I received such an enthusiastic response to the last letter that I thought you could manage another. Sadly there are few remaining. I had three great aunts, daughters of Archie McKinlay who went through all the old correspondence and removed anything that either contained profanities or did not fit the image that they wanted their father to be remembered by. Very sad but they were raised in a somewhat different era. Once again the bits in brackets are inclusions I have made. Bendigo Diggins 20/3/1854 Dear Parents, This being a wet day and mail going to leave for England next week, I embrace this opportunity of letting you know my whereabouts in this great south land. You will observe that I am at a different diggins from when I wrote you last, David Prentice [ probably the son of Archibald and Jane] and I left McLoon[ location unknown] and went to town. That is Melbourne where I met James [brother], he having came down along with H Millen and James McLie a fortnight previous. D Prentice has taken a situation but I intend to give the diggins a trial again so James and I is here working together. We have been a week at work since coming up and have only made £8 worth of gold, this I call very poor work but since the rain has set in we expect to make it better. James made £6 per week all the time he was up here last time. I can’t say that I have averaged that though I have no reason to complain. I have always enjoyed good health and never felt the want of money ever since I came to this country. No doubt you will here of great distress etc. etc. experienced by parties in this colony but I think it’s altogether their own folly or lazy to work. No person in this colony need want as long as they have health and will work for they are well paid for every description of work. A common workman on roads is paid 14/- per day. I could have got a situation in the town at my own business[ he had been a draper] £180 a year and board but I did not like to take it and leave it in three months or so for the diggins. I intend the diggins another season trial and if not successful to give them up altogether and take up a situation or do something between James and I on a small scale on our own account, but what that will be don’t know yet as there is many things in this country that a person can turn to and make a little money. If James had taken out the ‘Union’ or a vessel of her size (as smaller crafts than the Union has come here from home) he would have made a fortune in a very short time. James is quite well and has been so all along since coming to this country. Robert Nicol [ a cousins husband] has not been so well at all since coming here. James and I were advising him to go home as this climate does not do for him, it’s the same disease as he had at home. He has taken a situation on wharfe at Melbourne as landing clerk at £5 per week, it’s very light work. Hugh Miller is working at his trade. James McFie is driving a horse and dray. Coopers in Melbourne just now, I don’t know what he is gowing to do. I suppose take a situation or try the diggins - John Lokie, Ebenyz McKirdy, Areby Brown Richard Ferguson and a great many Rothesay folks. I saw Charles McDonald in Town, he was working among the shipping. He was quite well. I saw my two cousins John and Robert.[Stewart] John has a situation at his own business in town and Robert has come into Melbourne 2 days before I left for hear. He has been for the last four months in the bush sawing at days wages but he intended along with another party to try it on their own account, it’ s a first rate paying trade. No doubt you will be thinking it strange to turn a sawer. It’s a daily occurrence here. You will meet with all kinds of professional men at manual labour of all sorts. The last letter I had was from mother of date13th August but I expect that there will be some in town by last mail which Robert Nicol is to forward here if any – all the pleasure I have in this country is getting a letter from home letting me know how you are all keeping and…….(letter ends.)