A long-haired brigand calling himself Texas Jack

De Beers Consolidated Mines. Limited.

Kimberley July 18th 1898

My dear Raymond and Joe

I received your welcome letters of June 24th, on Friday morning. You seem to have had very good fun on the half term holiday. But don't you think that 52 miles is rather too far to "bike" in one day? You must be careful not to overdo it; and especially you must be careful not to catch cold after getting into those tremendous "sweats" that Joe speaks of. It made me quite "perspiry" to read his letter it was full of "sweat". My dear Raymond you must give yourself a little more time in writing your letters, and so, avoid mispells bad spells which I can see are only caused by hasty writing. If you cultivate care at first, you will not only improve your handwriting, but you will be more correct in what you write. After a time, you will be able to combine speed with accuracy and good writing. But you must commence slow.

Mr. Rhodes is in Kimberley

De Beers Consolidated Mines. Limited.

The cold is awful it would astonish country chaps like you FM

Kimberley July 9th 1898

My dear Raymond and Joe

The mail is again late. Some slow old tub must have brought it out this time. The letters were delivered only this morning in Kimberley. Mine are at the head office still, and I shall not get them until I go up  at 12 o'clock.

My influenza has left me and I am quite well again, with just a little cough left as a remembrance.

A new diamond mine had been discovered

Kimberley July 4th 1898

My dear Raymond

Your last letter undated - reached me last Thursday. I hope your "face ache" "Jawache" of "Neuralga" (decidedly not correct in spelling) is all right. You must have caught cold in your teeth. Mine have been troubling also of late. When I drink a mouth full of cold water, my teeth all sing out in protest - and the uproar they make is not harmonious. Teeth are bothersome things, and only useful to eat with.

Two policemen and a Dog

Kimberley July 4th 1898

My dear Joe

You had no occasion to tell one you were in a "thundering" hurry when you wrote your letter of June 11th. Such awful writing it would be difficult to equal even in an infant school! Not only was the writing bad, but there was not any attempt to form letters. Many words were quite illegible. Whatever improvement you have made in other things, you have gone backwards in handwriting. You wrote a much better hand three years ago, than you do now.