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This is a picture of Bordeaux, France, where St. Philippine started her long, hard voyage to America.

To view more pictures and information on Marseille, visit here

Philippine encountered many diseases on her way to America including scurvy and measles. If you had scurvy, it was because there was a lack of vitamin C in your diet. You would have to eat vinegar and pickles to cure it. To cure the measles, your best bet would have been to drink fluids and rest.

On the ships of the 1800s, there was often a deprivation of water amongst the passengers of the ships.

This schooner is very similar to the Rebecca, the ship that Philippine took from France to America. The shipping cost of one medium sized clothes cabinet was 120 francs; for one chair: 5 francs

This is probably what Philippine's shipmates would have been wearing on the voyage over.

This is what Philippine normally would have been wearing. The picture is of the top of a habit, the typical dress of nuns in that time.

The following is a timeline of Philippine's journey to America from the time she left the port in Marseille, France to the time she settled in Missouri at the first Sacred Heart school...

February 8, 1818

Philippine Duchesne left Paris with Eugenie Aude, Octavie Berthold, and Catherine Lamarre.

Picked up Marguerite Manteau in Poitiers, France.

February 13, 1818

The group arrived in Bordeaux

March 21, 1818

Set Sail for America on the "Rebecca"

For 52 days they only saw sea and sky

May 11, 1818

Caught sight of land - South eastern end of the Bahamas

Stopped by pirates

Near Havana, the ship was taken back from the pirates

May 25, 1818

They reach the mouth of the Mississippi River

May 29, 1818

They landed in New Orleans

July 12, 1818

Departed New Orleans on the steamboat "Franklin"

The cost for a ticket on the ship was $100.00 per person

The boat could travel at 3 mph upstream and 8 mph downstream

August 21, 1818

They arrived in St. Louis

 

August 5, 1821

Mother Aude and Sister Layton left St. Louis by the steamboat Le Rapide

It was a 3 week trip

Arrive in Plaquemine at 10 o' clock at night and stayed in an inn

Traveled 15 to 20 miles by cart to reach the bayou

Traveled by flatboat on the Bayou Teche for 12 hours

Traveled by horseback for 15 to 20 miles to the Attakapas Inn

Roads were so bad that a vehicle could not travel down them

Traveled by horseback to the home of Mrs. Charles Smith

Arrived at Mrs. Smith's house on the 25th

July 1822

Philippine visits the indians for the first time

Potowatomi