The Express. — 1851-01-29 (London, England)

FEMALE EMIGRATION FUND.-DEPARTURE  OF FEMALE EMIGRANTS.  .• Yesterday a very interesting spevaclo was afforded in the embarkation of about 30 teusele 'emigrant., under the auspices of the Female Emigration Fund Society, on board the ship Stately, laying off Gravesend, and bound for New Zealand. This interesting little colony formed the eighth detachment of deserving young women rescued from the miseries of London needlework, and the horrors sod temptations of London destiqtion by the benevolent exertions of Mr. Sydney Herbert and the ladies and gentlemen who hove co-operated with him in the formation of the society. Previous detachments had been despatched to Australia, to the ,Cape of flood Hope, and to oar North American Colonies, and la.ve all arriv..d sale at their destinations, and obtained imm. diets and satisfactory employment. The committee, L.,wever, thought it more advisable to break new 'ground on the present occasion, and accordingly enraged the whole after put of the ship Stately, a fine new v. ssel of 700 tons, and booed for Auckland. The completeness of the arrangements on board the vessel yesterday, and the care and humanity with which every available comfort bad been accumulated for the benefit of the poor voyagers, was evident and satisfactory. Everything, in fact, has beendoce to render a voyage of four months as little irksome as possible. The emigrants are all young women, between 20 and 30 years°, age, many of Hunt of pleasing features and genteel appearance; but all, not,wVhstatidiog a month's careful nursing at The Home," bearing in their faces indelible marks of the privation and misery from which they had been rescued. Of course every individual present had her tale of gallery to recount; but the ewe of two sisters, aimed Wilson, 'which we had from the lips of the elder, forms too forcible an illustration of the life of a London needlewoman to he pseud without some notice. The elder of these two young women is about thirty, and the younger about twenty-two years of age, and about ten years ago they were deserted by their father and mother. For several years they supported themselves at peak binding," one of the minute sub-divisions of London labour, until at last • machine was invented by which the operation could be performed, and the peaks for boys' cap. (the material of their trade) completed in a moment. They struggled with adversity, getting from bad to worse, for some yens longer, until at last they were found literally dying from want of food, in a wretched garret in Lantstreet, kept from the workhouse by honest pride, and from suicide only by a s•rong sense of religion. Through the kind exertions of the legal committee they were rescued from their dreadful situation, and atter a month spent in recruiting their broken health at the Home, they went on board the Stately yesterday, fell of gratitade to their preserver., and of hope u to their future prospects. It is but justice to them to add, that their character bad borne the strictest investigation, both their . mployers and their neighbours testifying that their only crime was extreme poverty. The emigrants were accompanied to Gravesend by the Right. Hon. Mr. Stuart Wortley, Hon. A. Kiaraird, lion. Percy, Key. Mr. Queckett, Mr. Hely, secretary to the fund, and some other members, lay and clerical, of the general and local committees, who minutely inspected all the arraogements, and ascertained the presence and quality of all the requisites for the voyage. The emigrants were feelingly addressed by Mr. Kinnurd on their future duties and prospects, and encouraged to good conduct by kied advice and admonition. Mr. Queckett followed with some practical hints, among the rest one not to forget writing to their benefactors, at the same time mentioning the rather singular fact, that of the whole five or six hundred already seta out, only one had written back to the c-,mmittee. The young women listened with deep attention, and many seemed much affected at some of the obetrvations addressed to them. A kind farewell was then given, end the committee left for town, while the poor girls who had been in. objects of their care crowded the gangway, and waved theft handkerchiefs until the steamer was out of might.