Chain migration, where a "pioneer" goes ahead to check things out first, is a very common migration pattern. Geographers see this in both assisted and unassisted movements. I have one man who was followed a year later by his brother and parents.Many of our modern families move the same way. In fact the Australian migration schemes depend on those patterns to ease the culture shock of new arrivals. In fact the presence of family or fellow country communities dramaticly enhances success of the individual. Hats off to our convict ancestors who figured out how to make the system work for them! And while we are at it if you have Irish assisted immigrants besure to look at all the paperwork as they were lots of kids who officials noted were 'small' for their age-- i.e. their age was put up to make them qualify for assisted passage!Regards