17 November 1896, Port Adelaide Tuesday 7 a.m.
My Dearest Wifie
We have just arrived here per Gabo and leave again this afternoon at 4 p.m. so we have been little time for this part the city of Adelaide or churches as it is often called by irreverent persons. It is situated 7 miles from here and to get there one has to take a train which runs up in half an hour. I am going up as soon as possible after breakfast to do business. I expect to see F E Beafort here and his wife but I may not. When just leaving Melbourne I met Tom Smith, formerly of Charters Towers, and a friend of Louis Miller and others about the “Two fevers” We have a great number of passengers on board, about 300,, and the bulk of them have had an awful time with sickness. I picked one married woman up yesterday out of the lee scuppers where she had fainted through continuous illness and she kept up a succession of fainting fits all day. Of course yours truly has not as yet lost a meal and on my word I am getting hungrier every time.
Adelaide 1909
The weather has been as it is now, positively cold, it rained in Rockhampton, Brisbane, Sydney and again in Melbourne and now again here. I was foolish enough to get a real good Turkish bath in Melbourne and got cold after it and ache all over head and chest & back. The cough tears me into little bits. I am going to see a doctor today but little wife, its nothing for you to make any fuss about you know. I expected my sweetheart that I would get a wire from you here but I expect no news is good news at any rate and will accept it as such. We are in doubt as to whether this steamer will stop at Albany where I am booked, and which will take one week sailing from here, or whether they will land me at Fremantle which takes ten days from here. I must send you a map my dear and then you can follow out my movements. I am likely to have some trouble with my big box containing the theodolite etc as it is coming after me to Albany. Although now in Melbourne, its only three days behind me will not leave there before the 30th instant. I expect that I will have to borrow or hire or steal an instrument to make observations for any reports etc.
The ship ‘Gabo’
My dearest love I am never going to consent under any circumstances to a separation again. I am getting too old and we have been too long together and life is to short for it. I sorely miss you Anne and the babies. Give me plenty of news when you write to me but above all things my sweetheart keep cheerful and everything will be alright. Inside of that terrible six months we will be together again for the better. Another thing my dearest you will very probably hear many stories about me from my particular friends.
Your loving husband D Missingham
Moya Sharp
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