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I humbly trust the famine and distress is quite over now. We cannot understand why Government don't send them out here, as there is plenty of room and plenty of food and to spare. We are giving from £28 to £30 a year to all our men, hut keepers and shepherds; our married couple get £36 a year and all our neighbours are giving from £40 to £50 a year, and cannot even get them at that. We require 13 and 14 men constantly and a man and his wife [...] You would be delighted with this climate. Everything can be grown in the open air, although the winters are generally wet and cold, yet few ever get colds or fevers. Since I last wrote you we have got a very good comfortable house built which has cost £200. [...]
He also bought a screw press for to press the wool, which cost £40 in Melbourne. We have 72 bales of fine wool, each bale containing 200 flushes, or 300 lb. each. We are expecting £13 this season, as it is not so dear as it has been for the last two years. We have got our shearing over this season five shearers, they shore upwards of 9000 at 16s. per 100 and 4s. a day for washing the sheep. [41]
I still have plenty of fowls 24 turkeys 12 ducks and a large flock of geese. I take the credit of having the best poultry in the country. We have plenty of eggs and lots for killing. We can also kill our own beef, pork etc. and a sheep every day, and Muirhead brings up every little thing from town that I require, so we live most comfortably. We have plenty of potatoes, vegetables cheese and milk and butter, so that I have every comfort that this country can afford. You would be delighted with our place. We are surrounded by the fine Grampians and Mount William. [...]
You wished to know in your letter if we had any clergymen or doctors. We have no clergyman. The neighbouring settlers are giving £10 each to a Doctor Wilson from Melbourne for three years. It amounts to £300 a year to him. He lives 35 miles from us. Still it is better to have him there as we live 120 miles from town. When I required him as I was ill on Sunday night we sent for him on Monday, but he did not come till Wednesday, but my little son was dead. I am now quite well thank God for raising me up from the bed of sickness.
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