WCP7113

Letter (WCP7113.8237)

[1]

Steamer "Ellora"Malta: 16 March 1862

My dear Robert,

Matilda1 wrote to you from Bombay to say how we had got on since we parted with you — We had a famous passage in the "Malta" to Aden & Suez, and we were very comfortable in her, having a cabin to ourselves: we were hurried through Egypt and had only a night [2] at Cairo — we arrived there late, slept in a French lodging house and started early next morning for Alexandria. We had time however to take a drive by moonlight to the Mosque & Citadel. We could not get in to the former as it was Puasa [Malay: fasting] month, but we looked through the windows and saw [3] how well illuminated it was — hundreds of people were inside praying & dancing &c. We were hurried off to the steamer as soon as we got to Alexandria Station & as soon as we were on board, off we went — Matilda was rather knocked up with the railway journey & afterwards with the rolling of the ship — but today she [4] is much better again — she is a good sailor — Ayah [Malay: nursemaid] has proved a wretched sailor & expects to die shortly — Nina2 is well saving a cold & cough. Johnson3 & Wallace leave us here I am sorry to say. We shall arrive in a few minutes now & leave early in the morning so we will have no daylight which is a pity — our passengers here are [5] reduced from about 80 to about 40 — the rest having gone via Marseilles &c. I hope we shall not get an [one word illeg.] gale in the bay, but it is just the time to pick one up — the Ellora's only about 1000 tons but she is tolerably comfortable & we have a cabin for ourselves. We are now beginning [6] to realize the fact that we are nearing home — I shall be glad to hear how you & Brooke4 got over to Sarawak & what you have been doing since. Good bye old fellow — excuse[?] this hurried letter as usual I have left it off till the last [7] moment, Matilda sends her best love.

Ever dear Robert | Your aff[ectiona]t[e] Brother | C. T. C. Grant [signature]Tell me all you can about Sarawak, Muka [Mukah] &c — & all about the old things I took an interest about — [8] William5 is I hear at [one word illeg.] My brother Alarick6 somewhere about here in the "Algiers" [illeg.] — he missed Lord Elgin7. Adieu —

1
Grant (née Hay), Janet Matilda (1832-1908) British wife of Charles T. C. Grant; married 1856.
2
Grant, Annie ("Nina") (1860-1912). British daughter of Charles T. C. Grant and Janet Matilda Grant.
3
Brooke, Charles Anthoni Johnson ("Charlie/Charley") (1829-1917). The Second White Rajah of Sarawak and nephew of James Brooke.
4
Brooke (formerly Johnson), John Brooke Johnson (1823-1868). British Aide-de-Camp from 1848 to his uncle, James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. He held the office of Rajah Muda 1861-63.
5
Hay, William James (1827-1893). British member of the Bengal Civil Service; brother of Janet Matilda Grant and brother-in-law to Charles T. C. Grant.
6
Grant, Alaric Frederick (1844-1918) British officer, Royal Navy. Younger brother of Charles T. C. Grant.
7
Bruce, James (1811–1863). Eighth earl of Elgin; governor general of Canada 1847-54; viceroy of India 1862-3.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP7113.8237)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Laverty, Martin [2020-06-05] Transcription checked by Costa, Leslie [2020-07-20]

Please cite as “WCP7113,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP7113