TALBOT897

Sackville Street ¹
Saturday 4^th Nov

My Dear Henry

I am surprised we have not heard from you, as M^r F. ² wrote from Sittingbourne Wednesday night to let you know of our arrival, & hairbreadth scapes on the Sea, We had a most dreadful passage of fifteen hours, which I may say comprised every désagrément ³ except that we had the Packet to ourselves, we were out all Night & had a narrow escape of being driven to the North Sea without provisions & indeed too sick to think much about that part of our misadventure. I am not yet recovered being so bruised with the tossing of the Ship & so rheumatic with the quantity of Salt water with which I was trempée. ⁴ I find all the world agog about the Queen ⁵ The House of Lords is still debating If any Peer brings any news before the bell goes I will add it. Let me know what day you will be here that your room may be ready & comfortable. I never was so struck with the dinginess & dirt of London as this time, the⁶ climate is not so very bad if it was not so offuscated [sic] with smoke & tous les fourneaux & les fabriques de la Cité. ⁷ I am writing in the dark & can’t see what I say. Lady Sheffield ⁸ has just been here & desires me to say she is affronted with you for not dining with her I don’t know when

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Trinity College
Cambridge