Letter from a Convict in Australia, 1783

I just came here and I’m already missing the old place. This place is called Australia. It’s very dry and hot.

There are some native humans, but they don’t look like humans, more like ‘animal people’. They are not wearing clothes, and they have painting on their bodies.

We don't get as much to eat as we used to, so it’s hard to work when you are hungry all the time. That makes me feel very weak.

We work all day, and sometimes they are treating us so badly that someone died. I’m lucky I’m still alive.

There are many who is trying to escape from here. I know that a group escapees was captured alive. So it’s not easy to escape from here, and that’s bad, because I miss home!

Maybe I can get some freedom soon, and work on one of the farms with the free settlers. They came to Australia in the hope of escaping hardship back home, or to make use of the cheap labour of us, the convicts.

That's the life down here, and it’s not a great life!

I just want you to know, how it is down here, and how much I miss you guys!