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The Flinders papersletters and documents about the explorer Matthew Flinders (1774-1814)
 
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Loose pages from Flinders' private letterbook (3 of 6). To Christopher Smith 1800. (FLI04) Page 2


doing such generous things. I shall have occasion to mention this
brother Paddy again: I wish you knew him!
    I think you will believe me when I say, that although the
things you have sent me, were those that I was most in want of
yet would I rather have received a ^ long letter from you, telling me of
your situation and prospects, than the whole of them. Why my
good friend, did you not write a letter, accompanying yours to
Mr Campbell, he could at least as easily have sent that as
what I have now received.
    I am much in hopes, that a letter which I wrote to you
in April last by Mr Ferguƒson of the Rebecca, is received before
this. It was a long letter, and would explain to you my ideas
and prospects, ^ wishes principally relative to the country trade in In-
-dia. I requested an answer to be directed to me at the Cape,
and a duplicate of it to be sent to England should it be
very material. I now hope that the latter has taken place, for
the time of our sailing for England has now been so long pro-
-tracted, that we cannot go into Table Bay; and therefore St
Helena
is the place we touch at for water. From thence how-
-ever, I shall write to the Cape, begging to have all letters for
me sent on to England. The main purport of my letter to you
was to ask you how far I might ^ benifit myself by entring [sic] into the
Country service, and to beg of you to gain information upon that lead
for me. But in addition to that letter, I ought now to inform you,
partly that you may not think yourself the only decent good Irishman in the world
that a gentleman, who is no other than the brother Paddy be-
-fore mentioned, has, upon certain ^ very liberal conditions, given me the com-
-mand of a sum of money upon our arrival in England, which
will enable me to enter upon certain speculations and give me
the command of a ship. Should not my own service present some-
-thing more desireable [sic], this is to be my future plan, of which,
if your letter in England informs me where to direct, I shall
write you more particularly if ^ on its taking place; nevertheleƒs,
your information relative to the Country service will be very


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Related people
Smith, Christopher
Campbell, Robert
Flinders, Matthew
Wiles, James

Places
Calcutta
Cape of Good Hope
St Helena

Vessels
Reliance

Related Documents
Other documents written by Flinders, Matthew

Other documents received by Smith, Christopher

Other documents written in 1800