J. Jones to Frank.

Dear old Man,—Here I am, stuck up in this beastly dirty hole. I kept to the old tub as long as I could and then I went home. My governor was not so bad after all as I expected and said he forgave me and all page 65that but I couldn't stand King's Square and the infernal dinner parties. I got rather tight at one and the next day the governor said he thought I had better get a ship and that he knew some of the big owners in the city and would speak to one of them. So I've come on a coaster as third mate and am reading like old Harry to pass for second but it's beastly difficult. What do you say when I get back to going out again to Van Diemen's Land? its much jollier than this old hole. My governor would give me something to take a small place there. I had a letter from Polly the other day she says she's been awfully good and wants me to go back. There will be a ship going to New Zealand in about two months which will put in at Launceston we could easily manage to get out in that Are you game? I am. Write soon care of Weaber Jones & Blogg, Throgmorton St London. The women are awfully ugly here and call the beastly place Ool.