Scots Abroad: Stories of Scottish Emigration

Letter of George Anderson, 1891

To his brother and sister concerning his new life in Patagonia, Port San Julian 29 December 1891. Reproduced with kind permission of Mr George Anderson:

Dear brother & sister

I write you a few lines to let you know that I went over to Patagonia to try & start sheep farming, five of us formed a company in the Falklands as I told you before when last I wrote to you, & another fellow & me went over to try how we could get along. We arrived in Punta Arenas all right after a very rough passage, then rode up through Patagonia for about three hundred miles to Port San Julian & bought 1200 sheep there & we are just busy shearing them, we are sending the wool home to England, there is a ship coming out & taking out stores for us & taking away the wool. There are other three fellows here close to here that formed companies & came over from the Falklands before me & it was from one of them that I bought the sheep, but the worst of it is we cannot get land here as it is all taken up around here that is any good, so we are going to shift away further North there is a fellow away up to Buenos Aires to take out camp for us all, he went away a day or two ago he is going to try and get it about the Gulf of St. George about 300 or 400 miles further north than where we are now so if he gets it there, it will be a good long drive with the sheep. Do not be surprised at me being so long in writing for I am not very near a post office it is almost about 300 miles to the nearest & it is seldom there is a chance to send letters away, there is a fellow starting away from here tomorrow to go down south & to go to the Falklands so I am taking the chance to send them with him. It is rather a rough life over here we have got no houses only a sort of mud cabin to live in but we get along not so bad. I have not even a table to lay the paper on to write the letter I am sitting holding it on my knee & writing it but I hope there may be better days in store for us before long. If once I had a piece of camp secure I think I will soon get along "at least I hope so", only there is a beast they call the lion here that is very bad on the sheep it is a specie of the cat tribe it can kill a sheep with one stroke of of the paw sometimes one or two will come in the night among the sheep & do great damage, in one night" between ewes and lambs they killd about 80 but they have never been so heavy on me they never killed more than about 9 in one night we have poisoned five or six I have never got the chance to kill one for they are very bad to find to in the day time but if I come across one & manage to kill him I will send home the skin to you with the head on, they are as tall as a good big collie dog but far heavier in the body & shorter in the legs with the same muscle as a cat, they are very cowardly & will run away from a man, if they were bold a man would stand a very small share with him, there was one killed a foal for us about two month old. To return to the old country I hope you are all well & getting on well together & I hope father is well & in good health & Adam & the wife & family also Mary & her Husband, & Jeena & her husband doyou hear any word from them give them all my best respects as I have not much acommodation or inclination I dont know which for writing but I hope & trust if everything goes right to be able to come home & see you all in about two or three years as I am wearying very much to see my father, sisters & brother again & make your acquaintance also Mary's & Jeena's husband, for I dont suppose I ever seen any of you before. If Maggie Hailstones is still there & married give her my kind love with wishes of great joy & happiness & long may they live to enjoy their married life together. I hope father is is well & keeping away from the drink I only wish I was able to send home some money to him to keep him from working much for he must be getting not very able for work now, but at the present time I am as poor as a church mouse for I have all the little money that I had, speculated at present & there is no returns as yet but I will live in hopes that things will soon come out better, & I hope to be able to come home in about the time I have stated. If you write to me soon after you recive this the letter may find me for unless I am shifted I wont leave here for a year to come yet & unless it reaches me in that time I cannot give you any fixed adress to write to. So hoping to meet you all soon if spaired till that time to meet all together I will remain dear brother & sister ever your loving brother

George Anderson

PS. Please give me fathers adress & how he is getting on give him my kind love for I cannot very well write at present, but please let him know how I am getting on. Good bye

Port San Julian
c/o H Grey
Punta Arenas
Straits Magellan
South America