FL14425170

Parramatta. Sept. 6th. 1799 N.S.W
37
Dear Madam,
It is with pleasure I take up my pen to inform you
I received your kind letter dated September. 27th 1798 by the Hills-
borough July 99. & also your valuable presents. Accept dear Madam
my most grateful acknowledgements for your kind remembrance of me -
not only for these being so acceptable in this dear colony as for this pleasing
idea of being still held in remembrance by so kind a friend. I regret
much the loss of your [indecipherable] by the Lady Shore, if what Mr. Marsden
had in her had come safe, it would have made us very comfortable
as at that time we were without many of those comforts of life, such
as tea, sugar, wines, spirits, etc: it was very laughable to [indecipherable]
down to formally to [indecipherable], or wheat. coffee; sometimes without
sugar: since thats we have been supplied from India, which
at that time we had been deprived of by the loss of the Sydney
Cove. The Lady Shore was a loss to many individuals. - I am
happy to hear of the welfare of Mr. Edward. I am sure he would
make a handsome [indecipherable]: may he prove in goodness a second
Colonel Gardiner, as he like him has the prayers as well as ex-
amples of so amiable a mother: when you write to him will
you give my kind respects to him, & I shall always be [indecipherable]
happy to hear of his being successful. - the parting with him must
have been a severe trial to yours. I [indecipherable]
for you, as I was [indecipherable] experiencing the loss of my dear [indecipherable], as
we were going to [indecipherable] house with a Mr. & Mrs. Cover, one of the
Missionaries that went to Tahiti & came to this Colony. Their
intention was to return to England; if they had, it would have
been a good opportunity to have sent him. Mrs. C is a kind good
woman, they have no children: they buried a boy of 14 [indecipherable] as
they left Spithead. I own it would have been a severe trial to
[indecipherable] with [indecipherable], but the manner of the people are so corrupt & we
cannot get proper servants about us, & there being not one good