Alexr Dick _Letter No. 26 from Busby, Scotland, 1856

This is the last letter from Scotland for some time (Alexr will return home for a while later on after having difficulty finding work in Australia).
Alexr and his sons John, now 20, and William, 18, are emigrating aboard the sailing ship 'Euphrates' in August from Southampton, England to Belfast (now Port Fairy), Victoria, Australia

Letter # 26 to son Alex in Australia                  

                                                Busby, Ist. July 1856

My Dear Son,

Yours of 6th.January is the last I have received. I have now to communicate that we will sail for Australia in the ship 'Euphrates' from Southampton. We are to be in London on the 29th. July so the ship 'Euphrates' will likely sail beginning of August. We sail from Leith to London. So away we go, for better or for worse. Jack & William are both working in Glasgow as journeymen and they will pass for the same in Australia. We are to be landed at Belfast and perhaps you could have a letter for us at the Government depot for emigrants or the Post Office, Belfast, saying where we should go. One of us at least, will likely go to Geelong at any rate, to see Busby folks and get information.

I had a visitor from Leven yesterday. McIntyre has done well at the diggings lately. Buchanan's friends expect him home. Doctor Grey is doing pretty well at sawing and shingling. J. McCubbin has had a good variety of job, the best he has got is serving masons. I hope you have done a little good in the nugget way to keep your spirits buoyant and I hope we will fall on the way of making ourselves comfortable by and by. We will take all our blankets with us, all our clothes and tools and a few books. I can give no item of news at all about Busby folks. The field is busy and the block printers have had no serious slackness this season yet. I am still in the pattern shop. The accompanying newspaper will give you the news of the world.

At the request of my father I will copy the following piece of poetry for the purpose of pleasing,

amusing or instructing you.

(Here follows twenty six lines of a poem by Oliver Goldsmith.)

The principal topics of the day since the Russian war has come to a close is will there be war with America. There was like to be a row in that quarter but I think it is all settled. The cause of it was that the British Abassador was trying to enlist men for the British army which reather hurt Johnathon’s dignity a little. The Yankies dismissed the Ambassador and three consuls, but Lord Paml (?) swallowed he dose and ended it. There was a Doctor Palmer hung the other day in Stafford for poisoning. He was a great hand on the turf and it appears when he fell to deep in debt he gave his creditors an invitation to dinner and dosed them. He insured his wife for £13,000 and did for her and got the money. He also did for his brother but the insurance offices refused to pay. It was for the murder of a man of the turf named Cock that he was hung.

There was a great meeting at Stirling on Teausday for the purpose of erecting a monument to Wallace on the Abbey Craig. There was a large attendance, but not what was expected. There was some capital speaking, chiefly by Glasgow men. Sherriff and Doctor Gillian were the principals. There was also a sprinkling of the nobility, Dukes, Earls &c. As we expect to be in Australia ere many months pass we will I hope have an opportunity then of telling you the news. I have no doubt but we will do well in yiur country if we were just right set a going. Our papers are giving good accounts of the state of trade and if your formen joiners will give us the chance of a job, we will let them see that we have done rather more than "ran through a wright shop" (hear, hear). I need not say any more till I see you. I hope that you have done something good in the gold line. I suppose you will be about ready for coming home by the time we get there, I was 20 years of age last Thursday.   Your Affectionate Brother.

John Dick.

William Wilson is at Maryborough diggings. He gives a rather bad account of his neighbours. He is partner in a hotel and making money, but he thinks decent people would be as safe at home. However we are selling off. I have no fear but William &. Jack will make more money than at home and I trust they will eschew the evils. It is useless for me to speculate about I will do, only I hope to keep myself fully better than a printer can do at home. Hoping that God will carry us safely and prosper us in the way that we go, I take the road cheerfully.

Yet, when it comes across to me that my father's and mother's people have lived 600 years in this country, I think it queer in me to leave it. It is but the spirit of the times and the conveniences we have for travelling now. Why, the voyage to Southampton would have been as great an undertaking to my ancestors as the voyage to Australia is to me.

Perhaps you do not know that my forefathers, the Dicks, were in Ayrshire in the days of Wallace and went out to the battle of Irvine with him. My mother's ancestors, the Robertsons of Strowan, are historically known to have assisted and sheltered Bruce.

Subscriptions are now to be raised at home and in all our colonies to erect a monument to these
great men. I hope to see the speech of Mr. Dick, digger at Ballarat. This is likely the last time we
will write you from old Scotland. Aunty keeps in moderate health. Annie has learned the making
of cloth bonnets for men & boys, but she gives no promise of setting herself to work
industriously. Sandy is still in a grocer's shop. I will call on James Dick before I leave, I may
say that is the number of our relations.                             I am. Your Affectionate Father,

      Alex'r Dick.

Names & Notes on Letter #26

Ship 'Euphrates'

McIntyre

Buchanan

Doctor Grey

J. McCubbin

Doctor Palmer

Cook

Sheriff Bell

Dr. Gillian

William Wilson

Robertsons of Strowan

Mary, Annie & Sandy Russell

James Dick

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