James Douglas FERGUSON's 1854 letter from the McIvor Goldfields, Victoria, Australia

James Douglas Ferguson emigrated to Australia from Rothbury, Northumberland in 1852.

James wrote a letter to his mother, Elizabeth Ferguson (Nee Robison), my great great grandmother, from Australia. Elizabeth Ann Taylor (Nee Nichol), a grand daughter of Elizabeth Ferguson, kept this letter. The envelope she kept it in had the following inscription:

My connection with this is that James Douglas Ferguson's mother is my Great Great Grandmother, Elizabeth Ferguson. Paul Kennerley, West Midlands, UK .

McIvor, June 4th 1854.

My Dear Father and Mother,
I am almost ashamed to write to you but if I could ever found a lasting place in this country I should have wrote but we never could till now, it is an old saying and true one that a rolling stone gathers no moss. I will tell you about our passage out, we had a good passage all the way to the line, where we were becalmed and during that time we had a fire on board a most alarming thing at sea but thanks be to God, they got the fire put outbefore much harm was done, there was a quantity of burnt stuff put over board. The great sharks was swimming about the ship for their play but thanks be to God they got no human beings there, after the fire was out one of the men baited a hook and caught one. We got him on board. The carpenter said as he would weigh 16 stones. We just had one death on board a boy 2 years of age. The body was committed to the deep at 12 o'clock at night a most solemn scene to see. We thought that would have to be our poor little Lizzie Tate the ships doctor could do nothing for her. Annie was sick about an [?]. The wife was ill for a month, very ill indeed. God fits the back for the burden. I kept my health. I never was sick. After we landed we got a house in Collingwood close to Melbourne, which we paid £2.10 per week. I left the wife and children. I started for [Fryars?] Creek digging. I was there 3 months I made out pretty pretty well. I got a letter from the wife to say that if I wanted to see Lizzy alive I was to make my way to town there and then. Off I started that was a hundred miles when I landed who should I find attending the child but [?] the Doctor from Rothbury. Gave up the house then and there, got a double horse dray loaded with stores of all sorts wife and children started for the diggings again that cost me £70 to the Bendigo. We were there 10 weeks when the McIvor broke out 40 miles from Bendigo. I paid £40 down there, just to remove us and ours two or three [ropes?] a pound a mile. Do not be alarmed at that. There is plenty of money in the colony. Here the wife and I had yellow jaundice there. I lost 6 weeks work all the best of the diggings was over. Next the [Boulbousne?] broke out. I left the wife and children at the McIvor and carried 60 lb weight on my back 40 miles was there 6 weeks, did no good there, left my things to come with carries and started to the McIvor again to walk the 40 miles no one with me but my faithful dog through a country where you cannot see more than two or 3 100 yds before you. I got within 2 miles of McIvor. By sunset when I lost the sun I lost my way and travelled all night in the bush when I found myself the next morning 14 miles back over. I turned round with the rising sun and piloted myself straight through the bush to the very place where I lost sight of the sun the night before and landed home at 11 o'clock p.m. after walking full 80 miles without a bite of meat from the morning before.My feet was like two beef steak I made up my mind to leave off diggings and I started a [east?] on the road carrying up to the diggings. So I got all put to rites bought a horse and just had one turn to town out of him and lost him Five months ago I bought him very cheap £45 if I could get him. Now he is worth £100 in Town. I bought him of a mob of 60 horses 3 weeks after I was in Town I could had £80 for him and it takes two good horses to bring a van up from Town to the diggings and it is £25 a van just now as the wet weather is set in there is a mint of money to be made at it. Men that is steady, two horses Dray and harness stands me to £250 I am going to start before long
Price of Provisions
Flour £12 a bag 16 stone bags
Potatoes 1s per lb. 1 cabbage 2/6
Sugar 1/3 per lb Tea 3/4 per quarter
Coffee 3/6 quarter Soap 1/4 quarter
Bacon 3/- quarter Salt 1/-
Herrings 6d Eggs 1/-
Butter fresh 6/- per quarter Milk 2/- per quart
Butchers Meat per lb £1.3 at the diggings In Town £1.1.3
3 Fowls Chickens £1 per couple Geese £2 ditto
Turkeys £4 Ditto
Oats £2 per bushel Bran £1.5 on the diggings
There is nothing in the shape of game here but ducks.

Blacksmiths £1.5 per ady Carpenters the same Masons £1.16 per day. Farm servants men £50 to £100 per year with meat found. Servant girls £35 £45 ditto. Labouring men from 12/- 15/- per day - The few hints I have given you here will give you some idea about things here. Any things that I can say is everything in proportion to what I have named. I am only sorry that my poor brothers and sisters is where they are. Had I one of my brothers with me when I first landed we might been worth 5 0r 6 hundred £ by this time. You cant gold dig without a mate you cannot go on the roads with drays without one. The roads is so bad and to meet with an honest man here they are very thin sown. Drinking is the ruin of most men in the colony. Ale and Porter 1/- per glass. Spirits 1/6 the same measure as in England. There is some of the parties that landed with us done well. in fact man or woman that is steady here can save money in the course of ten or 12 years to keep him or herself comfortable for the remainder of their lives. My wife thinks nothing of making £2.10 a week. Now she has the offer of teaching the girls to sew at school three afternoons in the week she has £40 per year for that and other needlework she can get at home. Our own children is at the school. We have been 2 years without being within the walls of any place of worship till now we have got a church here now, a very good homely man for a clergyman, but believe me for wickedness and vice this crowns the globe. We all live in tension the diggings that you will know I should not think there is a man on the diggings but has a brace of pistols ready for action under his head every night. I have 3 dogs round our tent there is nothing in the shape of beast or body can get near the tent for them, any one was to lay me down £20 for the 3 I would not take it. Some time ago these two men on horseback stuck us up. My dog did his duty she got one of them to an out she made him ten thousand murders. I like a fool had not my pistol charged, perhaps just as well it was not for I should have fired as sure as I am writing this letter to you, anyone comes round your tent at night you are justifyable in shooting them, this was between 12 and 1 o'clock in the morning. I got up and opened the tent door and give my faithful old dog the word of command and got the axe for a weapon myself, I darted out from the side of the tent and got a slip at one of them with the axe, the next moment the dog made the other shout like a bull they did not know that I was up ready to receive them. The wife and children screaming the dogs barking. People came rushing from all quarters, believe me the fellow would not forget that blow I gave him for sometime. You know I am pretty sharp mettle when set on my pins. They were both armed with pistols but had not time to make use of them. We let them go quietly as there might be a party and some of them come at another time and call on us. I have this day made £10 worth of gold got it in two pieces one of them 1 oz and the other 1 oz - weights. A man on the diggings thinks he is not doing well if he does not make £10 per week but I am satisfied with £6. There has been men got five and six hundred pounds within a day or two, but that is not for everyone. The most I've ever got in 1 day was £6 worth and there was 5 of a party of us for it, some can not go long digging where they will, they will get gold, others will work hard and cannot hit it, know where it is all a lottery - a single man is the man for this colony. Would not persuade any man out here with a small family the getting here 16000 miles it is a long way this tossing about on the sea for four months. I have got mine with me, nearly all the children is dead that landed with us and olsd people as well. You would be surprised to know that there not 10 women out of every hundred but drinks and many of them dies from the effects of drinks and to see the way that they bury the corpse in this colony would make anyones heart ache just 2 sheets of bark and a blanket about them and tumble them into a hole, cover them up a coffin cost £10 [easy]. This is diggers burial. I will write again before long. Should this find you all well as I hope it will and Thomas should think of coming out to me I would recommend him to come by Government Emmigration ship as they are so much better taken care of in every respect, you save £20 or £25 by coming out by Government, We should have come out Govern had we knowen what we know now. If Thomas would get another young man to come out with him for company on the passage, it is not likely that they would both be sick together, and the one could do for the other when sick. Should you think of coming get yourself two good large bacon hams and herrings and potatoes. Those are things we were most in need of on the passage out. Do not bring any fine clothes out with you but working clothes and shoes, you cannot bring too many. Should you Thomas and your mate get here it should be the making of you both and me here before you and getting to know the colony. Write as soon as you get this and let me know how things is going on with. Should you come must advertise for us in the newspaper the Argos Newspaper. Mind should you come take every man to be a rogue and your enemy till you find him out to be an honest man.

Heathcote
24 December
1878

Dear Grandmother,
You cannot imagine how glad we all were to receive a letter from you and hope the shock of our Dear Father's death has not been to much for you. We are very sorry to hear of Aunt Eleanor's late bereavement, mind and tell us next time you write if either her or Aunt Dorothy has got any children, if they have we would very much like if some of them would write to us. My eldest sister Annie's husband went home to Scotland about the end of April 1878 and returned on the 7th December he spent a very merry time in Scotland with his mother and all his relatives. Annie's husband's name is Christie he is a partner with two others in the largest firm in Heathcote they have 7 children alive and one dead the eldest is 10 and the youngest is 3 weeks old. My second sister Lizzie is married to a W. Hamilton he keeps the No. 2 Branch of the same store that Annie's husband has, so that we are all in the same township. Lizzie has 3 children alive and two dead the eldest is 14 years and the youngest is 8 months.
My sister Nelly that is at home with us has very bad health there is hardly aday that she is well, but my brother George and myself have very good health.
We send you a Post Office Order for £2.10 and hope next time to be able to send more but expenses have been so heavy lately that we cannot afford any more and hope Dear Grandmother that you will be pleased to receive the small amount. I send you the portrait of our shop with my brother and I under the verandah, also the one of our grave yard it has not got Father's name on the tomb stone yet. I suppose you have one of Dear Father's portraits.
It is now a little before Christmas and people all seem to be busy it is very dry and hot here we have not had any rain here for about 4 weeks and every thing is very dry and the dust is some thing dreadful. Are things very dear in England just now we get choice beef at 5 pence and mutton at 3 and 1/2 per pound, butter 7 pence a pound eggs 10 pence a dozen bread 4 pence the 4 lb loaf. I have told you all I can think of at present so conclude with love from all my sisters, brother and myself to our Aunts and Uncles and accept the same Dear Grandmother.

From your
Affectionate Grand-daughter
Esther Ferguson