Study the following witness account by Stephen de Vere, who sailed to America in the steerage (below decks) of a ship in 1847, the Famine year with the highest emigration levels.
Below decks on a coffin ship
Hundreds of poor people, men, women and children of all ages huddled together without light, without air, wallowing in fi lth and breathing a fetid atmosphere, sick in body, dispirited in heart; the fevered patients lying beside the sound, by their agonised ravings disturbing those around. The food is generally ill-selected and seldom suffi ciently cooked in consequences of the insuffi ciency and bad construction of the cooking places. The supply of water, hardly enough for cooking and drinking, does not allow for washing. No moral restraint is attempted; the voice of prayer is never heard; drunkenness, with all its consequent train of ruffi anly debasement, is not discouraged because it is found profi table by the captain who traffi cs in grog [watered-down rum].
1. What type of source is this? 2. Describe the conditions on the ship to America. 3. What was the food like on board these ships? What reasons does de Vere give for this? 4. Why was drunkenness not discouraged? 5. Explain one benefi t and one limitation of this source.
