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West Maitland March 17th. 61 
My Dear Father 
I received your welcomed letter by the last English mail which gave us great pleasure to hear from you, Stepmother Brothers & Sisters being in good Health. Likewise I am very glad to hear that Martin Neylon wife & family are enjoying good Health not forgeting my uncles & Aunts and all the old neighbors hoping they will be as happy as I wish them to be. 
At the Same time when writing this we are all in a perfect state of health thanks be to God. 
I am to inform you that we had a very hot Summer the last, it is over very near. In a nother months time it will be geting cold. Morning & noons for the last six months we had it very hot. I got a letter from Michl. Carrigg of late. Both him & family are all well & doing remarkably well. Mary Carrigg is a big girl growing very tall her mother tells me. She is assistant Teacher along with a respectable Lady in Brisbane. They had a very hot Summer of it. Some people got sun struck there last summer. Morten Bay is Hotter in summer time then where we are. It lays to the North a good way. I got a letter From T. Doolan the very day I wrote this. Both him and Sister are in good health and I think they are doing very well.
Buisness is geting very dull of late. There is no Public works carried one here of anny conciquence to take away a large Boddy of the working Class from the Towns. There is a small pice of railroad making that is crowded with people who is badly need of a Jobb. There is plenty money in this part of the Colloney, but these men that has it they wont leave it out in improving their lands or placces. There is Hundreds of them Storeing it up to go home to the Mother Country - and at the other hand our Governer & Legislature is not very willing to to Spend much money in improving our towns Streets or anny other place which Should be done by Goverment Money. In wet weather the most Part of our Streets are not Passible by man or beast. There is large water holes and Mud Holes large enough to Swallow a whole house. There is one Street which is the main Street in this Town that is more than a mile long, and when there is wet weather you should want a pair of boots to go above your knees to go through the mud & water in this Place, and that is considered to be a very fine street by the natives. 
My dear Father I must turn over to some thing more Important than what I have been speaking off. I am living in the one place and in the one work as I have been this long time Back. My work is not so heavy as I youst have one time. I can call on one or two men when I want them for Loading drays & &. My constant work is Packing