Part 01: G. W. Rusden letters, 1846-1900

do under the circumstances.

I shall return from Sydney without delay, very much disheartened and grieved for you all.

Sir James Martin with whom I am travelling wishes me to send you all his sincere condolences.

Yours very sincerely

[signed] G W Rusden

[top right, purple postage stamp, with profile image of Queen Victoria] VICTORIA TWO PENCE [frank-stamped in black] VICTORIA

[round postmark stamp, right of centre] MELBOURNE ST AP 13 80

Capⁿ A. Onslow, RN. Camden Park Menangle New South Wales

[back of envelope, 3 Australian franking stamps]

[upside-down round stamp, centred, at top] [...] AP. 5 18 N.S.W.

[upside-down oval stamp, right of centre] TRAVELLING POST SOUTH [...] AP 15 [...]

[sideways round stamp, in centre at bottom] MENANGLE AP 6 [1880?] N. S. W.

[top right] 12^th April 1880

Dear Onslow

Many thanks for yours of 23 ult. I return M^r Geekie's letter. I have now seen the Australian. M^r Garner has the numbers. I knew that M^r Geekie must have been extracting from the Piper M.S.S. His letters contained intrinsic proof of the fact.

I can glean one or two useful heads here & there to fit into my work. But I have been so busy that I have not yet fitted in anything from the letters you kindly sent me. Having gummed them into a book I keep them for some evening's amusement when I may be less beset (if ever) with letters than now. I have lately had to write reams of paper about other people's business, and not only my nights but sometimes part of my days are distracted from my own occupation.

I fear that - if I live to publish — your M^r Bligh of Liverpool will have more than he will know how to do to disencumber the Admiral's character

of the load which his bad deeds have piled upon it.

You will be glad to hear that the other night one of our intelligent men here (Panton) who was Gold Commissioner in the early days and is now P.A. came to hear how I had dealt with the Gold Discovery and was extremely pleased. He wondered how I could have found out some things that I seemed to know: and said I had made it very interesting. He did not go to sleep while I read, which was something, inasmuch as there could be but little with which he was unacquainted, although he had never seen the facts put consistently together before, so as to trace various effects to their causes.

I see what Parkes is at. All these fellows are like gamblers who when they dont [sic] win want to smash the tables. He has always been opposed to a nominee house