yourself when I tell you that the best flour is only
20 shillings the sack and such quality that you
cannot buy in England the bread is the best bread
I ever eat in my life and the meat very fine and no
price at all for instance I saw a man on Saturday
night last buy a very fine round of beef and a fine
leg of mutton for 2 shillings and for all that
Butchers is a very good trade here there are several
Establishments called the boiling down houses
where they boil down Bullocks and sheep for the
fat only and one house alone will boil down 800
and sometimes a 1000 in one day this may seem
almost incredible to you but it is a fact and the
beast must be of the best quality sheeps heads and
plucks you can have by wheel barrows full for
fetching away for people never think of eating
such stuff as they call it ox tails you can have for
fetching away but you must skin them yourselfe
so much for meat. Tea is 1s 6d lb but it can be
bought for 1s by the chest Coffee is 9d lb wich
can be bought for 5d but you must roast yourselfe
or send it to the roasters but you can do it at
home very well for every body has what is called
a lamp oven here which costs about 7 or 8 shilling
and you can bake your bread or your dinners at
your own fireplace Potatoes are rather dear they
are 1d lb but they are butifully fine onions the
same price Cabbages 11/2 and 2d each fresh butter
1s 6d lb and salt do 1s 2d lb Mushrooms grow very
plentiful you may go and get a bushell some time
before breakfast I have taken a deal of notice in
the people here they do not study economy as
they ought if you where here we could save money
fast I am determined to buy a peice of ground
shortly and I intend joining the building society
but I dont know what to do untill I heare from you
I am daily expecting a letter from you I know I
could not have had one much sooner for I recon
upon ten months to get an answer. I am still
living in the little cottage and I have worked very
hard lattely I dare say you will be suprised when
I tell you that I have been at work as a joiner
the last 3 months and I have made 3 Chests of
drawers at home in my over time since for a
Master Cabinet Maker I expect a winters work at
the carpentering as there are a great many
Buildings going on here I am happy to say that I enjoy
most excellent health indeed it would be a sin to
wish for a better state of health I never have had
the slightest cough since I came here I have had a
slight touch of my old Complant in the legs but I
have got a presription which cures it directly the
Chemist that made it up told me that my stomach
must be like iron and my Constitution as strong
as a horse to take It the doctor told me to wear
flanell drawers so I got 2 pair and siuce then I
never have it. Rents are rising rapidly here you
cant get a cottage with 2 rooms under 7 or 8
shillings a week they have rose my rent to 5s I
almost forgot to say that I shall have 10s monthly
to pay in the Building Sosiety and 10s entrance it
began in january so I shall have the back money
to pay and it is expected that it will run out in
six years and then you will get 120 pounds out
if you let it lay the whole time there is two of
them and they are going on flourishing. I have
been at work at the builders now 11 weeks and have
not lost an hour till last week and then I only lost
a quarter which was 1s 6d but I got 10s profit for
I had an infant to bury. I made the coffin after
I done work that is the first funeral I have been
to they never keep a corpse more than 2 days. I
have been thinking a great deal about Alfred wether
his master will give him his time out to come with
you Tell my dear sarah that I have got a beautifiul
parrot for her I tried hard to rear some to send
home to jane and one for poor C. but they died I
think of Mr and Mrs C. and fameley very often
I wish he was here to have a glass of ale and a
pipe with him but he must not expect a long
pipe here for they smoke nothing but short pipes
about 6 inches long and the blacker they are
the better they like them and you have to
give 1/2 each for them give my best respects to
him I shall always be glad to hear of his welfare
I do hope it will be in my power to reward
him for his kindness before long and to Mrs C. and
fameley give my love to my brothers and sisters
with one exception tell master he would do well
here it is an excelent business here indeed one of
the best give my love to my dear children. Oh
that the day may not be far distant when my
happiness may be more Complete by seeing them
and you on the happy shore in the Province of
Victoria this is the new name given by the Queen
for Port Phillip. My dear as soon as I get a letter
from you letting me know that you are coming
then I shall begin to make up things for my selfe
but untill then I am unsettled which way to act
for I have saved a few pounds wich will be very
much wanted to lay out and I have bought
myselfe several things since I have been here that I
could not do without, I have been very carefull
and am almost a Teetotaler I very seldom drink
anything but I will live well and I feel the benefit
of it in my strength for I have lately often worked
from 4 in the morning till 11 at night and dont
feel half so tired as I used with half a days work but
sometimes I am almost compelled to go and get
a pint of beer for the sake of company as I am
at home by my selfe and no one to speak to. I
get very dull there is no notice taken of Easter
here. I worked all day on Good friday and Easter
monday the Melbourn races are thought the most
of it lasts 3 days but I worked all the time and
did not go to see them I cant enjoy pleasure
untill you come to share it with me.

This poor fellow seems to be possessed of
an appetite which must have been very
inconvenient to him at home. This is his account
of a light supper he had one night:

I almost forgot to say that I wanted something
for my supper Saturday night so I went to the
butchers to get some chops and I had a pound
and half of the loin 2d fine sheep hearts and a
sheep kidney and how much do you think they
was why only 4d the lot a fine bullocks kidney is
only 2 and a very fine shin of beef 4d or 6d what
will the London butcher say to this. Poultry is
rather dear but it is about the same price as
at home.

Finding himself not quite well, and perhaps
a little affected in his digestion by the trifling
meal just described, he put himself on short
commons as follows:

Yesterday being sunday I took some medecin so
I got 4 lbs 1/2 of the neck of mutton and made
myselfe some nice broth and some suet dumplings
the meat only cost me 4d 1/2 I think my dear I have
stated facts wich ought to cheer you up and you
must consider that the sun has been clouded from