The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-30 00:00:00

My DEAD FRIEND,—The unexpected arrival
vessel which has looked in upon us on her way direct
to England, gives me the opportunity of sending you:
a letter with the knowledge that you will most pro- ..---
bably receive it within four months of this date; a
period which, howeyer:l4agA,!;? Y, os,
compartively short to the time which we lint: many -
of our letters have been on their trauels. Some a
them most probably have never reached you ; for I
hear frequent reports of the irregularities of our post-
office, and we send our letters. indifferently by way of
India, Valparaiso, Sydney, or Van Dieman's Land.
To begin from the beginning, I will suppose you
have already heard, that tired of waiting in Nelson
for the machinery I expected, and seeing that when
it did come out, it would require more money to set
it in motion than I had any chance of possessing, I
resolved to remove to my section of fifty acres of land
at Motucka, on the opposite side of the hay to Nelson,
about sixteen miles in a direct line. I started accord-
ingly, taking the boys with me, and leaving Sarah,
with the girls until I had got some of the roughest
work over. So I pitched my tent on the edge of a
wood, about three-quarters of a mile from the sea,
and began cutting down wood, digging drains,
making a road, &c. My first object, of course, was
to make myself a holie? which I determined to build
of legs in the American bzanner, but from being
obliged to begin work in the
iny season, and from
having to do with men who, from var;ous causes, had
got a great idea of doing exactly as they
pleased, my
so that
progress was not equal to my wishes,
when my dear Sarah insisted upon coming over three
months afterwards, I was obliged to receive her
our tent, where we spent four months of the summer
season, leading a complete gipsy life, cooking in the
open air, and with no further defence against intru-
sion of all kinds than a simple piece of canvass, fast-
ened with a hook and eye. This, however, we found
sufficient ; we found the few settlers here excellently
disposed, and willing to render us any assistance in
their power, and we are on the best of terms with the
natives, to whom my character of a doctor is a wonder-
ful recommendation. I have now another part to play,
having been made a magistrate, or, as the natives call
me, Governor of Motucka. To return to ourselves; we
have at last got into our house, which
arah tells
me does great credit to my skill and taste as an ar-
chitect, and which, when finished—for I have not g."Pt
up my chimneys yet, making use of a stone—she
thinks will be one of the most convenient in the
colony, as I know for its size it will he one of the
cheapest ; for, looking at our number in family, I
thought it no use cramping ourselves, and yet it has
not cost more, in labour and materials, than 1201.
We have been in it about three months, and every
week adds something to its comforts, although I can
very well fancy any one accustomed to English ideas
looking about and wondering where they were. But
the fact is, that no one who has not begun from the
beginning has the least idea—the faintest conception
—of how he is indebted to the co-operation of those
around him, or the labours of those who came before
him. After lying on the floor one enjoys the luxury of a
bed, even a truckle one ; after going without milk or
butter, I enjoy being the owner of a cow, though I
have to milk her myself, and prefer taking
my axe, and cutting a log, for the fire, even
to the luxury of paying 325. per ton for
best Walls-end coals. I ought not, however, to
omit saying that my boys are becoming very useful.
John and Fred. milk the cow almost always, and
Graham drives her home, whilst Mary assists her
mother, plies her needle, and hears the younger ones
their lessons, whilst each, in turn, takes charge of
baby, who is a general favourite, and promises fair to
be one of the brightest of the lot. We have eaten
potatoes of our own growing, and eggs from our own
poultry, and shall soon eat pork of our own raising.
I went out, on one occasion, to catch fish, but, after
being out all night, and sleeping on the sands by a
drift wood fire, I came to the conclusion that, as long
as the natives would sell fish of forty pounds, weight_
for a shilling, I could employ: my, tiw-,nrOTES:::-'3
profitably. Our woods have, also, for some Month's,'
abounded with pigeons; and, although I hesitated at
first to entrust John with a gun, yet, since I have
done so, I have had no reason to regret it, and he has
sometimes brought home as many as half-a-dozen
birds at a time. Then, what you in England call
necessaries of life, and we out here style foreign
luxuries, are very cheap :—rice, lid. per lb.; moist
sugar, ditto; coffee„6d. Flour is 'dear-; but we hope
soon to be independent of foreign countries in that
particular, and I have tasted some excellent 'ale from
barley grown in in the colony. So you see there is
no great chance of our starving; in fact,' we may be
said to possess the three essentials-1--a house over our
heads, good food, and good clothing; and, if we occa-
sionally feel doubtful about- the future, we do but
partake of the....c.ommon-let--eflnortality, §incirßia
of us know what. lavdttA (nth.
. ,
the meantime;' tv.:".g6t de"preea f.
we have not 'Porgotiteri'-.77. :4, to. laugh ;
and the other .- aye.,VW' htftett „Moat,
only regretted some of. our
rfriends-AV4e"'lnot•
within hearing. We still continue pleased-
climate ; its fine uncloudedAviirm (kr, RIICT ffi-1144115n; •t'
bracing night ; and if, it-I'6lll6A'
bours, we feel the want of ,apheavier <rtraeyik'ocad,
here afford one thing which lios:dhealtfaritliittiTttp..
,e
do, we can afford to he poor. -Adct.tn this-Ethic-4e
real expenses of living are ridicatiii.4..that .I"
occasionally receive a pound or tWP,,:fOliCid aid;
that I have partly undertaken theT.mipagetippteTio
saw-mill during the illness of its 0641,04-:3410,,:*67
unequal to its management, and you will. under:
how, with the careful management
my income is equal to my expenseso,p4,l4imei
51. in the colony ; so that, comparaliritTrtheitta---,-
rality of mankind, I may be considered is 'very vi,el
off. Our friends in England stand ntiAltrZe of tieing
forgotten, for we have no one here .to supply their
place, even if that were possible. Few!CtAxszas§_ with
out our having occasion to speak of thew, and:,
one hour, Sarah says, without our egltinA th6th ,to
mind. To all who ask after us remenriblikawandly,---
and be always assured of the undiminislTed4sffetrtiOns•
of yours ever,

POSTING LETTERS.-It ;iS surprising .to observe
parties posting letters only just when offices-are closing,
and then pre-paying, instead of having stamps attached,
some even requiring letters to be weighed. The least
possible inconvenience ought to be given at post-offices,
and it is really a disgrace to respectable individuals* who -
occasion unnecessary trouble and inconvenienee, What
would they feel and say were they in the situation of
postmasters, and found those who must know beSter put-
ting them to trouble and inconvenience, which might,.
and ought to be avoided ?—From a Correspondent.
DUNCOMBE TESTIMONIAL.-011 Monday
.4 public
meeting was holden of the inhabitants of the parish of
Islington, at the Swan Tavern, llighbury, for the pur.,,,
pose of furthering the object of providing a testintot4l.-
to be presented to T. S. Duncombe, Esq., M.P„ for, hur-1,
, services in Parliament as one of the representatiVes of ••
Finsbury. J. P. Burnard, Esq., took the chair. The
pageant in the City did not much assist the muster; but • ,
individually, irAviltrl'u all lilyli,coc'rratboe' partyagu a
the Chairman in stating the object of the meeting, in.a
tone that could not be easily resisted, at some len tit
t flinching or rightsto the
,wahheNr.aey
swhraodugadv‘h'earser
wbitehoo righted
hissh o wt
ovtda i ti thati
ffe theren
ni
en dteoppe ne
rdseonncse
masaain
btaoidnye'd
rights of the people. A series of _ resolutions were pro-
posed and agreed to, appointing Committees
arrangements necessary to carry into effect the great
object that had become a matter of general attention
throughout the kino•dom—namely, to provide a testimo-
nial to Thomas Slingsby Duncombe, Es • q., M.P.
The Eastern Counties Company have, it is said,
resolved to apply to Parliament next session for powers to,
make a line from Witham to Braintree, and have inti-
mated to the people of Sudbury that they will not op-
pose a continuation from Braintree to that town, but
will decidedly oppose any attempt to carry it on from
Sudbury to Bury and Thetford.--Essex Herald.