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Hobart Town, Van Diemens Land, May 6th,1821.
Dear Cousin,
I beg to acknowledge the Receipt of a Letter from you to my Mother per Skelton, and was very happy to hear you where well.
I hope we shall not be such strangers as we have been for so many years. The manner in which my Mother always mentioned with you and your Brothers and Sister I was always Lead to Respect you. I sincerely hope this will find you well. My Brother Thomas to whom I sent your letter promised to write to you. He is the Eldest and Twenty Five old to Day. He is married and one Little Girl as I suppose Mother has informed you of. I have been Married these Five Years but have no Family. My Brother George who was in the Bank has now left it, in Consequence of it nearly failing and they could not keep up such an Establishment. The Cashier had lent all the money out long before my Brother joined but was not found out till lately. He had lent £12,000 to a set of Rascals who Refused to pay it back to him again knowing He could not make a noise about it, so in fact the Bank had Existed for nearly 3 years Entirely upon the Public Confidence, but I will give you a part of his own letter to me on the Subject which I enclose, The WESTMORELAND arrived here yesterday I Received the Gazettes you were kind enough to send me together with your Letter of Recommendation in favour of Captain Potton. I enclose you some of our Hobart Gazettes, for your Perusal, / last week Ten Unhappy Men Suffered the Sentence of the Law which you will see by the Gazette. The most awfull Sight that was ever Witnessed on this Island. There Never was above 5 people Executed here since the Colony was Established.
You wish to know if there is not something suitable in the way of Produce to send to you. The only Produce New South Wales Exports is Wool which goes to London, about two Ships Cargoes a year. We export very Little Wool from this Island, it being very Coarse, at Present, altho People are now paying more attention to it than they Did. Wheat we export to Sydney about 50 or 60 Thousand Bushels every year with a Large Quantity of Potatoes. You wish to know the State of Religion in these Colonies. [45] You must know that before the Administration of Govr. McQuarie there was so little attention paid to these Colonies that we hardly ever had a Clergyman in Sydney but There is now at Present 4 or 5 in Sydney, one Here that Came out when this Island was first Colonised and one at Port Dalrymple who has been there about a year, but both of these Latter Gentlemen I cannot speak of in Flattering Termes. Mr Knopwood who is here has been Regularly brought up to the Church of England, but having Run thro a fortune at Home, was fain to Accept a Situation out here to Accompany our first Govr. Collins. He is a Very Profane Man and had been what is Commonly Called a Fox Hunting Parson. The other Gentleman Formally was a Missionary out here but went Home and got ordained. I cannot speak anything in favour of his Abilities or Oratory. There is now a Number of Gentlemen of the Vessylian Persuasion in Sydney who have Erected Chapels and I believe have been a Great Acquisition there in Reward to forwarding the Cause of Morality.
You will be pleased to excuse the Shortness of this letter as I have only been in from Port Dalrymple two days a Distance of 126 miles by land to fetch my two Youngest Sisters to go to Schools. I am still very Tired and then the vessell sails at Daylight in the Morning. Namely Regalia Captn Dixon. I have not wrote to my Mother alas I suppose ere this they have left Your Shores for Australia since June. my Wife and two little Sisters Desire their Best Respects to you Hoping you will not fail writing me by every opertunity as I shall not fail to do so.
Remain Dear Cousin, Yours Very Truly
James H. Reibey.
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