Letter
#39 to son Alex in Australia
Glasgow, 10th.May, 1859
My Dear Son,
I have yours of the 12th.Feb'y with a remittance of
£.5. I am not forgot and I may feel thankful you have all borne yourselves so
kindly. I got on with my work very well at Daimonach but our spring style is
up. the salesman sent up a lot of the goods to Glasgow without being blocked.
He said he would sell them as they were to more advantage. Cheap goods are all
the go. I expect to be shoped in a few days. Perhaps at Cadale I have no fear
of getting on and of perhaps saving. I require no further aid at present. I
would like to hear of a little capital being accumulated in Australia and a
business begun, lose or win.
I have sent Miss Strickland's "Life of Queen
Mary" by the 'Royal Charter', directed to Mr. Leckie. The 'Royal Charter'
sails on the 15th. I am to pay carriage but the receipt and charge have not yet
come from Liverpool. It is in a small box, 5 volumes.
I am sorry to hear of William's old complaint
returning. His state of health was one of my chief reasons for going to
Australia and if not established on an improved scale my Australian trip has
been a failure in all respects. The 'Great Britain' has arrived and our papers
are sounding new gold fields and improved conditions of the working classes. I trust some improvement will come in the way of Jack & William.
I was at Busby. Your old friends are all
prosperous. Alpine has 3 children. The question you allude to was an oblong
garden, say 100 by 200. You were correct otherwise. Joseph Docherty had an
attack of his old complaint and was almost despaired of. He appears now in a
fair way of getting round and is working at home. Peter Robertson is still in a
Government steamer carrying Ambassadors and Royal Princes and Princess to &
fro. John Rattary has passed away and Thos. McEwan is at Higginbotham's. He is
trying to get rid of his wife. She is getting more and more savage. T. Roy has
got no work. He lives with Cargill and the McCubbins are married. A young woman
had lent Peter several sums of money. Marriage was the most convenient
settlement. George Richardson has lost his situation. Auntie, Annie and Sandy
are keeping their health. Annie is at the loom, Sandy in the shop. There is no
improvement on Joseph Wilson, but James and Margery are quite well and all
David Maxwell's family are hearty.
We have war on the Continent. Austria against
Sardinia and France. Russia is believed to be ready to join against Austria if
need be. Our papers give out that France and Russia have Turkey and Egypt in
view should events favour their wishes. It is believed France has not been
straightforward with our minister and that Derby & Co. have been rather
duped.
Derby was defeated by the liberals on reform and
dissolved Parliament. The elections are not quite over, but the
"Times" says Derby will still be in a minority and that Russell Palmerston
and Co. are likely to be the future men. The papers give today members returned
586. Liberals 324, Derby's 262. So we may look for a reform bill and another
dissolution. As the chief reforms we have to look forward to in this country
are reduction of expenditure and reduction of duties. War will prevent any good
being done in that way. So we may have a reform bill and no reform in
legislation.
I met with a cotton broker in Glasgow the other
day. He told me that cotton spinning is being monopolised by the English, that
their superior machinery is taking the trade from the Scotch and there is far
less cotton spun in Glasgow than used
to be. I could hardly believe such was the case, but he assured me the consumpt
of cotton had fallen off greatly in
Scotland of late.
I have got a newspaper per 'Great Britain'. You
have a dissolution of Parliament too. All your long wished for mining and land
bills are coming, hurrah.
I fear the Australian mail is behind this time. We
ought to have had notice by per telegram of its arrival at Suez eight days ago
but there is no notice yet. Our old servant, Anne Cairns, is married and living
about 7 miles from Melbourne. She writes her mother that she wishes she had
stopt at home. She had difficulty to make a liveliehood as a servant. Loudon
did not get the articles his father sent with Ann.
It is so far satisfactory that all my former
acquaintance in Australia are managing to get their grub. G. Mains has got a
job when I thought I would never get one. Jack wont like to burn lime with Mr.
McLaren, I hope he will meet with something more suitable. William will likely
keep to the gravel pits till the company wind up as their is no saying where
the big nugget is lying.
The joiner trade is not fully recovered at home and
cutters are not well employed, I get to Dumbarton by steamer 4d, by Rail 6d, by
Rail to Alexandria 10d and then you can whirl on by Drymen to Stirling and
circle round to Glasgow.
A hope that a turn of fortune's wheel, or a master
stroke of enterprize will place you all in a more comfortable position and I
may hear of my sons being classed with the great, the honourable and the
praiseworthy.
I am your affectionate father,
Alex'r Dick.
Names & Notes on Letter #59
'Royal Charter'
Mr.Leckie
'Great Britain'
Alpine
Joseph Docherty
Peter Robertson
John Rattary
Thos. McEwan
T. Roy
Carqill
McCubbin
Peter McCubbin
Geo. Richardson
Mary Russell, Annie & Sandy
Joseph Wilson
James & Margery Wilson
David Maxwell
Palmerston
Anne Cairns
Loudon
G. Mains
Mr. McLaren
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Scans of the original letter (click on the thumbnail below for a
larger image):
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