ss Gulf of Ancud
Brisbane
7 January 1893.
My dear Chris
Yours of 14 December was awaiting me in Sydney – likewise Alex’s of 11 December.
We arrived late on the 31st and went alongside early next morning so I managed to get ashore and eat my New Year’s dinner with the Korffs. I found them all well and to all appearances the same as ten years back. But still I am afraid they are feeling the bad times as everyone else is doing. It is very noticeable in the general public by the lack of amusements which are generally in full swing about this time.
You certainly seem to be having the best of it as far as money goes, which is of course the main-spring of all, and I feel very tempted to agree to your proposition of joining you as soon as this voyage is finished, and if things continue as they are at the moment, may do so.
Balchin and Johnson are negotiating with a firm at Glasgow for the purchase
of a new steamer to be run out in this direction. If they buy – which ought to be settled before I leave the Colonies, I have every reason to expect the offer of command. In that event it would be somewhat hard to refuse as one naturally would like to reach the top after all these years.
Knowing this you can hardly blame me for still asking you to await my final answer back, but I can pretty well promise you shall have it from home in March. At the same time if you want help and see a man likely to suit, please don’t hesitate on my account to take him on, as I may disappoint you in the end, and I should be sorry for you to be a loser from any fault of mine.
Chris T (Christopher Tatham) is jogging along in his old style and has a family of four. I don’t know how he manages to feed them on his pay. I spent last evening with Ida Augustein. She has been laid up with typhoid and is not looking over well now.
This touch of 100 is enough to kill one after coming out of the cold as we have.
Will write again when I get south.
With best wishes to Alex and yourself.
Your affectionate Brother
A G Elmslie