The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-29 00:00:00

LITTLE EMIGRANTS.

On Thursday Miss Rye sailed from the Mersey, with
ninety-five persons under her care, in the Montreal ocean
steamship Hibernian (Captain Smith) for Quebec. Her
charge consisted of nineteen adults, eight boys, and sixty-
eight little girls, all of whom, with the exception of ten,
are orphans. Her intention is to take them to an esta-
blishment she has prepared in Canada, near Niagara, and
there give them a course of training, end ultimately to
send them out as domestic servants. Miss Rye herself, with
twenty-six children from London,Wolvel bampton, Bath, &c.,
,arrived on board on Wednesday evening. The Liverpool
contingent, consisting of fifty little girls from the Liver-
pool Industrial Schools, which form part of the parochial
system, were taken on board on Thursday at noon. About
a month ago Miss Rye explained her plan to the Liver-
pool select vestry, and obtained their consent to the expe-
riment at the rate of .£8 per head. The money was provided,
£2OO out of the voluntary rate, and the remaining £2OO
by subscription, Mr. Rathbone, M.P., being a principal
subscriber. Eighty or ninety children were at first
selected, all of them either orphans or those who had been
deserted for a number of years ; but it was determined that
no child whose relatives objected should be sent out, andas
objections were made in several cases the number was at
length reduced to fifty. The inmates of the schools were
at once set to work, and an excellent kit was provided for
each of the little travellers. A good substantial box, con-
taining twenty-eight articles of apparel, was given to each.
Mr. and Mrs. Birchall, the master and matron of the schools,
accompanied the little emigrants to the steamer. It was an
interesting sight on board the tender. The fifty were all under
11 years of age, and twenty were under seven. They were
all attired in warm woollen hoods, covering the ears and
shoulders, substantial woollen frocks and cloaks, stout
shoes, and woollen socks. Each little one was also pro-
vided with a nice picture-book and a plum bun. They
were an exceedingly cheerful, merry, happy-looking assem-
blage. The arrangements made for their reception
were admirable. Their berths were roomy, and the
whole section was carefully partitioned oft from the
other parts of the vessel, and would be strictly
reserved to Miss Rye, her matron, and the children
ander their charge. On their arrival on board, the children
were at once taken down to their section of the vessel
for dinner. All the children were provided with excel-
lent outfits. Before leaving the school the Liverpool
children were carefully examined by the school doctor,
and they, with the others, also passed the scrutiny of the
emigration medical officer. As to their future, Miss
Rye has already bought and prepared an ample home
for them at Niagara, which she has aptly christened
" Our Western Home." There the children will be kept
in careful training until they are 15, when they will bo
let out to service at fixed rates of wages, and still be to
some extent under Miss Rye's supervision, until they are
13, when they become their own mistresses. Due care
will be taken that the persons to whom the children are
permitted to go out are of good character and position.
There is, however, another very important and interesting
element in the scheme. If any visitor to " Our Western
Home " sees a child to whom he or she take a fancy, and
can give sufficient guarantees of respectability and honest
intention, they will be permitted to adopt the child.