| Title: | Beale, Joseph Sr to Beale, Margaret, 1853 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4472 |
| Collection | The Earth between them: Joseph Beale's letters home to Ireland from Victoria (1852-1853) [E.Beale] |
| File | beale/6 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Beale, Joseph Sr |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | store keeper |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Mountmellick, Co. Laois, Ireland |
| Recipient | Beale, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | husband-wife |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 974 |
| Genre | the shop, savings, prospects, news, dysentery, living costs |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Spring Gully 8 miles from Melbourne 1st mo: 26th 1853. Well, four months have elapsed without a chance of hearing from thee my ever loved Margaret, or of the dearly loved children at the other side of the world. It is a painful anxiety, but like every other trial it must be borne, patiently and trustfully, that Perfect Wisdom may graciously be pleased to grant, we may all meet again. Oh I cannot even picture to myself what exquisite delight it will give me, to meet thee and my dear nock here—and not only to meet you, but to have you without care on your parts as regards outward requirements. And now for ourselves. When I last wrote thee (12 mo. 25th) I mentioned that we could save £600 a year—since then I bought two horses and drays, which save Francis and Jas Kennedy from hard labour, next week I intend purchasing a third for Joseph. I keep a store myself by which I make ab't 15/- a day, besides having bread, cheese, butter, ham, tea, coffee, rice etc etc at wholesale prices, so that we are at present saving about £1200 a year (at least we shall when I get the 3rd horse). I shall buy 5 in all, which will cost about £320. We are doing very well, but we work at everything that adds to the purse. We have the greatest cause for thankfulness to the Almighty for his bounty, [or very few of our class succeed in this Colony, without capital and unaccustomed to labour—but we were determined that nothing should daunt us, we began with the pickaxe and shovell and we got on thro' the blessing of Providence, to whom I humbly ascribe all our success. We had £32 saved, I told my friend Wm. Locke and that I intended buying a horse when I had £60. He went to his desk and handed me £30. In a fortnight I handed him what he lent me (earned in the interim) but he said don't you intend buying more horses? I said I did, five, well he said keep the £30 for a while longer and here is a loan of another £30. So I bot a second horse on the same day. My stock of provisions cost me about £40, and Gov't owe me about £40, so thou seest we are doing well. We are all fav'd with good health, except D. Kennedy, he had had the dysentery, and I had to pay two doctors to attend him, so that he cost me more that I rec'd for his wages. He is working as a rough carpenter for Gov't at 12/- pr day, but I intend putting him to follow a horse, which will pay me better, and moreover / shall then receive his wages, whereas he now receives them, and I think it is not so well for him to have the handling of my money. I believe he would soon get well if he would act as we do, but he is two miles from us and he treats himself foolishly. The Dr. ordered him quinine. Oh! he [Daniel] sd the Dr. meant to kill him, such bitter stuff that would murder a bullock I Jos'h was greatly amused at his remarks but all my reasoning was of no avail.—I have had, as well as the three boys, slight attacks of the same colonial compl't, but am now (as they are) quite well again. One of the Gov't engineers asked me to go with him ab't 40 miles into the interior with stores. I did so, and had to sleep in my wet clothes that night. I suffer'd very much from cold, and next day's hot sun blistered my face to such a degree that I dare not shave myself for ten days. When I called on the Dr. with D. Kennedy the doctor told me you have on your face, what this man has inwardly, from his throat downwards. Yon are fortunate that it attacked you outwardly on the skin. Many, almost everyone, suffers from dysentery here, in my opinion from the change of diet and manner of living. We live well, nay, thou will say extravagantly. It costs me 1/- a day each for new milk (18d a quart), cheese 2/6 pr lb, potatoes 5d, butter 2/6, but we think it better to do so, than to run any risk of our health. When we get five horses we tan save £30 pr week, and all over that we purpose spending on ourselves—or very nearly so. This colony is in many respects, nearly the antipodes of Ireland. If a man calls for (say) 1/10 worth, and hands thee 2/- if thou hast no copper, he will say, Oh never mind 2d, it's not worth talking about. They seem to care nothing about money here. I am well known here, by parties who emigrated 10 to 15 years since and who have acquired property to the ain't of 20 to 30 thousand Pounds, tho' still living in a plain farmers style. I like many people here, I know their manners, as well I believe as if I were here for 10 years and I get on well among them. I shall conclude this letter to go pr Sarah Sands on the 1st of next month. I write sitting on my mattress, while a sack of rice does for a cable, a green veil on my face to keep off the flies, which are exceedingly impudent here, but they do not bite, nor have we anything like the horsefly of the old country. 31st D. Kennedy is now nearly well. He earns now 15/- a day. Farewell my dearest, Kiss my flock for me. Thy fond and ever loving husband J. Beale. |
