The Ultimate Transcription Challenge

[Sue Mackay]

... or how to go completely cross-eyed in three pages

Having got as far as I can with this one I can no longer see to read whether what I have transcribed makes sense, so am issuing a challenge to see if anyone can fill in the gaps.

It is a six page letter, but he has crossed it and thus reduced it to three. This was usually done to save money as people had to pay to receive letters by the sheet. I can only be thankful that amongst the thousands of letters to the Colonial Government I have transcribed only two were crossed. Presumably the Government didn't need to pay!

Below I will post the letter page by page, followed by the transcription as far as I can make it out.

[Sue Mackay]

My dear Brother,
I send enclosed a certificate from the new Landrost of George Town and here you will find a duplicate enclosed. The excuse of not sending it sooner by Colonel BIRDs letter will [be] the best apology I can offer. Upon receipt of yours advising me of the people coming out I instantly applied to Colonel BIRD to give me a free passage, people and traps, which would have been granted had the ??? not been in existence (which is now closed) I had saved a good deal of cash but the government vessels were all loaded with stores for the Frontier to supply the Army.
I shall give you Colonel BIRD’s letter (true copy): Grahamstown 18th Oct 1819, Sir, In reply to your letter of the 16th Sept which has followed me to this place I have to say that upon your transmitting to me a certificate from the Landrost of your District of the number of persons located upon your farm I will communicate the same in proper form to the Secretary of State’s Office in order that the money deposited there by your brother may be released. I am Sir your very humble servant
(Signed) C. BIRD
PS perhaps you may meet me at George Town on the subject in a fortnight
My dear Brother,
As you will see by the above that I am not losing sight of what I have a probability of saving. Colonel BIRD and those letters came to George Town on the same day - so much for the post in the interior. I accompanied Colonel BIRD as far as Mossel Bay and he paid every attention and enquired most particularly how I was getting on. I told him what ?uphill business? I had & as George Town and ??????????? had been biased against me. It was indeed to such a length that I was under the necessity of challenging the Deputy Landdrost and as he would not meet me I painted him as a coward and necessity obliged me to take his ?? and had I not charged ???? before the Circuit of Commissioners and my defence from the claims in such a clear light that this has not taken a feather out of my cap. I had a full explanation upon this subject with Colonel BIRD and he was (by what means) completely informed upon the subject and assured me that ?? Landdrost would keep the papers in George in proper order and that I might depend on peace and quietness for the future.
Colonel BIRD is a most sterling man and upon every occasion has behaved in a friendly manner ??
I have got a letter from my friend HARRINGTON on this subject wherein he says “right or wrong” I must submit as Government will support their own servants and HARRINGTON is one wrong and when you see him tell him so as Colonel BIRD acknowledged to him that the acting ?landdrost? had not done his duty. He openly refused to act for the purpose of ??? my funds. I now tell you candidly William that necessity was the cause of it and I do assure you that you will not hear of any thing of the kind happening again ???? unless such a such a conspiracy was against that plan, which is not likely as we have got a very clever gentleman as Landdrost. The simple man is the beggar for that and I do assure you that it takes every eye to be on the lookout here.
The excuse of my silence since the arrival of the people here (who are all contented) was sickness. I have been in very bad health for six weeks back that I could not put pen to paper to say I’m taken with the ague. I shook from head to foot with violent perspiration which reduced me so much that I am at the moment only twelve and a half stone weight and on my arrival in this colony I was sixteen stone. [Line obscured in fold] would not allow me to be a friend and by taking laxatives added ?? altho ?? I am now in great good health and spirits but as lean as a craw.
On Sunday first I shall answer your long ??? but I think it will take a quire of paper to do so, however I shall give you two or three sheets of the paper that this country affords. I pray my dear children are in good health and with my best respects to Mrs. TAIT
I remain my dear brother
Your most faithful brother
Peter TAIT

PS Colonel BIRD said that the enclosed certificate was perfectly sufficient and it was not necessary for him to write on the subject

[Sue Mackay]

Have just remembered the pages don't go in a logical order either, so I have pasted the whole transcription above.

Here is the second page

[Sue Mackay]

[Thomasin]

Are you sure it's Harrington? I read it as Warrington.

... for the purpose of ?defeating? my funds. Looks like 'deg..ting'.

[David Tuson]

Hi Sue
What you've transcribed is absolutely amazing - I struggle to transcribe old letters when they are not crossed.
Having said that, I've printed everything and am using the originals and your transcription as a learning guide.
David

[Mutley]

On Sunday first I shall answer your long ??? but I think it will take a quire of paper to do so

Could it be spiels, though he has spelt it with a double 'l'?

[Sue Mackay]

Are you sure it's Harrington? I read it as Warrington.

... for the purpose of ?defeating? my funds. Looks like 'deg..ting'.

Could be either Harrington or Warrington with his writing

'Defeating' looks possible

Could it be spiels, though he has spelt it with a double 'l'?

Could well be!

I have changed the transcription a bit round the hole in the paper so that it now reads

I was under the necessity of challenging the Deputy Landdrost and as he would not meet me I painted him as a coward and necessity obliged me to take his [hole in paper] and had I not charged [hole in paper] have given up the [hole in paper] [I came?] before the Circuit of Commissioners and my defence from the case in such a clear light that this has not taken a feather out of my cap

As for

George Town and ??????????? had been biased against me

I now wonder if this could be Messrs and a name ending in HEAD, but without knowing the local dignitaries I have no idea. I tried googling for the name of the Deputy Landdrost of George but kept being shown back to my own transcriptions

Thanks to all who risked their eyesight by taking a look