Alexr Dick _Letter No. 12 from Busby, Scotland, 1854

This letter was not finished until the end of July, and there is an extra envelope postmarked "Jy/Jul" so I'll include this envelope which doesn't match the letters as well as the early August envelope.

Letter #12 to son Alex in Australia

                              Busby July 21, 1854

My Dear Son

Mr. Sloan has arrived in Busby with yours of the 14th.March and two sovereigns. Jack & William are quite big and will likely through time make up their minds how to dispose of them.. But the debate is still going on. I hope the Silk Handkerchief reached you. Mr. Sloan argues that from your appearance heat & dust & wind dont hurt your digestion and thinks you likely to make your fortune without any great uneasiness and like himself revisit your native land.

There was a letter between the October one and the January one but I do not remember whether it went in .... the middle of Nov it went. Cholera has been some weeks in Busby. Mr. William Hunter died of it last week. Your douce friend David McGregor married a daughter of Mr. Dougal's manager of Busby mill. John Leckie knew him. D. Alexander’s brother keeps a temperance coffee house in Argyle Street seeming to do well. John Shaw is walking about but intends to work at his trade sometime and then become a landowner in America. Mclntyre is doing well in Melbourne. Dr. Ross had a letter from John Buchanan. He made money at the diggings and set out on an exploring expedition. He travelled about 20 miles per day and carried 40 lbs. weight and was not in house or tent for 14 months but lay down with a blanket about him. He intends to explore an island contiguous to New Zealand called Mud island. He had plenty of snow and as keen frost as he ever felt in Scotland. John Donahue has bought a piece of ground and sent for red haired Jammie and Mrs. Morrisy. John's wife got out and they get out by Government Emigration funds. It seerns a settler has a right to get out anyone he chooses.

Block printing and print cutting are still very slack. But no other trades are depressed save cotton manufacturing in all its departments so that great numbers of printers & cutters have got work in other employments. Jack, William & Peter Robertson are intent on joining you and wish to sail next summer. Peter wrote you two months ago and it three months since I wrote. I was every day expecting yours of March and I expect one in a few days per mail of May. Bella Munn (John Leckie's favourite) got married on St.(?)Arbuckle. Harvest prospects are looking fair and our markets are coming down. I need not say how satisfactory it is to your brothers and myself that you have kept your health & prospered. You will be 20 in Sept. and 2 years pushing your fortune on your own account and to good account. Your generous views to your brothers and myself claim our warmest acknowledgements. 

Have Sagacity enough to purchase your house where it will sell at double price 2 years after and should Jack & William go I must go with the stream. William has made a table and a barrow and quite full. Jack has not got a trial yet of any article of that sort. But they believe themselves the lads for going ahead in Geelong. Jack travels from Cathcart every night. William on Saturday evenings comes down and sometimes on Wednesday. He happened luckily to be down the night your letter came. The war with Russia is still going on. The French and the English are contenting themselves with blockading the Russian ports. So there are no great & brilliant victories with illuminations and rejoicings to tell of though there have been some little jobs that show there is still skill and courage afloat. Let me know if you have got newspapers this years date and how many. John Twaddel sends a paper this mail and I send 2.

                                Busby 29th. July / 54

Dear Alexander, I am very happy in knowing your are in good health and in excelent spirits. Perhaps more so than I am here owing to not having the means of reaching you just now but I intend to make a bold attempt to get out along with your Father and brothers. I would like to know when about the month of April that we could all get out together. I would be very thankful to you if you would send me a correct statement of necessaries required for voyage &c.as far as your experience extends. I am still working at the mill yet for 10/- per week so you may calculate that is very little to save £30 off so I must apply to some of my friends to assist me. The passage on an average runs about 18 guineas. Give my compliments to Mr.& Mrs Leckie & J. White,

Your Affectionate Friend, P. Robertson.

This 1st of August and I must close as the "Calcutta" sails on 4th. The Australian mail is due on the 5th. I wrote of Mr. Wallace's death. I trust you got the letter. This village is clear of cholera present. Our friends are well. By way of summing up I may say that we Jack, William & myself intend going out next spring, say April or May. Peter's friends are to assist him and it is likely one of Mrs. Fleming's sisters will go out about the same time. Michael Broughton is to get a free passage to Melbourne in a few weeks. There will be no fear of trade so long as there are plenty diggers. By your letters you consider Geelong as suitable place as we go to. If you think there more suitable place it would be better to make the shift at the time we arrive should God so prosper us. Peter has given you a hint to give us what directions you can. I suppose we must better provided against starvation than you were. Mrs. Hugh Wilson desires me to send her respects to you and Mrs. Leckie. Busby field block printers and cutters very slack, the machine printers quite busy.

Jack & William are very big about getting out. They expect a few years to do them. They are already returned, great gentlemen. I wont be all fun, thats certain and one would almost think you had put dust into your letter to make us give up all idea of visiting Australia. It may be for the advantage of us all especially you young chaps and I hope we wont disgrace ourselves or our country.

I am, Dear Son,

Your Affectionate Father,

Alex'r Dick

Names & Notes on Letter #12

Mr. Sloan

William Hunter

David McGregor

Mr. Dougal

John Leckie

D. Alexander

John Shaw

Mclntyre

Dr. Ross

John Buchanan

John Danahue

Jammie & Mrs.Morrisy

Peter Robertson

Bella Munn

John Twaddel

J. White

'Calcutta'

Mrs. Flerning's sister

Michael Broughton

Mrs. Hugh Wilson

Mrs. Leckie

- transcription and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989