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The reason I threw up the survey job was because I had saved up sufficient to give me a start on the fields and good accounts as to rain and feed being to hand, thought it best to go up at once. I have spent 7 months prospecting and it has cost me all out over £10 per month. The country is so hard that dynamite has to be used besides you must have a portable forge to point your tools, shoe your horses etc. I got into the knack of blacksmithing immediately and was smith to the camp as I am here. 
Well, my money being nearly exhausted I thought it best to take a job till I can save up a bit more. So here I am saving £3 a week (getting £4). The price of things has come down so much that I can live on £1 or nearly so a week. Water, of course, is thrown in. I rank as a practical miner now and am getting the highest wages, £3 10s. 0d. being the lowest  
Re Lewis: I have given this, as you say, my best consideration, which means about 40 pipes of tobacco and the following: 
At present I can do nothing but if I was down South I feel sure I could get him apprenticed, as it were, to a station. I am nearly certain of this as the owner is a friend. He would be treated as one of the family but would have to work for 6 months for nothing but his board in lieu of a premium not being paid. After that he might get 30s. 0d. a month or even a bit better and so on up to £4 a month but after he had the new chumminess knocked out of him I would take him with me if he were so disposed and we could knock around and battle together. 
There is no mistake the gold fields are the place to make money and spend it too. As for the Wrights you have no idea how poor they are and altogether without influence. They could do nothing for Lewis and I wouldn't ask them. I consider myself as being in their debt now morally speaking and mean to pay it off too when I strike it rich. 
By jove, old man, I killed a big snake under my bunk last night. He skeared 6 months growth out of me. 
I would advise Lewis to work at different things that would be use out here. Let him learn to milk. That is the first question he would be asked on a West Australian station and he can learn at Clogher.  Next let him learn to ride and saddle and groom his own nag etc. also to plough. If possible he might rub up his figures a bit and book-keeping also as he would have to keep the station books (a simple matter). I can only repeat I can do nothing up here. Wait a while and if he learns the above he can command wages as soon as he lands.