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Selection from William Anderson Cawthorne diary, 1849-1859 Manuscript

Transcript: 

Gold fever not abated – though the spirits are not quite so favourable, the colony is in a very middling state – An escort under [indecipherable] will in future go regular to Mt Alexander, it last time brought about 7 cwt of Gold – there is now est: an Assay office – & the Govt price is £3-11- per oz.   In Melbourne I hear it is only £2-19-6 The flash brought yesterday[indecipherable] 5000 oz. The diggers only come over for a spell & then return – but the winter will cut them up.

Another day – rather poorly – when I am out & out well? – if I am well in the body, I am ill in the mind - arminianism or catholicism – calvinism, or puseyism or some other ism – worrying me to death – Descartes says – Cogito ergo sum – & what led to this – because –  my very doubting the existence of things – makes me know that I can doubt – I go further – I doubt that my doubts are doubts – funny – where then the starting point of certainty – There is no certainty – all is belief – dear me! This is a profound subject nay it is a silly subject – Locke has exposed this admirably – alas! I want a place to give utterance – I “bide my time” – I always read several books at a time – I am reading now – “Life of Cortes”, “Travels in Mexico”, “Evilina” – “Philosophy (Biography of & “State Trials.” – besides miscellaneous writings.
Good Friday. April 9 1852 – preached a Sermon to my blackguard congregation – attentive 55 males & 5 females: miners – if it had not been for me

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they all might have whistled for a Service – so much over the pound;550 – care about the matter – it was the first Good Friday sermon & service ever held there – at the Gaol. - how odd – praises & curses to proceed out of the same mouth! – 5 whores – who but to say – how their mouths full of blasphemies – too unutterable – singing to God “come loud anthems let us sing” – strange – can sweet & bitter come from the same spring? –   

Adelaide has got a slight start again – about £200,000 worth of gold was is now in the colony – yet 100’s are going away & 100’s purpose to follow – no new buildings – a public works going on – the trade is confined to various shops – whether of clothes or eatables – the diggings are all the go – had great anxiety about the New Ord: (Ed:) not appointed yet – & this month is the last of the old [indecipherable] Ord: I wrote once & was required to write again – I did so – I am afraid it would come out - & if so – I shall lose £40  [indecipherable]

Have heard the Miss Cooks are undergoing the painful operations of removing 1 cancer & 1 tumour –
Tuesday – The first dawn of luck has befallen to me this day – viz. I was told (confidentially) by Dr Wyatt – that the Govt intend to appoint me one of a member of the new Ed: Board! I have been writing about this to them – but scarcely imagined I should be so favoured – let me only get my foot into Govt employ I’ll guarantee they’ll I’ll not go backward I have striven hard enough – & what I get I’ll not lose – I was very thankful.