1-165 (Raw)

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<source><g=f><o=b><age=41><status=3><abode=26><p=nsw><r=prw><tt=pc><1-165>
Sydney, NSW August 12, 1818
Dear Cousin
by a Gentleman Who Expects to come to Liverpool and which i believe is resident thier I avail myself of the opportunity of letting you know that with myself my Family are all well and that of Announcing the safe arrival of my dear sister and Family all well except herself which suffered severely during a passage of Five months and 2 days. but now thank God she is perfectly Recovered. and which more added to her dissapointment was when she arrivd I was absent at Vandiemans Land whither I had gone to settle my affairs previous to my Coming home as i had Let my shop and Whare houses as also my Farms. but her arrival will detain me sometime longer as I do not wish to leave her. and Mr Foster Expects to get his Land and Indulgences and proceed with the cultivation of it so that he can either let it or sell it. I intend bringing my Eldest Daughter Celia and youngest son George and I believe my three little ones... that I am present Deveided about my son George I was thinking of placing with Mr.. of Manchester. Should we Agree & should it lye in your way to mention it to him I Whould thank you to send his Terms so that I may hasten his Comeing home as he is getting so big. I had him at a Latin School till within this 9 months. ever since he came from England my eldest Son is married became the father of a fine daughter my other Son James which I let your ever Revered Mother know of his Marriage is now on a visit to us and on business. but George is now at Vandiemans Land as I left him to Collect the Remainder of my Debt and rents. when I heard my sister had arrived I was very Impatient to see her so that she has not yet seen him. I went down their in a brig of my own commanded by my Son Thomas and brought her up Loaded with which she is now gone after a cargo of Cedar Wood for Building. Mr Foster is gone in her I expect him in the Course of six or Eight weeks. I have also got a Small Schooner but Trade and Commerce is getting so bad that I cannot sell anything or I should have been Home long before now. I have enclosed you a Couple of our Sydney Gazettes where you will see an advertisement of mine but their is no person here able to purchase them. so I must give over the Idea of selling and live on my income. but I had forgot 2 Farms one of 100 & one of 40 acres at the Hawkesbury and the Estate that I have lately purchased at Vandiemans Land of 2000 as an entail on my children forever and one Agoing I purchased when i was down their of 40 acres. so that my yearly income is one Thousand pounds and should I Come to England immediately I could have Remitted Home seven hundred pounds per Annem after leaving a little for my sons and paying agency - therefore I think it will be as well to leave them as to Sell as to make a sacrifice. my sister begs me to mention a Book Entitle the History of N.S. Wales that she left with a man Byron's next door to the first House as you turn the Corner. that is all the description she can give. she wishes you to get it for her if you Can. she would do very well here Could she have her own way at her Business and Mr Foster too but no one will do well that is not thrifty Correct and Sober. this place is not like England. you are under the Eye of every one and your Character Scrutinized by both Rich and poor altho you may have a different Oppinion of it through the Different Characters that Comes here but are kept in regular order by our Good Govenor Lachlan Macquarie. he has been here these eight years altho it is the orders from home that no Govt should be kept here more than five years but through his good Conduct is Solicited from England to Stay Longer. the young man that I wrote my sister sometime ago by the Name of James Foster Which she tells me she understood to be the same person which Mrs Hilton interceded for is doing very well and a very Respectable young man he is. before my sister Came he told me he knew your Brother John very well. those Houses in Salford which did belong to me & my sister and which she has made over her interest in to your Mother i should wish if agreeable to Repurchase on my arrival in England. the Bill is against me i have Rec'd by the hands of my sister which shall be attended too. i can assure you my poor sister never mentions your Mother but with Tears and the Deepest Sorrow for her loss and altho i had not seen her for 27 years it had a great effect on me for almost the first interchange of words with my sister was to know if my Aunt Hope was alive. i do assure you the meeting of her was one of the happiest moments of my life and still more so knowing it was in my power to assist her as i consider her so deserving the protection of me and everybody who knows her. She did not meet as good Treatment as might be expected on her passage Considering what she paid. but had i been at home while the Capt of the ship was here i whould have actioned him but he sailed the day after i came home.... little Eliza and James go to the same school as my 3 children who are Boarders. they are fine company for each other / little Eliza is... notice by everyone she is such an agreeable little thing. my youngest little girl and her are much alike and is remarked almost by everyone. my sister wished me particularly to mention to you how my Husband came here. he was 2d officer and... of the Britannia Whaler which was laying in the Harbour when i came here and he prevailed on the Captain to let him stay here. [16] [17] 
i hope dear Cousin altho unknown to you but for the sake of your dear Mother you will write by every opportunity and by sending your letters to Mrs Smith in London where my sister stayd She will be remitted.. i have nothing more at present to say except my sons and all my children desire their love to you and all your brothers. my sister desires her Respectful Compliments to Miss Ward, Mrs Wood, Mrs Aspinall, Mrs Parkinson and my Aunts Hind and Ramsbottam and to all inquiring Friends and pray Remember me to them likewise and my sincere love to yourself and brothers Jane and Eliza send their love to you [18] 
I am Dear Cousin yours affectionately M. Reibey
My sister thinks it whould be the best way to pay the postage to the Lands end of England and they are sure to come safe.
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