----- Original Message ----- From: Karen Reynolds To: SOUTH-AFRICA-CAPE-TOWN-L-request@rootsweb.com Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 7:32 PM Subject: New Member Hello All, I am from the lovely South West area of Western Australia. I am looking for information on James Abraham Mathew Moulton or Abraham Mathew Moulton. I have the following partial letter and was wondering where do I go from here? Where would I find more information. Is there a shipping list for departing ships and shipwrecks, or a business register? The following happened about 1830-1833. Abraham's letter reads, "I began business as a horse dealer and after a few years I acquired a sufficiency to become an importer of horses, mules and sheep etc to a considerable amount yearly. My last voyage to "The Cape of Good Hope" cleared me a net profit of seven hundred and fifty pounds and the whole operation was concluded in four months. I then realized all my property and found I was worth between five to six thousand pounds Stirling. Which I laid out in Sugar, tea and spices and shipped the whole lot aboard a French ship bound for Bourduex, bid adieu to a host of friends and set sail a happy man, full of hopes for the future". The letter goes on and then... "Eighteen days after I had not a shirt to my sunburnt back, nought of bread to eat. All was swolled up by the relentless ocean or strewn the whole unfrequented shores of Southern Africa. The ship lost and nine of my unfortunate passenger served as "pate" to the forocious animals and Africa.I and several others found ourselves on an almost unknown coast in danger every minute do being devoured by wild beast, neither food nor clothing and several hundred miles from and human inhabitants. Courage did not forsake us. At daylight we began our journey to the Cape of Good Hope. We were incessantly harassed by the caffers and in danger of being murdered. Dying with hunger, continually harassed by savages our comrades dropping down through exhaustion we travelled about 700 miles and were fortunate enough to meet a missionary who protected us from the natives, fed us for a few days and they sent us on about 100 miles more till we arrived at the kraal of a Dutch Boer, who received us with astonishment and kindness. From here we were conveyed to Cape Town in wagons. From house to house, like paupers in England. On our arrival in Cape Town we were treated with the utmost humanity by the inhabitants, the theatre gave two nights performonces for our benefit and we were soon clothed and well fed. But then the past came fresh on my mind, meeting with an acquaintance whose ship was proceeding to the Isle De France, I determined to accept a passage that he was so kind to of! fer" Here he leaves and returns to Bournon. Strangely enough in later years 1846 he was murdered by his Mascar crewman at sea. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I would be grateful for any information, help and direction that I could get Thanks again Karen