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Plymouth Janu 12th 1873

Dear Father,
Yours of the 8th is at hand and the contence [contents] notics [noted] I am much pleas [pleased] to hear that your helth [health] is on the improve, and I hope it will continue to improve for you and I hav [have] had a plenty of Chiles [Chills] for one season, my helth [health] is gragley surviving from my several attacks of Chiles [Chills]. I would be glat [glad] if I could hav [have] made you a visit at this time but my bisness [business] is yet in a condition that I cannot leav [leave] but soon as I can get through with the new Steam Boat I will make a visit to see you and the family we are pesterd [pestered] to finish our new Boat for all the mashienry [machinery] is not hear [here] yet and I hav [have] bin [been] Buildin [Building] a life Boat for the last week, the boat is all dun [done] to put in winder [window] and hanging the doors, The Steam pipes is to connec [connect] and Smoke Stac [Stack] is to connec [connect] before we are reddy [ready] to Steam, we ar [are]

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minus of sum [some] off thir [their] material though I think they say that it is shiped [shipped] it will be at least two weeks before she is compleat [complete],you seem to be desirus [desirous] of my moving to Zepheys [Zephey's] place, I kno [know] it is the duty of sum [some] off [of] we [us] boys to stay a round [around] you to assist you, and I would like verry [very] much if I was their [there] but it dus [does] cost so much to tar [tear] up and move a distant [distance], and an othe [another] obstickle [obstacle] in the way if I cum [come] to that place, I would hav [have] to go to Farming and that would caus [cause] me to go in debt for a years [year's] provision and it mite [might] keep me behind all the time, as to cum [come] up their [there] to depend on working for people in Heartford [Hertford] county for a living, it would be a nusants [nuisance], I am shure [sure] I would hav [have] to suffer, I am tired of old heartford [Hertford] for that caus [cause], I dont [don't] kno [know] but it will better for me to keep strikeing [working] on in old plymouth [Plymouth] as long as I can make out to liv [live] and when poverty cums [comes] to my door I will try and slip out and go sum [some] whers [where] elcs [else] and seek a gain in my useal [usual] way. I am making slow progress on my Fike [Fyke] for the want of Twine

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I got a merchant to order me sum [some] Twine and it has not cum [come] yet, so its [it's] getting late for me to fit out down hear [here], though if I can get old sain [seine] it will do for hidg [hedge] we hav [have] a man in Plymouth fitting out one for the Sound at the Light house, he has 1000 yards of hidg [hedge], to his it is set like a one heart ware [weir], hidging [hedging] from each whing [wing] of the Pound forming something of a ve ["V"] (drawing) the place you was speaking the lower end of the Ilant [Island] creak [Creek], I think will be a good place and if I fail hear [here] I will Joind [Join] you with one up their [there],, Though if I was to get a good price to fis [fish] with sum boddy [somebody] I mite [might] take a notion for that kind of fishing I hav [have] not settled down on no purpminant [permanent] thing as yet. this leavs [leaves] us all well. I will try to cum [come] up and see you Soon if I can I must remain your Son

C. W. Askew