Brisbane, Saturday afternoon, June 11th, 2:20 o’clock. Mr. Ferguson came at 3 yesterday afternoon to the hotel in his buggy, & has a fine pony. We drove about the city & suburbs till 5:30. After dinner, I went to spend awhile with them by appointment & left at 10:30. He there arranged to come for me at 10:30 this morning to drive me about. This he did, & enjoyed the forenoon till 12:30. We visited the Parliament Houses. He had previously obtained a permit & we were shewn through the House. Then we went to the museum & viewed it. It contains much that’s interesting, antiquities of the Aborigines &c. &c., and samples of minerals & produce of this colony, & many paintings of settlements & cattle stations, as they are called. The Parliament Buildings are very massive & fine stone work, but the interior not too pretentious.
[4:39]
Brisbane is a fine city & some fine architecture, the best tram system I’ve yet seen, electric & lighted at night very brilliantly, & go a great speed, up to 12 miles an hour. The government own them & work them also. Fine river & navigable up to the city. The shops are quite English & the goods too. In grocers’ you would fancy you were looking into an English shop. Same goods imported, but subject to import tax, which makes all dearer than at home. Freight too is an item. I’ve bought some views of the city, & will post there from Sydney next mail.
This being Saturday, country folks come in, & it just reminds me of a home Saturday at Berwick, seeing the carts coming in, real old style too, grooming & conveyances don’t seem to get much attention.
Now I will close & get this posted off, & I hope when it reaches you it will find you all very happy.
- min.
Brisbane time is 10 12 before you
Sydney “ “ 10 5 “ “
Melbourne “ “ 9 40 “ “
Adelaide “ “ 9 0 “ “
New Zealand I haven’t got yet.
The principal shops close here on Saturday at 1 o’clock.
Ta Ta & kisses for my darling Comely, & see he gets them.
[4:40]