State Library of NSW
[Page 100]
No 15 To Mr Joseph A. Pettit [Indecipherable] Lower Orrell Street Ipswich Suffolk England Oakleigh May 27th 1854
[Written as a note vertically at the top right hand corner] Walter[?] the Auctioneer is in Melb should think from what I hear he is making a [Indecipherable] fortune [Indecipherable] Auction yard for [Indecipherable].
[There is also a note written vertically on the left hand side that is indecipherable]
My dear Father A short period since in reply to a personal application at the Melbourne Post Office - received to my great delight a registered packet from Mrs[?] Cox containing a communication from you tis easily to b imagined how much pleasure it gave me to see the old familiar writing again to know all were well etc etc. It is now about 9 months since the one previous dated March 5 1853 came to hand - am sorry to find you have forwarded [Indecipherable] by private person there exists but little, if any probability of my ever obtaining them, or even one thus sent unless the parties put them into the lost property as[?] directed. Have made numerous enquiries to put[?] up young Havell but cannot discovered a soul who knows either the said Mr Nelson, or him at any of the Newspaper Offices. Have inserted advertisements in the public journals, but to no purpose. So quite gave it up as a bad job. These [Indecipherable] enquiries gave me no end of trouble & expense being located 10[?] miles from Town. In yours you mention to have received all from me up to No 10 [Indecipherable] - and consequently have[?] had no account of the movements from the time of leaving Madeira until the start of the diggings. I[?] shall never forget so long as I live the terrible fires[?] we tumbled into, thro that immense [Indecipherable] of worse[?] than useless lumber in our care or charge. It would have given us most unimagined pleasure[?] to have seen the whole lot disappear beneath the surface of the waters[?] of [Indecipherable]. Pray didn't we envy the passenger who went off to shore with only a Carpet Bag under his arm. A most sensible man - this said[?] No 4 should have gone by "Gt [Indecipherable]'. It was something in the form of a Diary detailing the various occurrences that have [Indecipherable] up on the voyage out. The dilemmas in which we were placed upon landing, and the delighting pleasures afforded by a [Indecipherable] at the Campg Ground.
[Indecipherable] = How[?] was appointed Fiddler or Violinist rather, to the Clipper [Indecipherable] from floor[?] [Indecipherable] to [Indecipherable]. We were hardly getting a quiet evening. How at Lat. 0 [Indecipherable] a little bit of barbarism under the hands of a representative of the Monarchy of the Ocean. How upon our arrival in the Bay 5 Sailors bolted - How
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