Sydney, Wednesday morning, July 20/98.

Yesterday morning I took tram at Lewisham station for Auburn (on the Paramatta line) with the object of viewing, if permissible, the Sydney Meat Preserving Coy’s works there. Auburn is a little beyond the great cattle market of Flemington, a small township, & the works about 15 minutes sharp walking from the station. On presenting my card, the manager, Mr. Gee, unfortunately was not present. I had no acquaintance with or introduction to him, & I was told by the clerk in charge that it was usual to have permission from either the manager or one of the directors, however, after a word of explanation, & that I had come up expressly to see them, he very courteously & kindly granted permission, & fetched the works manager, who shewed me all that was interesting, & indeed there was much that I should never have known had I missed my opportunity of viewing. It’s a wonderful place & its magnitude must be seen to understand: mountains of canned meat & still greater mountains of cans ready for filling, but the sight to me was the preparing these cans, no end of machinery, & all American, for doing, the most unthought of (to me) things. Indeed, I was going to say, they will soon make machines to think & say what they think. The phonograph is everywhere here. You see it in shops (3 in the slot business). Well, packing was going on for export, & busy they were. It so happens that at this period of the year, & at this time, sheep are what they call dear, & they had not bought any for a few days, so I did not see the preparing, but every operation was clearly explained & the method shewn me so that I got every idea how the system is carried on even to the butchering.[1] For some weeks in succession recently they have butchered 40,000 sheep & 300 cattle, & the largest number of [5:75] of [sic] sheep killed in one week was 43,000. They watch their opportunity at market & buy accordingly, & they have space for endless flocks. Butchers get 1 ¼ for dressing a sheep. He has a boy to assist him, & the two can earn 22/- per day. They are not dressed so precisely as if they were for the butcher’s shop, tho’ there’s a style which has to be observed & care not to cut or injure the skins, which is the most value of the animal. Nothing whatever is wasted, but utilised in some way. Enormous quantities of tallow is produced & all ½ ton casks. I was pleased I had seen such an industry. They keep some “pet” sheep who decoy or lead the way up to the place of slaughter, & their wonderful training is surprising & amusing too. I wondered what these were, loitering about with full liberty. One of them was pointed out as being now superannuated[2] & just living a life of leisure. They won’t kill it.

Mr. Gee, it appears, was in McCall’s, London, during his early life, & I felt sorry I did not meet him as we surely would know some of McCall’s representatives & thereby have brought us into closer touch, however, I left a message. Willie can tell Mr. Petty that I have been through the SMP Coy’s works at Auburn.

I got back to the city at 1:08, went to post office & posted my letter & one spool, had dinner, went to Cook’s, which is in Hunter St., not far from post office, & got all arranged for my sailing. Then I took tram for Waverley & paid just a short visit to the Goldsworthys, & back again to city by 4:30, but before I went to Waverley, I called to wish goodbye to Mr. McLean, & we had a chat for about 20 minutes. After 4:30 I had a refreshing tea & wash, for it had been a warm day. The time quickly passed (continued) [5:76] & as Mr. Whitfield was to meet Willie Stoddart at the 6:20 train, I made my way there too, & we all met & travelled to Lewisham together, & spent a very happy & bright night, till 9:30 when Willie had to move, having a long journey home by tram to Circular Quay, 1 hour thence by steamer to Balmain, which he would reach in [an]other 15 or 20 minutes. He is used to getting home late as it happens at times. They work 2 nights late at the store & until 10 o’clock. I’ve got a good map plan of Sydney & marked on it where all whom I’ve come in contact with & visited live. This I hope to shew you & their friends. Now I wish to make preparation for moving. I engaged a cab for 12 o’clock. It’s a long journey to the wharf, about an hour. The weather looks very fine & the sun shining brightly. It is now 8 o’clock & I will finish writing for the present, hoping to chronicle some jottings during my passage to Auckland.

[1] Inserted on facing page: “Decoy sheep, called Judas Iscariot”.

[2] Retired