2-033 (Text)

File contents

Launceston Van Diemans Land August 10th 1829
Dear Cousin
Your much esteemed favor of the 8th November last is now before me in which you refer me to yours pr. William Young of the 6th Ult./ this letter I duly received and as there was a vessel just weighing Anchor for Sydney at the Moment I received it I enclosed it to my Mother with a request it might be returned to me/ My Mother shortly after arrived here (is here now) and forgot to bring your letter with her or I certainly should have answered it by the last ship, but you must recollect we live in a very out of the way place in the far extreme of the Island to where Hobart Town is situate and therefore seldom know exactly when a ship sails/ your charge against me for discontinuing writing you is quite just and I take great shame to myself and in fact you must be very good to look over my neglect, the only apology I can offer is that I never understood to the Contrary but that my Mother was in constant corespondence with you untill she arrived here about two Months ago,/and for these last Six Months I have been very ill for some time my life was completely despaired of / I had a severe attack of Inflammation in the bowels and three Doctors who attended me gave me up,/ I certainly recovered by a Miracle, this must plead my excuse for some months but had I known my Mother had not written you for some time I certainly would have written you a few lines occasionally to inform you how we were getting on / another cause of my not writing you before was in consequence of the harrassed state of my mind for the very blameable and foolish conduct of Thomson, the event has justified my forebodings, entrusted as he was, at the head of Customs & Treasury of this part of the Island with immence Sums of Money with a Salary of only £300 per Annum to be careless so as hardly to keep any accounts and to live at the rate of £800 or 900 pr. Year/ all my advice and knowledge only served to irritate and make him shun my society / the Consequence is that Govt. at last took notice of it, every thing he had was Seized (all the property Mrs T. had from my Mother included) and sold and he thrown into Prison, the deficiency was about £3,000. My Brother Thomas and Myself had at last come forward to save him from a worse fate (as was threatened) and became security for the Amount to Government, which released him,/  his property has paid off about one half and there may still be some errors which it is supposed will be but I am afraid we shall have to pay about £1000 independent of this/ My Mother has assisted and paid in Cash for them about £2,000, some of his Bills which My Mother endorsed have lately come back on her, they were drawn on his Uncle Young's of Burnt island, this has much injured my Mother in taking up, as they came suddenly upon her,/ this I believe has prevented her as much as anything remitting some money she owes you she is continually talking about it & you and saying she is ashamed to write you / I was trying very much the other day to get her a Bill on England for £100 to remit you but could not succeed for her / Mr & Mrs Thomson are living on their farm at Pattersons Plains but