Browse the archives

XM/6774/22

LETTER: Percy ? Huder per Moana to Captain Hughes enclosing copies of letters addressed by himself and the firm to Mrs. Hughes. The sender thanks the recipient for the letter from Vavau and reports that the family were delighted with the postcards and shells, which arrived safely. The sender was pleased that Captain Hughes had found friends at Vavau and was hoping to get away on 10 October with a full cargo. Captain Hughes’ experience of island life had not been unpleasant and time must have hung heavily on him in Aukland. Captain Hughes’ old ship had made a good passage down and the Castle had arrived at San Francisco after 57 days so the sender was expecting Captain Hughes to have a good trip. Captain Hughes would have been surprised to hear that the great war was over. The sender hopes that Captain Hughes will get a ship easily despite this. There were many questions to be settled, the sender hoped that the men in the Mercantile Marine would not be overlooked. The sender asks whether England would ever repair her position in the shipping world but fears that it will not be possible. The sender hopes that the Britisher ’is still full of go’. Britain has never ’squeaked’ despite all the trials. After all the trouble the recipient took over the gales he would be sorry to hear that they had sold their house. They would have welcomed his assistance in moving. The new place was full of workmen. Auckland had had a bad influenza epidemic and so business was at a standstill. There had been nearly 2000 deaths in the dominion. Two ships had been at the wharf for nearly 3 weeks, almost all the coastal boats and the Northern Cos.’, boats were held up. Things were beginning to improve. He discusses Danible’s will, stating that it would be hard to get the money from the Government and the Savings Bank and to trace Mc Donald and Jones. The sender could not find the boys’ indentures, which the recipient must have given to Boyd and Hutchinson when they sailed from there. Everything was much the same at the old firm, which had only been slightly disturbed by the war. The sender had only seen Captains Heming and Attwood once since the recipient left. Mrs. Butler, although far from well, had been nursing at an Auxiliary Hospital and what with sickness, moving and getting the new place in order had not had time to write to Mrs. Hughes, ’women do seem to run themselves to a standstill somehow, I suppose they go at it too hard’. Queen was quite well but Dot was in and out of bed. The school was closed for 3 weeks and it was doubtful when it would reopen, so she was earning her money easily. Mails overseas had been ";knocked to pieces"; lately so he did not know when it would arrive.