to Mrs. George Aitken (Damaris Westaway)
Liverpool, England
Dec. 4, 1882
Dear Sister,
We arrived on the 2nd from
Holyhead (Wales) where we put into in a gale of wind for a harour
of safe refuge.
I am quite well and hope you are the same. We are safely moored
in dick and busy discharging the cargo
which shall be out on a few days. I can not say what we shall
do but I think we shall go to Cuba, W.I. I had
a letter from Katie, she told he that the 'Liverpool' was sold.
The 'J.W.' is in Queenstown (Cork, Ireland) in a
damaged condition so I hear. I have written to Capt. Currie.
We had a very good time across the Atlantic, but
a bad time in the St. George's Channel, but I got along all safe.
I have written several letters home and
telegraphed from Holyhead.
I suppose you have heard
of us often. There is mail due in a day or two so I expect a letter
in it. I have
no news to write, shall write you again before long. Please remember
me to all in the house without deviation
or variation in leeway.
From Your Loving Brother,
Jack
Plymouth
Dear Sister,
As I am once more safely
in port I consider it my duty to address you a few lines to let you know
we are
all well. Hoping this will find you the same. I had a letter
from Kate, she told me that John Aitken was not
well but I hope that he is quite well again and enjoying health - one
of God's best gifts to us poor human
creatures.
We arrived here on the 5th
inst. from Cuba, had a good passage, was about 12 days discharging
the cargo all in good order, and now we are about loaded for St. John's
NFLD and sail in a day or two.
We are loaded chiefly with flour. I expect that we shall go home
from NFLD and go into the deal
trade again for the summer. I only had one letter from Kate and
one from McD & W. Am expecting
a letter daily.
The 'Alaska' Capt. young
is here - they are all well. Capt. Tom McLure is here also, their
head-
quarters are at the 'Plymouth'. Some of them keep me up 'till
one or two o'clock every night. George is
just as (?) as ever but McLure is a sensible old block just like your
brother Jack. Old Mack has went
to the devil. I had a notion to drive him on shore here but I
shall suffer him 'till I get home and then
I shall part he has to be a nuisance. George Wolf has gotten
to be a first class cook. I tell him he is
no good but when I went aboard the 'Alaska' and seen old Jim Murphy
I consider we live in a hotel
on the 'Plymouth' and so we do. Good-bye with Love.
Your Brother,
Jack
Dear Sister,51 South John Street
Liverpool
July 5th 1883
I had your kind letter yesterday.
Was glad to hear from you and to know you were all O.K.
I will not promise you that I will bring Mrs. Baine's dishes as I got
your letter too late and may not have
enough money left. I have bought a dinner set for Mrs. B. Aitken
- 66 pieces, they cost one pound/2 and
sixpence and I hope they will suit her. If she takes them I am
going to bone her for a dinner. I have got
pictures taken in Liverpool and they are first class. I would
send you one but if Maggie is going to have
it in her album with her sweet-heart (Bill Reynolds) I shall keep they
myself. We expect to sail today but
it is blowing a fresh breeze of head wind so I can not say if we shall.
We have had a lot of N.W. wind
here of late so I trust we soon shall have a change. I have no
fun to write and no time to write a long
letter. Hoping you are all well as can be. With kind love
and respect to all at home.
I remain your brother,
Jack
Since I wrote you I have bought the dishes for Mrs. Baine about what I thought she would want, white with blue rings on them, cost 1'/2'2. L. J. Westaway