of 25 of
January & 26 of Febr. until my return home a few days ago. I am a good deal
surprised to find that you had not received a letter from me when Mr McLeay
sent for you as indeed would he for I told him when I waited on him about
your Business with the late Govn. that I should write to you immediately.
This I did to let you know what passed at the Conference that I had with Mr
McLeay. Dobie was dining with me on the day I wrote & as he told me he knew
a person about to sail who would take particular Care of the Letter & be
sure to deliver it safe into your own hands I gave it to him to send & fully
expected of course that it would have reached you by the time the new
Governor & Mr McLeay should arrive. By whom or by what Vessel it went I am
sure I cannot tell, neither shall I now be able to find out, for Dobie is
gone once again as Surgeon of Rear Admiral Gages Flag Ship to the East
Indies. However I trust it may only have been delayed by length of passage
& that you would have received it very soon after you wrote to me. I hope to
hear when you can next find time to write to me a few lines that everything
has been done through Mr Mcleay's means who seemed to me to be fully

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acquainted with the state of the Case between you & Sir Thos Brisbane to
confirm your Right & Title to the Land you hold, & to see that ample Justice
was done to you after all the Visitations and Troubles you have had under
the former Governor, whose extraordinary Conduct towards you was such as I
could hardly have thought possible. Even still I cannot bring myself to be
such that he would be so base, as to return much less to open any of your
Correspondence unless indeed you have full possible proof that he did so.
However you have got well clear of him now, & for the Future I hope & trust
your scientific Labours will be duly appreciated & rewarded not only by the
Governor & Mr McLeay but by Board of Longitude & other Authorities at home
here & instead of Mr [Dunlop?] I hope to here that you have received an
Appointment as Astronomer to the Colony. I have neither heard from or seen
anything of Sir Thos Brisbane since his return nor has there been the least
Mention made of him in any of the public papers. I was told that on his
Arrival he set off immediately to Scotland where he has lived quite retired
on his estate ever since. Of Mr Golbourn I have heard nothing except that
he is generally termed in the Newspapers the Grand Vizier of New South
Wales.
I am rejoiced to hear that your Crop was abundant the last year & that your
Cattle are fast increasing & have no doubt that ion a short time you will
be able to get rid of all the Debts you have been compelled to incur

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in bringing your Farm into Cultivation & that in a very few years you will
at least be independent happy & contented, if not wealthy, which last I am
quite sure you are quite as indifferent about as I am myself. Of one thing
my dear Rumker you may be assured that you have no friends in the world who
will be more delighted to hear that you are so than myself & my good Wife. &
therefore whatever good befalls you I hope you will not fail to let me know
& also anything I can do for you here that may be in my power to advance
your prospects or add to your Comfort I beg you will not hesitate to send
me any letters you may wish to have forwarded to your learned Correspondents
on the Continent. All those you have hitherto sent have been transmitted. I
transmitted [immediately] to Mr Herchell, & to Professor Enike the
Observations you [enclose] in the respective letters you wrote to me, & such
as came under cover for Dr Olbers - You will be sorry to hear that Poor old
Prior has been dead for about twelvemonths & Gabriel died about a year
before him - Capt Corry was here the other day & always makes particular
Enquiries about you - Capt Owen has just returned from the Cape of Good Hope
after an absence of 5 years in which he has completely surveyed the Coast of
Africa from the Strait of Babelmondeb [Bab El Mondeb] all the way round the Cape
& as far up the West Coast as Sierra Leone, as well as the greater part of the Island of
Madagascar.
Our ridiculous attempt at the Discovery of a North West Passage
have all failed as I must confess I from the first expected they would. But
what is still more ridiculous Capt Parry is to attempt in the ensuing spring
to travel over the Ice to the North Pole. I herewith send you a few of my
[indecipherable] upon this Subject & with best regards from my Wife & Daughter
believe me your faithful Friend
P Heywood

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Mr Charles Rumker
to the Care of
Messers Berry & Wollstoncraft
Sydney
New South Wales