WCP3794

[1]¹

Westhill

Sunday. [7 June 1863]²

Dearest Parents

I have been here since Friday. Uncle Willes³ better than I expected & still able to enjoy life[.] They are very kind & hospitable and press me to stay on, but I must get back to town tomorrow.. We drove over to see the de Windts⁴ yesterday & I have been to see Nuneaton⁵and his wife⁶ today.

[2] By the Bye I have a funny story to tell you of Miss Coutts⁷[.] Wallace the naturalist, a friend of the old Rajah's⁸ and of mine came to see me on Wednesday in South Street and went immediately into the subject of recent events in Borneo⁹. I told him my story and shewed¹⁰ him letters &c ^and he went away firmly imbued with the notion of my being a most aggrieved man. [T]hat very evening he [3] went to a soirée of the Geographical Society & met Miss Coutts who invited him to come and lunch with her on the following day. [H]e went & found Mr Abel Smith¹¹ & another gentleman present besides Mrs Brown¹²[.] Miss C[outts]. immediately commenced on my mis-doings and the whole affair had evidently been got up to impress Wallace with a clear horror of me. [T]o Miss C[outts'] dismay, Wallace who is not only a very able [4] but also a very outspoken honest ^fellow told her that he had seen me the day before and had read a great number of letters & that ^although he was very sorry [one illeg. word struck through] to disagree with her [one illeg. word struck through] that he had come to a different conclusion. Miss C[outts].. immediately shut up saying she really could not argue the point, or discuss it, her view was right and there was and end of the matter. However Mr A[bel]. S[mith]. took up the matter ^argument making the [5] most absurd statements showing how utterly they are misinformed, wilfully & lyingly misinformed. One statement was that I had been trying to sell Sarawak to Belgium on my own account — that the people of Sarawak Native and European were delighted to get rid of me where ^as I was most unpopular — That I must be in the wrong because all my own family were ag[ain]^st me [6] that my own brother had used the strongest terms of indignation & condemnation — To all of this Wallace demanded proof. Where is the proof? Oh! there was no proof — but it was so. [A]h well says Wallace don[']t be angry with me, for remember I must be impartial. [B]ut there is proof on one side and nothing but vague assertion on the other. This is a famous shot fired in the midst of the Enemy's [7] Camp, and will tell on them[.] Mr A[bel]. S[mith]. was unmovable but Wallace says the other gentleman was evidently shaken, and began to say with him Where is the proof of all this?

I find the Savages¹³ are my active enemies. They have been telling Miss C[outts] of my strong expressions ag[ain]^st my Uncle¹³. & have even written to De Windts — However such trash as they put forward won't hurt much. [H]owever I must be careful of them [8] De Windt is pressing me to come and dine at Blunsdon tomorrow to hear the beautiful Miss Baq[?]¹⁴ sing.

I have got a very kind invitation to from Margaret Scott¹⁵ who I shall meet in London.

With best love to Harry¹⁶ | Believe me | your loving son | J Brooke Brooke [signature]