Melbourne
29 January 1884
My dear Chris
By this date you will be at Townsville and have some idea of both the place, climate and work you will be engaged at. Mr Jeffray ??? and from what he said, I don’t think it would have mattered if you had stayed here longer. Mr Brown seems to be a very agreeable nice man from all accounts I hear of him. Mr Alpin was at one time Government geologist here. McGee ?? knows him very well.
I have been thinking that as Townsville is a rising place and may be in a few years of the first importance a little money would be well invested in sites about town if they can be bought cheap.
After receipt of this get all the information – first, whether any other port or place near is likely to supplant Townsville, and second, whether there is land or sites to be purchased in positions where the town is likely to extend, and last, the price at which land has been sold and can be bought – or seek from information both amongst those you are with and from other sources asking at the Government officials if you can give me any information that I think satisfactory, before I leave here. I would arrange to leave one or two hundred pounds for you to draw upon. Reply as soon as you receive this, it takes a long time to get answers from your distant place.
I have fixed the morning of the 16th as our sailing day so that the 15 February will be our last day here.
The news from home 14 December was good. Mama says the house was almost blown down on the 11 and 12 December – a furious gale prevailed. Another on 24 to 26 January has caused great destruction.
The old P & O Scind that Devitt and Moore bought 18 months since has been sunk in the Channel on 26 January by collision – no lives have been lost the papers say this morning.
I am picking up a few passengers and will get about half my complement I think.
If in difficulty at any time apply to the firm here, but at same time remember that Mr Crosby ??? Hobart is my friend who will always lend you a hand.
I cannot find anything for Chris Tatham to do – his age is so against him and hundreds of young men are waiting ready to jump into any vacancy both in office and station work.
I hope to hear from you in a few days.
Your loving father
Jas. A. Elmslie