CHAPTER VII.
THE VOYAGE. The company of Carmelite nuns, who were about to transplant the Order of their Holy Mother St. Teresa to a foreign soil across the Atlantic, left their convent home in Hoogstraeten, on Monday, April 19th, 1790. The Rev. Messrs. Charles Neale and Robert Plunkett1 were to accompany them to America. On their way they stopped one night at Breda in North Brabant, and proceeded thence in two carriages to Utrecht, where they lodged in a rather poor house. Having left Utrecht, they passed by Gorcum, a little city of South Holland, renowned on account of the execution by the Protestants of the Holy Martyrs of Gorcum. They arrived at Amsterdam on the 21st, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. They had come from Utrecht by water. They remained at Amsterdam two days and a half, staying at the largest inn of the place, and paying upwards of 53 guilders for their board.
The city of Amsterdam, the capital of Holland, was once, and is still to a great extent, a hot bed of Protestantism, although at the present day Catholicity is flourishing in it, and it possesses several beautiful churches. But a century ago the Catholic religion was frowned down within its walls, if not openly persecuted. The poor Carmelites experienced the effects of this intolerance, for they were ridiculed in the
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1Rev. R. Plunkett, born in 1752, had been a Jesuit before the suppression. He died in Maryland in the year 1815.
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streets, while people peeped at them under their hats, exclaiming: "Wat voor een ding is dat? What kind of a thing is that?" "The first night," writes Mother Dickenson, "we had so grand and elegant a supper, that good Mr. Neale could not eat for vexation. The two following days both our gentlemen went out to seek a dinner, whilst we remained in all our grandeur, with the best of everything, attended by servants at our backs. The figure we made was highly diverting."
On Saturday, April 24th, they engaged a yacht and sailed to Texel, where they arrived on Sunday at noon, and went on board the ship, called "The Brothers," that was to take them to America. It was commanded by Captain MacDougal,1 a Scotchman. He made the Sisters believe that he was bound to Philadelphia and New York, although it afterwards appeared that he had no intention of going to the first-named city. He had taken a parcel of goods for Santa Cruz on the island of Teneriffe, one of the Canaries. This took him two thousand miles out of his course.
Besides the Fathers and Sisters, there were seven other passengers: a man and wife, three small children and two maids. The married couple were often wrangling and quarreling during the voyage, while the children cried almost from morning till night. Happilv the Sisters obtained a room for themselves. The captain, however, was a great trial to them on account of his stingy disposition, his ill- breeding and want of attention. His supply of provisions for the passengers was very small. The bread they had was, from the very beginning, mouldy and the water not fit to drink. It appeared to have been kept in dirty barrels, and often looked like foul dish-water, so that the Sisters were frequently obliged to strain it through a cloth, and let it stand a day before they could drink it.
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1Mother Dickenson writes, "Mackduggle."
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They set sail from Texel about 12 o'clock on May lst with a fair wind. On the 2nd, however, they encountered rough weather and all were sea-sick, except Father Neale. The day after, the weather grew calm. On the fourth day they were becalmed and obliged to cast anchor; they sighted Dunkirk, Calais and Dover Castle. About 7 o'clock they weighed anchor, and the ship beginning to roll, sea-sickness resumed its sway. Until the 9th the weather was at intervals fair and rough. The company, however, with their sea-sickness, and poor fare, enjoyed themselves as best they could, and made merry over their misfortunes. On the 9th they were off the Bay of Biscay and entered into the Atlantic. On the 14th they sighted the fort of St. Julian where the Jesuit Fathers had suffered so much.1 On this day a little mishap occurred, for the main-top-gallant broke down; luckily however no one was hurt. On the 16th they passed Cape St. Vincent while running before a fair breeze. On the 18th they sighted the territory of Morocco in Barbary. They proceeded down the coast of Africa, to which contrary winds had driven them very close, until on the 20th they caught sight of the Canaries. From that day until the 23rd, the weather remaining very rough, they tried in vain to effect a landing. Several times they were in imminent danger of shipwreck; but in all their perils they experienced the powerful protection of Our Blessed Lady, which was manifestly extended to them when they were endeavoring to enter the harbor of Santa Cruz on the island of Teneriffe.
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1The Castle San Julian is one of three fortresses built to defend the entrance of the Tagus. It stands on the right bank of the river, about four miles below Lisbon, and the walls are washed by the tide. There were once as many as a hundred and twenty-five Jesuits imprisoned in its dungeons by the Portuguese government. Their sufferings were beyond all description. The imprisonment of the Jesuits took place in 1766. See The Suppression of the Society of Jesus in the Portuguese dominions, by Alfred Weld, S. J., p. 350.
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It was Saturday, May 22nd, the frail bark struggled in vain against the contrary winds and stormy sea. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon Mr. Neale proposed to those under his care to make a promise to the Blessed Virgin. They then recited her litany, Mr. Neale poured holy water into the sea, and immediately afterwards a change ensued; the wind became more favorable, and they arrived safely in the port in less than twenty-four hours. The Captain and the other passengers were much astonished at the sudden change. The people on shore said they had never seen a ship beat up in such a manner against the waves.
They sailed into the harbor of Santa Cruz1 about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of May 23rd, thanks to the assistance of another captain whose vessel lay in port.
The Sisters had imagined that the captain of their vessel knew nothing about them, when to their great surprise the report was spread about town, that four nuns were on board who had escaped from their monastery, and that two priests were running away with them.
The captain had related their history when he went ashore. The story soon reached the ears of the ecclesiastical authorities, and Mr. Plunkett called on one of them to explain matters. He, appearing anxious to find out the history of the nuns, asked if they had the sanction of the Apostolic See, and if so, why they did not go on shore to show him their papers. Mr. Plunkett replied that they were acting under the authority of their Bishop, and that if he wanted to see for himself, be might come on board; which was more proper than that the Sisters should go on shore. He then gave him the true account of the affair, said much in favor of it, and left it to his prudence to relate it to others, in order to
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1Teneriffe is one of the largest islands of the Canary group, and has a population of about 95,000. Santa Cruz, with a population of 11,000, is the capital. It has a good harbor. Almost all the commerce of the Canary Islands is conducted through this city. The Canaries belong to Spain.
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suppress the calumnious report as far as he could. The ecclesiastical functionary appeared satisfied with Mr. Plunkett's explanation. The Sisters did have some thought of going ashore, but desisted, fearing lest they might be taken up by the Inquisition.1 This strange affair afforded great amusement to the good nuns.
Father Plunkett frequently went ashore while they were lying at anchor, but Mr. Neale, detained by ill health, remained on board. One day the former dined on shore with a Mr. Rooney; on his return to the ship he brought the Sisters several presents both from Mr. Rooney and from the Poor Clares, who lived about four miles outside of Santa Cruz. Amongst the presents from the Poor Clares was a beautiful set of glass cruets for Mass, with the names of Jesus and Mary in letters of gold upon them. The Sisters were highly delighted, and commenced to erect an altar in Mr. Neale's cabin. They hung a linen sheet around his berth, made the altar of two boxes, above which they fastened the cards, and upon which they placed a cross and steps that Mr. Neale had made. A piece of crimson damask served as antependium, two wine bottles were converted into candlesticks, and a wax candle cut in two pieces was placed into them. The cruets were also immediately pressed into service. Meanwhile Mr. Neale, by his cheerfulness, was the soul of the company. This good priest remained up all night, to awaken the Sisters at three the next morning before the crew was stirring. Mr. Neale said Mass, at which all communicated. After their thanksgiving everything was again put away.
During the day Father Plunkett brought the Sisters a present of twelve bottles of wine from Mr. Rooney, who shortly after paid them a visit, and went away well pleased.
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1In the year 1790 the Spanish Inquisition was still in vigor. It was abolished by Joseph Bonaparte in 1808, restored by Ferdinand VII in 1814, and again abolished by the Cortes in 1820.
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At Santa Cruz the captain had an opportunity of supplying his ship with fresh provisions; but he was too stingy to do so, although his crew threatened to leave the vessel, if he did not provide better for them. He took on board only one barrel of poor flour, and a quarter or two of tough beef and two old sheep.
They weighed anchor on the evening of Thursday, May 27th, and resumed their journey. After leaving the Island, the captain put his men on rations; for the scarcity of provisions was such that had they been detained by rough weather, they would have been in danger of perishing for want of food. But an ever-watchful Providence was with them; they arrived safely in the course of the trade winds, and with the exception of one or two slight storms, they had fair weather all the way.
When Mr. Neale said Mass in Santa Cruz, he had consecrated Hosts, sufficient to administer Holy Communion to his little company during the rest of the voyage, foreseeing that he might not again have the happiness of offering up the Holy Sacrifice. On the 30th, Trinity Sunday, they arose at 5 o'clock, and prepared a little altar. Mr. Neale then administered the Holy Communion to Mr. Plunkett and the four Sisters, and afterwards received it himself from the hands of his brother-priest. The steward being the only Catholic on board the vessel, the matter was kept a perfect secret.
During the passage the Sisters worked in their little cabin, so that their fellow passenger, Mrs. Ramsen, visiting them one day, said the place looked like a sewing school.
On April 3rd all received Holy Communion again. Of course, as may easily be supposed, the Sisters wore secular clothing. Mother Dickenson in her journal laughingly says that on April 3rd she was dressed in a fine silk petticoat ard chintz jacket that had been given her in alms. It made her look so extraordinarily fine, she adds, that all her companions were jealous of her. Mother Bernardina and her nieces went by the names of Mrs. Matthews, Miss Matthews and Miss Nellie. The four Sisters generally supped in their room,
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whenever, as Mother Dickenson says, they could get anything to sup on. Poor Mr. Neale suffered much from rheumatism, which he jocosely said was a punishment for the Sisters' vanity. The monotony of the voyage was frequently interrupted by little amusing incidents; thus it happened once that the goat and the dog fell down into the cabin, another time it was the hog that alighted on the table in the Sisters' room.
On June l9th, while the weather was calm, they met a vessel bound to the West Indies. The captain boarded it and returned with a small bag of brown biscuits. On the 21st they performed their devotions in honor of St. Aloysius to obtain a safe arrival at their destination. On the 23rd the fore-top-mast, steering sails, main braces, etc., were carried away in a squall. The ship, almost stripped of her sails, appeared in a very distressed condition . Provisions had all the while been getting very scarce, so that even the captain began to grow anxious. When, however, they passed a Scotch brig, instead of providing himself with all that was necessary, which he could have done , he took only one bag of bread and a small quantity of cheese. From the 26th to the 30th the weather was very rough. On the 30th they sighted land, and about 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening a pilot came on board.
On this voyage Mother Bernardina gave evidence of her knowledge of distant events. One of her companions happening to remark that she would soon see her brother, Ignatius Matthews, she replied: "No, I shall never see him; he died last night." The event proved the truth of her words, for when they arrived at their destination they heard the news of his death, and found that it had taken place at the very time mentioned by Mother Bernardina. He died on May 11th.
After a passage of two months they arrived at New York, on the 2nd of July, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They had left Europe under the auspices of Mary on the first day of the month consecrated to her honor, and arrived in America on one of her feast days. The Order
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of Carmel had thus begun its voyage to America with its glorious Queen, with her it continued it, and brought it happily to a close.
From New York Mother Bernardina wrote to the Sisters in Europe. On their arrival in the metropolis, Rev. Mr. Plunkett parted from the rest of the company, and continued his journey by land. At New York they stayed in the house of a Mrs. White. They left New York July 4th in Captain Carey's sloop, and arrived at Norfolk, Friday morning, the 9th. There they hired a vessel, Captain Gibson's sloop, to pursue their journey, and sailed thence on the evening of the same day, and arrived on Saturday evening the 10th at their destination. They had sailed up the Potomac as far as the landing place on Mr. Robert Brent's property. This property appears to have been the one called Brentfield, situated at a few miles distance from Pope's Creek in Charles County, Maryland. The Brents, as well as the Neales, had arrived in Maryland before the year 1649. The Brents were in some way connected with Lord Baltimore, and arrived in Maryland November 22, 1638.1 The owner of the property, when the Carmelites landed in America, was the son of Robert Brent, Esq., who died in 1750, aged 46, and the brother of Mary Brent, whom we have already seen as Mother Mary Margaret of the Angels at the convent of Antwerp. He married Anna Maria Parnham, a descendent of Hon. John Pole.2 He died in l811. He was the great-grandfather of Mr. William Brent, now residing at Brentland, opposite St. Thomas' Manor in Charles County, Md. The property has since been sold by the Brents.
At about a mile's distance from Mr. Brent's house lived Mr. Ignatius Matthews, a nephew of Mother Bernardina, and brother of her two nieces.3
When they arrived off Mr. Brent's landing it was too late to send their baggage ashore, but having hailed a fisherman,
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1Old Kent, by George A. Hanson.
2Old Kent.
3Port Tobacco Archives, Lib. A. L., fol. 12.
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they prevailed on him to take a letter to Mr. Brent, and one to Mr. Ignatius Matthews to inform them of their arrival, and to request Mr. Matthews to come on board early in the morning. Mr. Ignatius Matthews arrived that same night at 10 o'clock. On this occasion, probably, Mother Bernandina was first informed of the death of her brother Ignatius Matthews, the Jesuit, of which, as we have seen, she had such an extraordinary knowledge when at sea. Mr. Ignatius Matthews returned ashore that night, but went on board the following morning at 5 o'clock. The travellers then landed with their baggage, and went to Mr. Brent's house, where Father Neale said Mass at about 8 o'clock. They dined at Mr. Brent's and in the evening went over to Mr. Ignatius Matthews', intending to make his house their habitation, until a more convenient place could be provided. Here they remained eight days, at the end of which it was deemed more proper that they should go to Mr. Neale's house, near Port Tobacco, which was much larger and not inhabited.1
Port Tobacco, the county seat of Charles County, Maryland, is a small but ancient town, situated at the head of Port Tobacco Creek, one of the inlets of the Potomac. Its name, formerly spelt Portobacco, is probably of Indian origin, and it appears to have once been an Indian village. The air of antiquity that surrounds it, its ancient frame dwellings, a great number of which have been abandoned by their former inmates and stand solitary and deserted, give the place a romantic appearance. At one extremity of the town stands the ancient court house, a decaying relic of the past, with its dusty folios in the archives, containing the names of those who once lived and moved in its neighborhood, but long since had ceased to belong to the living. To the right of the court house stands the Episcopal church, a building not without some pretension to artistic merit, and to its left the old St.
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1Letter of Mother Bernardina to Father Joris at Hoogstraeten.
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Charles hotel invites the stranger to rest under its time-honored portico, and partake of the refreshments it offers.
A little outside of Port Tobacco, on an elevation, Chandler's Hope, the former property of the Neales, looks down upon the traveller. Here the devout Carmelite Sisters lived until the month of October. They put on their religious habit the second day after their arrival at this place, and kept the regular observance as well as they could. It is said that the creek at the foot of the hill, upon which their house stood, supplied them with fish; for the Carmelite Rule forbids the use of fleshmeat.
During this interval, a place was agreed upon for a convent, much to the satisfaction of the religious. It was situated in St. Mary's County. But some difficulties having arisen, and Father Carroll being in England for his consecration, his vicar thought proper to select another place.
Rev. Charles Neale, who was a warm admirer of the Rule of St. Teresa, and ardently desired to see a house of her Order in the United States for the special purpose of prayer and invoking the divine blessing upon the Catholic missions in the New World, generously sacriflced his whole patrimony to the benefit of the establishment of the Carmelites near Port Tobacco. The occasion to effect this establishment soon offered itself. Mr. Baker Brooke, who owned a farm in the neighborhood, and had just erected a spacious house on it, in addition to other buildings, offered it to Mr. Neale in exchange for his property. The latter became proprietor of it, by paying to Mr. Brooke thirteen hundred and seventy pounds, together with the transfer of his land. There were about 800 acres of land attached to the property that the Carmelites had now aquired. The house built by Mr. Brooke was given as a present.
The Sisters took possession of their new abode on the Feast of their Holy Mother St. Teresa, October l5th, 1790.