| Title: | McMahon Glynn, Patrick to Glynn, Ellen, 1880 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4361 |
| Collection | Patrick McMahon Glynn: Letters to his family (1874-1927) [Gerald Glynn O'Collins] |
| File | glynn/11 |
| Year | 1880 |
| Sender | McMahon Glynn, Patrick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unemployed |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland |
| Recipient | Glynn, Ellen |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 472 |
| Genre | arrival, family, account of Melbourne |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Melbourne 28th Oct. '80. My dear Mother, You see I am here at last. I just write a few lines to enclose in Cissey's letter; until I see more of the place and people no use writing long [letters]. I met Johnny Walsh at Adelaide, and Aunt Grace. She is the same old "3.4"; we had a jolly few hours together. I was delighted to see him, as I did not expect it. Aunt Grace followed us down to the pier and would have come on board but it was too late. I promised to go up to Adelaide to see them when I can. As regards Melbourne I don't know what to say. It is a wonderful city, certainly, for its age, but not the paradise people imagine. The climate may be very fine, but I would back much abused Ireland against it. The variations of temperature are very great, a hot day being sometimes succeeded by a very chilly evening; flies and mosquitos in clouds, though the latter have not come in yet, and the dust some-times blinding. In fact I intend to wear spectacles. The streets are all parallel and perpendicular, so that the arrangement is good, but though the Post Office, town hall etc. are very fine buildings, the greater number of the houses are one storey—mere eggshells. The lower classes or rather a set of cads called larrikens, are about the roughest set I ever heard of. They garrot a good deal and are a miserable looking lot of uncultivated black-guards. But I will let you know all when I look about more, see Sir Redmond Barry who has been out of town, and hear what the profession is like here. Some say it is a good place if a man gets an open[ing], others that half the barristers are hard up. I must see more. The colonists are about the most egotistical people on earth—no place like Adelaide in Adelaide —like Melbourne in Melbourne—like Sydney in Sydney. In my opinion there are places much better than the lot together. There seems to be the same pride and class distinctions as elsewhere:—the equality of the lower classes consists in absence of politeness and deference for others very often. All my cousins are well—Fanny and Gssey. You mistook Mr. McDonald's age, he is only 40. They all could not be kinder. I will write you a long account by next mail, but can only conjecture at present. Remember me to all my friends, and with love to all, I remain, Your affect, son P. McM. Glynn P.S. Try and send me out Dillon's Judicature Act. It will cost 10d. and will be useful to me perhaps here if a bill passes—Dillon's Judicature Act. Write to Blaquiere Snr. about my medal to forward. |
