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place but the people all seem filled with the idea of separation. They contend that not sufficient
money is spent on their town and that all the northern district is anxious for separation
and that Townsville should be the capital. Argued the matter with Mr [indecipherable] but
of course the people hereabout see it from their point of view, that is increased prosperity of the town.
The principal street is Flinders Street just about a mile and a half long and in which there are
most of the merchant stores, the telegraph office and the railway station.
Railway goes to Charters Towers about ninety miles from Townsville.
Some of the party got sugar canes of about eight feet in length and
brought them on board. There are several Chinamen living in Townsville,
most of the boarding houses for working men seem to be
occupied by Chinese and to be well patronised. Sent off letters to Mrs
Pentecost and to Hugh which I suppose they will get in about a week.
Land seems to have risen considerably in value in Townsville within a
very short time for I am told that about three or four years ago the town's trustees
sold what land they possessed here for 25 thousand pounds and gave
easy terms of payment and that the same land is now worth about 250
thousand pounds and can hardly be got for that so that some who
bought three years ago and have not even yet paid for any land are
making a thousand percent on their money.

We had a good walk about the town and the exercise will indeed