Alexr Dick _Letter No. 67 from Glasgow, Scotland, 1862

Letter #67 to son Alex in Australia

                                                                                                                         Glasgow, 25th.April, 1862

My Dear Son,

I have yours of 20th.Feb'y. I wrote via Southampton by this mail, but as you expect an answer in June, I also write via Marseilles.

The three black crows over again.

Mrs. Moore says I expressed myself willing to return to Australia if you had a comfortable home for me. I said to Mrs. Moore that I believed that if I had remained in Australia I would not have been alive and that I would never return willingly unless there was a prospect of a brick or stone house to live in. But I did not give anyone to understand that I had a wish to return. Had my mind taken that turn I would have let you know or perhaps started off.

I have not given up hopes of assisting myself and I still think it just as well for all parties that I should remain where I am a little longer. I could not help smiling at John Leckie's version and I am much gratified by the ebullition of feeling it called for on your part. Your kind endeavours to do all in your power to make rne comfortable fills me with the livliest satisfaction. Your remittance of 5£ again is an earnest of your sincerity. 'With the most grateful emotions I return you my sincere thanks. Unless I had been liberally assisted by my sons it is plain I would have been penniless and working myself to death for a subsistence. I must thank Mr. McGee for his concurrence in your plans for my comfort. Your offer is just the thing, whether you were married or single.

I am better off than when I wrote 6 days ago and should a job cast up a fortnight hence I think I will be fit for starting. James Rattary is a manufacturer of gass burners in Bridgeton.

Our American friends have been fighting in earnest at Pittsburgh, 70,000 a side. After two day's severe fighting it appears no decided advantage was acquired. The papers give both sides the victory. The loss is not known yet. I see the opinion of our statesmen is that the North and South must seperate. All hopes of the two parties working together is now at an end and the sooner the seperation is an accomplished fact the better. Meanwhile great distress prevails in the cotton manufacturing districts and a tide of emigration is setting in to Canada, Australia, New Zealand &c. And the two parties are getting fiercer in America and there is no hope of an early termination of hostilities. The papers assert that France is urging Britain to join in remonstrating against further fighting and to propose terms of peace, but I believe the time has not come for the European powers to mediate with a prospect of success. The South has declared for free trade with all the world except the North. The North will have a debt of two hundred million pounds sterling directly.

There is a serious move to raise the qualifications for voters in Canada. War panics will be at an end with you as well as with us. The breathing is fitly occupied in experimenting to ascertain what sort of ships are to be most suitable for attack or defence and what size of cannon can be used with most advantage,

I can conceive you spent a pleasant and interesting night with Mrs. Moore &c. You would hear of many changes, funny, curious and melancholy. And Mrs. Moore would see a change in A. Dick too. The visit of Mr.& Mrs. King and J & W would be gratifying and interesting to all. Expecting McGee, Dick &. Co will be found competent to conduct their precarious business successfully,

I remain, your affectionate Father,

Alex'r Dick.

Names & Notes on Letter #67

Mrs. Moore &c.

John Leckie

Mr. McGee

James Rattery

Mr.& Mrs. King

- transcription and Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989  (note- the ‘original’ transcription was in printed format on paper, and has been re-formatted using OCR – so may have some inaccuracies which have escaped my editing – C. S-P)

Scans of the original letter (click on the image below for a larger version; note the order of the pages p.4-1, then p.2-3):

p.4,1

p.2,3