Mt.Elgin,
(The following is
part of a letter written about 1862)
I told you the last letter we bought a station near thirty thousand pounds. We have sold
Yannec a Yannec at twelve thousand one hundred and ninety pounds. We have 24,000 sheep, 200
horses, 250 head of cattle. We have just done lambing, we have 6,000 lambs, we will be
shearing in September.
Jane Little.
My Dear Sister,
This day James has set the putting up of a new house. All slabs and sawn stuff at £150,
we get sawed stuff, doors and windows. They only puts up the woodwork. Stone not plenty.
David, James, my sons and Elizabeth and families are all well.
You wish to know about father and mothers death. Father is dead 28 years 12th November
last. He was 82 years of age. Mother 62 years old, twenty years between them. She is 28 years
dead again August. She lived three quarters of a year after him. She took a cold. A blood
vessel busted. She died suddenly, never lay one day. I must be informing you of this.
James would give one hundred pounds to bring you out.
This is the middle of winter, if I can call it by that name. I never see snow. Some
mornings there is a slight frost and that generally brings on rain. It is a very wholesome
place to live in. I have a little touch of rheumatism before rain though I keep very healthy
I believe. I am 62 last Christmas.
James father died when we were in Belfast. His mother lived long after our mother. She
was blind some years..... husband left her and six children. She is dead and he married again
some fifteen years since.
My dear sister, remember me to all your little ones, married and single. Last not least
Robert. My kind love to you and all. Agnes will send a letter to Nancy with this. With kind
love I am your affectionate sister,
Give twenty kisses to Robert and all for me.