Dear Aunt Polly

                                                                                                                           C/- Sydney post office
                                                                                                                           N.S.W
                                                                                                                           30th May 1788
Dear Aunt Polly,

I miss you all so much and I wish I never got caught  pickpocketing but you know how hungry we were. I only did it so we could have some food to eat.

After I was caught, I was sent to the Old Baily but the Judges weren't very nice and nobody listened to what I had to say. They chained me to the other prisoners and sent us to New Gate Prison.

New Gate was horrible, because when I got there they sent me and the other women to a dirty cell and there were rats everywhere and it stunk really bad. I didn't get very much food and water and when I did, it  tasted horrible. All of my stuff was stolen from me by the other prisoners.

After a while I was sent to the hulks because all I had stolen was a broken watch. I was also told that we were going to a strange new land. When I got to the hulks me and the other convicts were sent to the bottom of the ship and as soon as everybody was on board we set sail to the new land.

The only food we got was maggoty bread and rotten meat and it didn't taste good. After a couple of weeks at sea, we ran into a storm and I felt so seasick. After the storm we were allowed on deck for some fresh air and I felt much better. When we reached Botany Bay there wasn't very much fresh water and not enough land for farming so we set sail for Port Jackson.

When we reached Sydney everyone was happy to see land again. Sydney was beautiful because of the green trees and clear blue sky but all the animals are strange, like the little bears in the trees, big red rabbits and colourful birds but it was very hot and we don't get very much rain.

When I got here I was chosen to be a slave girl but my master is kind. I cook and clean and I have made a friend with one of the other convicts, her name is Ariella and hopefully in seven years I'll be able to come home.

Much love from Chloe.