Letter written to Thomas Benbow Phillips by Michael D Jones at Y Bala, 17 May 1872

Michael D Jones had just received Thomas Benbow Philips's letter dated 4 April. Apparently the papers of Buenos Aires, and in particular the River Plate Mail had been condemning the Colony (Gwladfa) without getting their facts straight. The wheat crop wasn't very good, but the cattle were getting on well, and butter and cheese was plentiful. Michael D Jones didn't think the Colonists would give up, even though 14 of them had sent a petition for more cattle. He thought the people of Patagones were losing the Indian trade because the Indians were being treated better by the Welsh. The government of Buenos Ayres had a vessel which was visiting the Colony every two months, and it carried emigrants from Buenos Ayres to New Bay. Michael D Jones chided Thomas Benbow Phillips for not making the effort to trade because people had made a lot of money from the ostrich feathers and guillango trade. 30 emigrants had left New York on the “Rush”. The attack on the Colony had angered the New Yorkers. Michael D Jones was forbidden to work due to ill health, but he was begging Thomas Benbow Phillips not to take liquor for the Indians, because he believed it would eventually damage the Colony.