Alexr Dick _Letter No. 50 from Renton, Scotland, 1860

Letter #50 to son Alex in Australia

Renton, Nov'r. 17, 1860

My Dear Son,

Your last came too late for me to write by Marseilles. I thought it better to write regularly by Southampton. Your kind and affectionate offers of assistance make me feel easy and thankful. I hope you will meet with no untoward transactions to make you a poor man again. I have fully kept myself since I came to Cordale and I hope to do so for some time, so there is no necessity to put yourself about remitting me. But it makes me feel joyful that your spirit prompts you to remit part of your overplus.

Jack has made a narrow escape with his life. It was a reckless venture to travel to Victoria by lol's (??)hole. I trust he will take the safer road in his future travels. It is well he got safe to the indigo and I hope he will be none the worse in body from sleeping in the snow. William may be thankful that he got a job in Ballarat to prevent him figuring along with Jack in one of Grant's novels; and I have some notion that a very slightly coloured description of the starting point, viz. the tent on Bakery Hill, would not be the least interesting chapter.

I see you do not get all the papers I send. I sent one with an account of the formation of the Busby Volunteers; the speeches of Miller and of Wakefield and Captain Jas. Hall. I sent one with a portrait of Garibaldi by this mail. I send one every week.

There was a letter from John Mclnnes last mail. John and his two sons are gardeners 6 miles from Castlemaine. They are rather dissatisfied and speak of coming home. Margret had twin; all doing well. Thomas Kinlock & his sister came home poorer than he went away. Digging did not pay him. It is again attempted to get a railway to Busby and Eagleshame. Busby company will take a large number of shares. Wm. Moody is poorly; he is consumptive.

Busby works are busy, but nothing in the block way doing. The shawls shops are cutting for spring trade, but it is not supposed there will be a brisk trade. The Turkey Red printing is not pushed at present.

You will see it is now all but certain none of the powers will interfere in behalf of the King of Naples and Victor Emmanuel will be king of the two siclies (???) to the great satisfaction of the peoples.

We have had an unusual number of accidents in the Vale these last two weeks. A son of Kit Melvile's lost 2 or 3 fingers at Daimonach. A cylinder printer fell from a ladder at his machine and was killed, also at Daimonach. A girl fell into boiling water at Levenbank and died. There was a man murdered in the Ferryloan last Saturday. Two irishmen that lodged together quarrelled and went out. The one killed the other with a knife, giving the victim 13 stabs. And there was a boatman drowned yesterday.

I see by the arrival of Australian news by Marseilles you have got your land bill. Not exactly the thing wanted, but the details are not given so I do not know how wide it is of the mark. Your mob inside the House seem rather untutored; your mob outside rather savage. Tens of thousands of settlers on their 100, 200 or 300 acres would quite alter and improve the country. If one crop would not pay, they would try another. Crops the "Argus" has not thought of will pay best and markets for your wheat that do not appear as yet will spring up.

The Armstrong guns have routed the Chinese, but John fought creditably, it is to be hoped there will be no fighting at Peking and that John will go straight forward with the treaty and stick to it afterwards. Like our King Jammie, they are full of craft. But no doubt the sharp practice of the British this bout would excuse John for tricking them if he could. But John is too feeble. He must put up with insult and havoc and pay the insulters and havocers.. Yet the British voters so decided.

I hope William is still carpenter to the company on Ballarat and that he can make himself comfortable and amuse himself with a book or something useful on a rainy night. Wm. Stevens and he will sometimes take a bed each and look at the papers. I know not if Jack left the Indigo and came on to Smythesdale. Perhaps the prospect at the Indigo was too tempting. He did not like to hear of taking a year at the counter at nominal wages, but it still occurs to me it is as good a spec as he can make. I think he has a turn for it and certain he has not done better yet. He would certainly be more comfortable than digging and travelling in the style he does. I hope he has found a comfortable resting place.

I have been working from 5 to 1 one week and from 1 to 5 another week and sometimes an idle day. I keep in tolerable health and I may say the same of all our friends.

I remain, your affectionate Father,

Alex'r Dick.

Names & Notes on Letter #50

Miller

Wakefield

Capt. Jas. Hall

John Mclnnes

Margret Mclnnes

Thomas Kinlock’s sister

Wm. Moody

Kit Melvile

Wm. Stevens