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Bedford
England
9 August 1900
My dear Chris
We watch you progress Colombo on the 6th. Hope everything has gone well with you in the heat -must have been very trying if you had anything like in proportion to your position what we endured here the great wave of heat ceased on 1 August where a succession of severe storms set in blowing a hurricane of wind at times ???? the crops and numberless trees destroying the fruit crops wholesale and causing generally an infinite amount of damage. The August bank holiday on the 6th was a shocking day – the morning was bright and fair, people went out in their thousands all over the country the barometer
I dreaded that you would have a trying time from the Canal to Colombo. The heat here was greater than had been experienced within record for so long in July. In the first two days in August on the 3rd a furious gale set in and continued for several days with no break.
The Oroya left on the 3rd and had a dusting going down Channel. Noel said he could not lift his head until the Monday afternoon. From what you say I judge that Katie must have been very much knocked up by the extreme heat and moisture and Kenwyn poor boy must have been greatly punished by prickly heat. He is just the subject for that with his fair tender skin. You had your hands full with Katie and the nurse laid up temporally. We can only hope that the voyage from Colombo to the end made some compensation for the trials of the middle part and that you got to Sydney safely and in good health. I saw that you got there on the 27th..
I was in town three days last week when we had a meeting of E & C (?) as both Spence and Christy are both away. Archie and I were the members present. I have not been up this week as there is nothing to do and no business.
I am going to take Mater, Reg and the girls to Buxton for a fortnight and shut the house. It is not far from here and we can do it cheaply and give Reggie a pick up after his month of ???? work. This is a turn that all the students have to take now and they have to stick close to it night and day for a month at a time and attend to the most wretched creatures in the most out of the way slums in Shoreditch and Bethnal Green.
I have written two short notes to you since you left – addressed one to Alec and the other to Bank of NSW. Am not quite clear what I said to you about Noel – he has good introductions and money to keep him going for some time, and the prospect of an offer of good employment from the Peak Hill Company who I got to know. They have a big thing in hand which they could not speak about then which would be developed by the time he got to Perth. They gave him letters to the firm of solicitors who attend to their business, and are parties to this big scheme. He has also Mr Spence who no doubt will advise and assist him.
I expect you will go on to Croydon as soon after getting to Brisbane as possible before the heat sets in. It is too much to expect that your presence there will get the mines to turn out more gold than they have been doing of late, but I hope that you will devise some plan of getting other properties and putting some life into the companies. Up to the present the Stock Exchange is in the most dormant state. Before the end of next month there will be a considerable revival of business all around.
The news from the seat of war last few days indicates that the end is close at hand and that a large portion of the great army will soon be set free at last. But at least a half will be required in the country for a year or more until people settle down and a powerful police force is formed and scattered over the large territory of the late republics and the British Colonies adjoining. I think Lord Roberts and the High Commissioner intend to deport every man who is, or has been prominent as a leader and is likely to give trouble – a very wise plan, but where are they to be sent to? St Helena cannot put up more than are there and Ceylon must be nearly in the same condition. None of the mines are at work and not a man is permitted to go by rail to the mining in the mining districts, nor will they be for a month or two. My impression is that our Government will claim a large portion of the output of the mines for a long period to cover somewhat the enormous outlay.
I do not think that Archie will keep on good terms with Forbes very long. Mr Ensor and he had a ruction the other day – he has not opened a book in connection with the company business up to the present, he is above his duties and wants some to do his work for him.
I will write you occasionally and let you know how we are doing.
Hope this will find you all well – with best love from Mater, the girls and myself.
Your affectionate Father
J A Elmslie