LETTER FOURTEEN.
London,
My Dear Sister,
We received your last on Friday afternoon, and were very glad to hear that all were then so well. Hope my dear mother will continue so, and that my father is quite recovered. I am afraid they must be suffering very much in consequence of my father not being able to work. It also grieves me to think how much you must be injuring yourself to assist me.
With respect to my brother James and his going to Australia, I believe he has never yet thought deeply enough on so great an undertaking: as that of removing to the distance of sixteen thousand miles. The distance is tremendous, when the globe itself is but twenty-four thousand miles round, and I think he has got hold of the notion which many persons have, that Government is glad to get anyone willing to go—as if they only sought the pleasure of paying £40 or £50 to enable one and another family, whom they know nothing of, to remove from this country to New South Wales! The funds for the purpose of free emigration are raised only from the sale of land in the colony, and, therefore, anyone may know it must he hut limited. There are only six or seven ships going in the course of the present year from London which take out emigrants free of expense, These ships are far superior to any other that go to Sydney, and always sail on the appointed days, consequently more persons who pay their own passage will go out in these ships than in any other; so that only a few, to make up the ship's number, go out free, perhaps not more than four or five families in a ship on an average, for it is not likely that they will take persons at the expense of Government if others will go at their own expense. Mr. Marshall offered to take James at the payment of £9 for William. He and his wife and child would have been taken sixteen thousand miles, and wholly provided for during the voyage for less than eleven shillings per week, saying he was sixteen weeks on the voyage. It will cost him a deal more than that to live at home during the time, and suppose he has no work, or very little! It seems strange to me that he could not find the money, but it is too late to talk of this now.
One certificate of marriage will do if you have not already obtained them. Please send the broken saws and old pattern cards as they are. The hand-saw from Atkin's should be about 27 inches from the handle. I think that is about the size, but am not certain. I should very much like to take with me a carpenter's brace and bits, as I feel certain it would be of immense use to me, but am afraid I shall not be able to do so. However, I shall be obliged to you if you will ascertain the price (as all such things are much dearer in London than with you), and send me word in your next. Mr. Edmonds, in the Horse Fair, opposite Thorpe-street, whom, you will remember, I did some work for about two years ago, is a maker of them. I believe there are 36 bits to the brace. You will only have the trouble of delivering the note directed to him, and waiting an answer. I shall send my last parcel the latter end of this week, and if I can have it I will send the money then.
Ask my father to be pleased to write to me, if it is only two of three lines, in your next. I shall write to George, to Eliza, and to Tom, in my last parcel.
Yours truly,