Hobartown
November 5th 1872
My dear Mother

I received your last letters and three newspapers but I am sorry that Sam is not well but hope he is now better. And that you had such a fright through George’s incidents(?). I would be glad to hear of his going into the Church and I hope that I shall soon hear that he has decided. We have now Telegraphic communication with England and have had news from home in a few hours. We have news of the riots last mail. I am sorry that they occurred but the Jesuits have been at the bottom of them. We have one from Germany here stirring the papists up but he did not live to see the result of his teachings as he died suddenly at Launceston, and they brought him down here and gave him a grand funeral with candles and lamps burning and all sorts of nonsense. Oh for a few Sandy Row boys. The papists say that the cause of his death was a female confessed to having 9 husbands and she killed 7 of them which so shocked Father Hinterocher that he departed from this wicked word. Sometime when I am in the humour I intend to write you a long letter about this place but at present I have not time. There are often plenty of fish here and pretty cheap but mostly different from yours except Flounders and Rock Cod. The best are called Trumpeter which are as large as Salmon and very fine eating, also Barracuda, King Fish, Mullet and Flat-head. Different species to your home fish. Beef and mutton have been dear lately former 6d to 7d a pound and mutton 6d. Chops forequarter 4d, bread 3d and a half d, potatoes £6 per ton, eggs 9 & 1/=, butter 1/=. We have plenty of vegetables in the garden and I hope by God’s help we get on a little better this summer although the loss of time that I have had lately is still a drawback. We are going to have a complimentary tea meeting in the Lodge room tonight given by the members to Dr Parsons for his kindness to us, I hope to be there. And remember when I meet Aunt Jemima on the Mall in Armagh when I was at school and she told me that I had another brother. Chris desires to be remembered also Annie.Willy is very stunning and amusing. Excuse this and believe me your affect son

J C Parkinson