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Jacob Scheef - Letters to Home - 22 June 1885

My husband's family are very fortunate as his great grandfather travelled back to Germany from Armidale, NSW from May to September 1885. While visiting family he sent many letters back to Australia and kept a diary of his time overseas. I'll post his letters on the day they were written. These letters can be seen at the University of New England (UNE) Archive in Armidale, NSW, Australia. Biographical Entry


John Elder
Port Said
the 22 June 1885
Dear Wife
As I thought to get this letter away yesterday and so concluded it I was disappointed as we only left Ismalia about 2 o’clock on Sunday and we were the sixth vessel in going so we did not get very far when the vessel in front of us ran on sand and so we had to stop till it got off again which was more than 1 hour consequently we did only go about 10 miles on Sunday today we will be in Port Said if we have luck as we can only go very slowly about 4 miles an hour We haven’t seen and passed the spot where the accident was which was the consequence of our delay of 6 days, There are various rumours about me getting to Naples through the loss of time we had the ship they say is not going to call there they are going to take me to London and then send me from there to Naples but I don’t believe anything of the kind however if it should be the case I will let you know the land is improving fast now as there is a good deal of vegetation here and the immense lot of salt that is laying here you can have no idea of it looks the same as if there were a heavy fall of snow lying on the land you see nothing but salt as far as the eye can see miles and miles I only wish we had 1/2 an acre of it in Puddledock.
I am always in good heart when the ship is going however slowly. For the present I say goodbye and hope you keep yourself well.
Yours truly and affectionate
Husband Jacob F Scheef

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