Letters from John Simpson Kirkpatrick to his Mother, 1909 - Part 2 of 2

S.S. Heighington
Port of Tunis
Nov 16th 1909
To Mrs Kirkpatrick

Dear Mother 
Just a few lines to let you know that we
arrived at Tunis on Saturday morning and
we are loading Barley and locust Beans
and we will next go to Bona instead of Susa
and from there we will go to Phillip Vale
and then to Algiers to load for London
and Leith instead of Aberdeen now Mother
I do hope you are keeping all right and that
you and Peggie and Sarah are agreeing all right
and making you happy I forget to tell you
in my last letter that I had a letter from
Bob and he tells me that you have not got
the insurance yet Now Mother it is going
to be hard lines after all the struggling
and depriveing yourselve that you have had
to pay it to be twisted of out of it
a I am afraid Bob was right when he said
that these insurance companies were a
swindle but it I hope by the time this
reaches you that you have got it all
right,. I was ashore in Tunis last night
with a arab a young Arab the Ship Chandler

Son and a nice you fellow he is to He took
me all round Tunis it is a pretty little
place and it looks well to see all the
Arabs dressed in their long white shirts
and white turbans Now mother we expect
to be leaving here tomorrow for Bona but
I don't think we will get as far as Algiers
for we will have our full cargo by then
Now Mother this is all at present so give
my love to all at home and with best love to
yourselve
I remain
Your loving Son
Jack
PS hope Annie has sent that PC it has
not are arrived yet

DONATED RECORDS LIST 
3424 
3rd Series

S.S. Heighington
Port of Jifilli
Nov 30th 1909
To

Dear Mother
I received those Welcome letters and Post Card
just as we were leaveing Tunis So I could not
answer them from that port But I wrote as
soon as we got to Bona and the steward forget
to give to give them to the old man to post
and I he put them away in the draw and never came
across them agian until we were leaving Phillip
Vale So here I was expecting a reply when my
letters had never went We arrived at Jijelli
this morning so I am In fact we are not in yet
for we are lying outside waiting for the pilot
So you can see I am taking the First opportunity
of writing. Now Mother I am glad to hear that
you are all keeping well at home and Peggie
tells me she had you out for an afternoon
at Sunderland "Well done" I am glad to hear
that you are keeping up your in spirits and keeping
your heart up and Pegg tells me she has
never seen you in a bad temper since I went
away Now that is what I call a good change
Now tell Sarah I recieved her letter allright
and I am glad that you are keeping all right

eighington
Port of Leith
December Tx 15 1909
To Mrs Kirkpatrick

Dear Mother
Just a few lines to let you know that
I received your welcome letters on Saturday
Night when we arrived I had four
altogether there was 2 from you and one
from Peggie and one from Bob. Now Mother
I dont know wether we are going to pay off
here as or not or wether we are going to the
Tyne or Cardiff to load do and pay off N I
had a letter from Bob and he says I ha
that he would like to have a visit from
fo me if I can manage it I was ashore
last Night and I had a look round
Leith I was in Leith Work and all
over the shop but it was terribly
cold there was a very severe frost on
and this morning it is snowing but I
have got a good stove in the messroom
and it heats the place up as treat. Now
tell Annie that I am very glad to hear
that she she is getting better and I hope by
the time I get home that she will
be as well as ever agian and tell Sarah

S.S......................
Port of........................
......190 
To..................

that I am hoping that she is feeling
better now and tell her that I am
very glad to hear that Sam is working
and being good to her and that she is
being good to you her mother Now Mother is I do
hope that you are keeping will yourselve
for mind I am, eating like a horse, the
steward and me have a row every
afternoon for I gorge my and worry all
the roast beef that there is left at dinner and
take him the bare bone to cut cold
meat and make stew for the tea and
he does groan I can tell you but then you
see I blame the engineers for eating all the
meat and then you see it is all right
Now Mother I think we will be paying
off here so I he will be home for my Duck
at XMas I say do you remember when I
pinched that duck So mind you watch it
well the time I am very fond of poultry
we have had a good few chickens on
the voyage but they were about the
size of bantams and nothing else but

S.S.............................
Port of ..........................
.....................190
To .......................... 

skin and bone but never mind I
got my share of them the first day
we had chicken they wolfed the lot
but mind they didnt they after that. I
watched them, for It I had my wack
tea shoved in the cubourd before. I told
them dinner was ready so you bet I
had my chicken as well Now Mother I think
that this is all at present So give my love to
all at home and with love to yourselve
I remain
Your loving Son
Jack
x x x x x x x x x

S.S. Heighington
Port of London
December 16 1909
To Mrs Kirkpatrick

Dear Mother
Just a line or two to let you know that
I have just received your letter. I And I am
writing back by return of post as you ask I
wrote on Tuesday Night home and I see you
have not said anything about receiving it
Now it seems as if my letters are not
getting sent, you see I just take them Aft
and the skipper he stamps them for me
and sends them off Now Mother I sent
you a letter from Jijelli and a post card
from Algiers with the London address
on it I had no time to write more and
as you have not menioned about receiving neither
PC nor letter in your letter. Now it
is a bit thick if my letters are not being
sent for I will be charged for them
just the same when I pay off.n I hear
we are going to pay off at Leith. Now
Mother tell Annie that I am very sorry
to hear that she is so poorly but I hope
she will soon get better and tell Sarah
that she will not have to get bad now
PS I wrote to Peggie and Bob last night

S.S..
Port of.......
.............................190 
To......................

or else she will be making him think
that he had has got an invalid for his
wife Now mother I think that I will
be getting the chuck when I get to Leith
for I hear that they are going the to
send a lad from the office I warned
he will be coming for about 30 bob
or two pound but he will not get
a great catch. for the eg engineers
d and mates do thier one washing
the cook said he has never seen
a chief engineer doing his own washing
until now but never mind I expect
I will be able to get along without
thier washing Now Mother I think
this is all at except that I have
had a dose of cold since we left algiers
and a sore throat Now Mother give my
love to Sarah and Annie and with
love to yourselve
I remain
Your loving Son
x x x Jack x x x x x x x x
WXXXx

it is now 3oclock we expect to leave about 4