Letter
#38 to sons in
Australia
Alexandria 9th.March
1859
My Dear Son,
In yours of 12th.Dec'r you mentioned the October
mail had arrived and brought no tidings of the 'Agincourt’. I can feel for your
disappointment when the Nov'r mail arrived and no tidings.
It created some concern on board the 'Agincourt’ when
Nov'r advanced and no appearance of a change of wind to blow us up the channel
that we might catch the Marseilles mail. But there was no help for it. We
passed almost all the vessels we saw, but she could not come near enough to the
wind's eye to get into the channel. And so long a continuance of east wind at
the season of the year no one on board had ever seen or heard of.
I am at the table at Daimonach, doing the same sort
of work I did there 30 years ago, at about half the price of what was going
then and 25 per cent less than what was paid at the time Kibble failed. What
makes the matter look worse their is still less paid at most works in England.
I have no fear but I will keep myself comfortably, but I could not recommend
any of the Australians that have a wife and family to come home to make their
bread by block printing.
I hope Jack's hurt was not severe. Sound limbs have
done little for him since he saw Port Fairy.
Your half share in the Old Gravel Pits has done
some good to all concerened, but I fear it will be drawing to a close now.
William's something was unexpected and I feel thankful for the attenion I have
received from each of you.
Give Mrs. King my compliments. I hope her young
daughter will be long spare; her mother's pride, her father's joy. Great
success to Mr.& Mrs. Tweedie; it gives me pleasure to think of them. I hope
fortune will smile on them. I hope John Leckie lectures like a Christian and
not in the strain of our fanatics.
It is pleasant enough to be invited back to
Australia. When I have authentic information that the firm of A, J & W Dick
are in want of an old man to wait in their store in their absence I may try the
sea again. But I have done quite enough in a speculative way. There is
certainly some difference between a Victorian Dec'r and a Scottish one. But I
think our Scottish Dec'r had the better of a Victorian June. We have had a mild
winter. I have seen no ice since I left Dublin and little snow; a good deal of
rainy weather but it had not the Australian chill.
John
White, junior, is still in the steam vessel between Panama and Valparasio. His
wife gets money regularly; she has no family. John White, senior, is printing
in a sewing warehouse at 16/- per week: he means to stick at it.
I heard nothing from Busby since my visit about
your friends, so I take it for granted they are in their usual. James McIllop,
the gate keeper, and his wife died some twelvemonth ago. The 25 at Kilmarnock
failed and paid 1 /6 per pound, the shawl printing shops are busy just now.
Colinslie is going again. Block printers are doing little at Busby. Our new machine
shop at Daimonach is getting forward. Some of these will begin in a day or two.
Each cylinder will have an engine.
The hubbub about war is still kept in the papers. I
expect there will be war about the Italian question. Napoleon III seems to
frighten Europe in the style of Napoleon I The name and war seem associated in
all minds. And so our rulers are preparing a fleet and army lest Napoleon
should come over on the sly, freebooter wise at midnight and lift London
without waking the sleepers!
So Derby and Ben & co. are to give us a reform
bill. I trysted a paper with a copy of it, but I am disappointed. I will try
and get one. Their bill does not satisfy reforms. It is not worth the
botheration it will cause.
I have got the "Glasgow Banner" for you,
a "Commonwealth" also. I paid David Maxwell. He took no interest; he
has been very kind. James Moody has a fish shop in Bonhill, He guts and washes
cheerfully, but he expects engraving. John Anderson, millwright, that went with
us in the 'Euphrates' is still in Warrnambool, doing well and writes to his
friends come, come, come. Shipbuilding is still flat, otherwise trade is good.
Auntie, Annie & Sandy are all cheerful. Walter
Smith is still inspector for the poor; and a jolly one he is.
I have fallen in with sevral old acquaintances and John Donald, A. Young
and some more of Busby hands are in the shop with me. It is grass grounding
after machine we do. Two tables are set together and one tea re r does two men
and gets 16/- per month. All the tearers are above 13 years of age.
Your accounts of Australian progress are not
cheering, but the future of Australia no one can foresee. Other crops may be
introduced and succeed and your dry sandy soil may yet be found suitable for
some profitable sort of fruit trees &c.
I hope you have got up a step with Chalmers & Co. and that something
more suitable than digging will turn up for William & Jack. I bid you
goodbye for the present, hoping brotherly love will continue.
I am your affectionate father,
Alex'r Dick
I have not lost hopes of Arithmetic, but I have not got it to my mind
yet.
Names & Notes on Letter #58
'Agincourt’
Port Fairy (??)
Mrs. King &. daughter
Mr.& Mrs. Tweedie
John Leckie
John White, junior
John White, senior
James McIllop & wife
Napoleon
Lord Derby
Ben. Disraeli
David Maxwell
James Moody
John Anderson
'Euphrates'
Mary Russell, Annie &
Sandy
Walter Smith
John Donald
A. Young
Chalmers & Co.
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Extra
Note: Alexandria is a town in West
Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The town is situated on the River Leven, four miles
north-west of Dumbarton. – C. P.
Scans of the original letter (click
on the thumbnail below for a larger image):
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