FL14372982

[MS 683]
Parramatta 23 Augt 1820
My very dear Brother
Under most gloomy impression
of mind do I now write my Brother fearing
if I delay like (?) ? away shall as good an opportunity may
not offer as the Ship sails immediaetly
for England - This Colony seems to be visited
with a Kind of Plague of which again a family
has escaped if not one or twho through but generally
goes thro' the whole as it stops seises and sens
ably affects the whole f? - in its first stage
appears a while fury appearance of the eyes, a violent
heat of Body & notwithstanding the whole Body is void of ? ? depression of the Breath ?
Coughing & swelling in face & neck & when more
advanced the whole Body becomes cold as a stone
IN the above describes ? so near as my
? will alow me o describe the disease /
has the whole of our Family been afflicted &
indeed at this moment are ?? the tender
merices of the Almighty we trust are ? the
word / I do not know any to whome it has proved
fatal / Our dear Father & ? also Sister Lawry have
suffered much - the former has not been down
stairs for near a week James tho' very ill has
only been one day confined & the latter being
in her last stage of Pregnancy brought on