Mr.James Little,
"Yaneck a Yaneck"
Horsham
Wimmera
Port Phillip
Victoria
October 15, 1859
My Dear Brother and Sister,

   I have just now received your letter and read it. My dear sister, I cannot express the joy I feel to think that I truly have the letter in my hand that you had April 30th.

  Can it be real?

  Yes it is true and sees the same sun and moon and I am happy that you and Robert and your numerous family are all well as this leaves us. Thank God for all his mercies to us all. I am sorry for the untimely death of your little son. I had one died coming over. It was put into the sea to lie, William is married to a girl from County Tyrone and has two sons and one daughter. I cannot know what cows and horses he has. I know he has a good many and lives very comfortably. If you write to him write Green Hill near Kyneton, Port Phillip, Victoria. He brought out the wife's mother and sister and sent to America for a brother and aunt. They are coming out about three months.

  Hanna is married. Her husband's name is Joseph Rogers. 2 children dead and 4 alive. Jane married has 4 alive and two dead. Her husband's name is Roderick Gollan Sarah is married and has seven sons, six alive and one dead. Her husband's name Robert Harper. Mary Sophia married 2 years come February and has one. Her husbands name George Thomson. They are all living beside each other. They can see each other on Sunday. They all go to the one church in Kyneton- the Independents. They all have large farms and live very well.
That is five I have told you about to begin.

  About this part, we live two hundred miles up the bush from them, and they live 50 from Melbourne.

  Elizabeth is married and has 8 children. Her husband's name is James Smith. They have a station about 25 mile from this. They have about 5000 sheep, cows and a good many. I do not know the number.
James is married to a girl from County Cork. He has 2 children, one dead. He had a station about twenty miles off us. David not married. Him and James had the station between them. David bought James share about six weeks since - £2,600:0:0, and James is gone to look for a run of new country is found. He is gone with a party through Adelaide. That is not my old man, that is my son.
I have two natives since I came over. John he is at school at Geelong 50 miles from Melbourne. He can go by water or by land. I have another daughter Agnes at school in Kyneton. They are learning good English, French, music and dancing. John is 16 years last August 28th. Agnes 14 years 24th same month. I am thinking of bringing Agnes home again Christmas. I wish we had one of your little daughters for a companion for her. She cost £800:0:0 for schooling and John more.
Here goes about the old man and me. We have a station 55 miles square, between ten and eleven thousand sheep and they are shearing them now. 6 men shearing, one man loping the fleeces, one and sometimes two lifting the fleeces from the shearers, two men pressing wool, two carrying the loped fleeces, one branding L letter with pitch. My old man and the overseer seeing that all is going all right, one man with the washed sheep, one the shorn sheep and one going between the two for washed sheep for the shearers and taking the shorn one away. That and a cook is what is at.
The wools made the most of them a £1:0:0 a week and found, the shearers 15/- per hundred. Some shearers one hundred per day and ten shillings per day for washing. 2 drays started this day with seventeen bales on each dray. Fifty hundredweight each, something about three hundred a bale. We will have 90 bales or better. The sheep in 5 flocks and every two shepherds has a cook and my old man, the overseer a son of Archy Littles and myself has a cook.
The cattle was not mustered this good while. The last muster there was about one hundred and fifty-three In the winter we kill one a week sometimes two. Fifty mares and horses and one entire and a good many foals. We had a horse breaker break in 15 at £2 ;0 ;0 each.
James and me goes down to Kyneton each year. We have three hundred and twenty acres there. It is all fenced around. He gave £1 :0:0 an acre to Government for it and 10/- a rod for fencing. It is close to William's farm. He has not seen it yet. William keeps some of his horses and cattle in it. We were in Melbourne and Geelong last wool season.
Winter begins in May, Summer begins in November. It is not very well watered. By sinking gets very easy. There is a good many swamps and little lakes. The nearest creek about 40 miles. Very little snow. I never saw snow lie one hour on the ground since I come here. It must be wholesome country, I am very healthy since I come.
With love to all brothers and sisters and nephews and nieces. I will send two for fear one may miss. Write and let me know what town is nearest you.