Kinsale | Thursday evening | Sep. 16th, 1841.
My dear Father
The intelligence that your last letter1 conveyed gratified me much, I’m glad to find that Linedale was not so bad as he was represented to be, however I have other proofs to shew that he is bad enough.
I was looking over an old Sentinel2 yesterday that Phil3 got from home, in it I found that the Dean4 had just returned to Leighlin from Bandon. I intended to go to Bandon a month ago and had I known that the Dean was there I certainly would have put my project in execution; it would have gratified me not a little to have seen him. Bandon is only nine Irish miles5 from this.
All our field men are idle at present, they have finished their portion of the Survey. They will leave this for Cork on Wednesday next and on the next day will embark for England. Colder our present Superintendent is going along with them. I’m sorry he’s going as I never met a fairer man. Another party will start in November. I expect to be kept till about New Year’s Day, and if the Island of Saints6 be not then willing to provide for me, I must only try my fortune among the English beef eaters. ‘Next to mouth next to mind’ says the proverb – I believe it’s so with me at present, as Evans gave me a beef steak for dinner to day and I believe its uppermost in my stomach and therefore nearest my mouth. Evans is our messman7 here. He provides everything; I dont know what I’m to get for dinner until its laid on the table and not a word of grumbling is allowed. I for my part seldom feel inclined to grumble as I am able to do my duty on whatever comes before me from a herring to a whale!!!
I am going to a drawing school at present after hours. I commenced yesterday evening. We attend three nights in the week I am sure it will be of great service to me should I follow this line of life. There is but another alternative and that is the revenue.8 I dont care much which my lot falls upon. Should I fail in procuring a situation in the latter, I wont feel much disappointed, as I am pretty good at my present business. There is very little in it a secret to me. I think that I have made as great improvement as any of my comrades for the time I have been on.
Is Mr McGee in Leighlin at present? You never sent me word how he was this long time. How is my uncle Caleb getting on? Do the Rads9 shew their spleen much towards him? He ought to be very careful for himself, as they would think very little of knocking in a bit of his scull. I have time to say no more as I must be off to stitch my coat – the sleeve of it is torn. Necessity has made a tailor of me. I wish I was near my mother or Emma and I’d accommodate one or the other with a job.
Good bye | Your affectionate son | Jack Snooks.10
RI MS JT/1/10/3243
LT Transcript Only
your last letter: letter 0092.
an old Sentinel: CS, 4 September 1841, p. [3].
Phil: Philip Evans.
the Dean: Dean Richard Barnard.
nine Irish miles: As 1 Irish mile = 1.27 English (statute) miles (2240, rather than 1760 yards), nine Irish miles would be approximately 11.5 statute miles.
Island of Saints: Ireland.
messman: the person responsible for cooking and serving food to a company of people eating together (OED).
the revenue: the Inland Revenue.
Rads: the Radicals, who might wreak revenge on Caleb Tyndall for having confronted the Repeal agitators and wounded Mary McAssey; see letter 0071, n. 6.
Jack Snooks: Walter and Jack Snooks were among Tyndall’s pseudonyms.
Please cite as “Tyndall0093,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0093