Maitland Camp
South Africa
30-12-1900
My Dear Mother
I think all my good times have come to an end for a while. I am on duty today, for the first time; it is a bit different to being banqueted and feted in England. There is about a dozen Queenslanders here and we expect to go to the front any day. From what I hear they are all heartily sick of it and would be very glad to get home, but they will not let us. Chamberlain wants the Australian regiments brought up to their original strength, that would mean more being sent out. From the present outlook I might have been half way home now, but I must not despair, but oh what a great longing I have to see you again. I have to lay on the boards here a bit different to English feather beds, but again better than the open veldt especially in the wet season as I know from past experience. I expect all you people in Australia will be getting weary of hearing about the war. Isnít De Wet a slippery customer, I wish he was caught and we could get away.
I have stored a box with photos and presents for you all at Mc Kenzier Store Capetown, if anything happens to me you should write to the Officer Commanding, the Australian depot at Maitland with particulars. As well as Brisbane. There are a lot of things in it you would value very much. I have to pay 2/6 a month for it being stored I am very anxious about it. There is a little parcel in it for Charlie Mowthorpe I did not get a chance or I would have posted it, it is from his mother. I am afraid it will be a long time before I get a letter from you as they will go to England first and it will be some time before you know where I am. Would you send a Rockhampton paper to Mr Young, Head Keeper, at Londesborough as he asked me to? I thought you would like this paper with the ship I came from England in, we had a first class voyage and she was a very comfortable boat. We had cricket and quoits and many other games on board. I saw Mr Veitch the old tea man at Londesborough he was talking about you. Oh it was grand to see old England again and everyone was so good, thereís nothing like it after all. But it was very nasty weather the last few weeks; it is very windy here it nearly always is at Capetown.
Give my love to everybody; remember me very kindly to Mrs & Miss Meth and Mrs & Miss Watsonís. I wrote a letter to Bill Beal, I never received any from him or Martha Harvey. I have not had one from Edie for a while.
A lot expect a letter from me both in Australia and England. I canít forget poor Hugh Mc Lean. Give my best love to Ernie, Maud, Art and Clara and give my little niece a lot of kisses from me. I am glad they are all doing nicely, am sorry Ernie and Harvey do not agree but what can you expect when he could not agree with his own son.
I hope the drought has broken up without a flood, what a fine water hole that must be that they have made. I should think that we shall never be without water again but father never said what he had put to keep it from caving in. I havenít had a letter from Charlie or Cecil have they forgotten me already.
I will close now with best love from Ted
xxxxxxxxxxx For Laura
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Maitland Camp
South Africa
This will find me if I donít get away home
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