[[1]]

Hl. C St F. [Honorable Company Steam Frigate] Moozuffer.

Between Madras & Calcutta *1

Jan[uar]y 10 1848

My dear Bessy

We arrived at Madras sand[?] on last Wednesday, at about 11 am: it is neither bay nor harbour but a wide expanse of anchoring ground, like Yarmouth sand, but wanting any protection seaward in the shape of sands; so that there is a constant rolling sea & landing is very difficult. Soon after we arrived, the Marq[uis]. of Tweeddale *2 came on board, & invited us all to Gov[ernmen]t. House; he took Lady D[alhousie]. (his daughter) *3 ashore with him, but left L[or]d D[alhousie] *4 & suite till the afternoon; as it was necessary that we landed in state so that the troops could not be drawn up in the middle of the day. I was at first amazed at them losing the day, which, however, I did not regret afterward, having had no idea what a fine thing an oriental reception is. Madras is a long city, on an extensive flat, without a rise of 10 f[ee]t on any part and appears very scattered, from the number of trees planted amongst the houses. The number of inhabitants is very difficult to calculate but there are not less than 5 or 600,000, a very large proportion of which had assembled to see the GG.[Governor General]. We lay 2 miles off the shore & at 4 a very large boat came alongside, of the only kind fit for the landing through the surf: these are about 40 feet long, open, very high out of the water, flat-bottomed, wall-sided (up & down sides like coffins) & formed of planks of soft wood (mango-tree wood) sewn together with cord. They are pulled by about 20 black paddlers, who keep up a [1 word illeg.] discordant din, by way of keeping time with the paddles which are long poles of some 20 f[ee]t with a small round blade [a sketch of a paddle appears here].

[[2]] As we approached the shore the whole beach for miles seemed alive with population, they formed a moving map of white turbans, black heads, white frocks, & black legs, behind them were the cavalry drawn up with crowds of horsemen & carriages & the bayonets of the troops. The nearer we approached the more wonderful did this map of human people appear, & we never ceased wondering till the increased motion of the boat told us we were in the surf of the beach: this was another & as curious sight: other steersmen watched every[?] cresting wave, putting the boat round, when any too big to be kept in front of was coming, & crying the pullers, who screamed & yelled all the more discordantly as each surf tumbled beside the boat, & carried her on the top of its foaming crest; letting her bump down on the hard sand every time, with a crash that would break any ordinary vessel to pieces. Our boat, when really aground, was handled a little way out of the rollers, opposite an alley in the crowd, where L[or]d Tweedale & his staff were ready to receive. We landed, one by one, in chairs carried by black fellows, who were so swift that all four were out in half a minute. The guns in the battery immediately saluted & the bands struck up God Save the Queen, the English, who formed the best part of the crowd nearest us honoured[?] & greeted us with hats off & handkerchiefs & the troops gave the military salute. We were introduced formally to L[or]d Tweedale, who was gorgeous in his Governor's uniform, broad ribbons, stars & orders & especially in his body--guard, aides de camp & staff. The aide C[amp]s. stuck close to us, as the crowd closed in so fast that it was difficult to reach the carriages, of which there were 5, one for L[or]d D[alhousie] & the Marquis, the 2d [second] with Lady's[sic] T[weedale] & D[alhousie] who had come down to meet us the 3d [third] with Fane *5

[[3]] & myself & a 4th with Courtenay *6 & Bell. The start for gov[ernmen]t house was very fine, for here all were swept clear of the mob by the Gov[eno]rs body guard, & splendid troop of horse soldiers & all the cavalry regiments, all under arms, with the band playing. We were no sooner in motion than a thousand carriages full of gaily dressed people, started with us, together with horsemen & mounted ladies, & running natives, who escorted us the whole way to gov[ernmen]t gates; ourselves being immediately surrounded by the staff officers & aide camps[sic] all splendidly dressed & mounted on white or tan[?] grey Arab horses; The troops occupied a mile & a half of road, on both sides first the splendid Madras cavalry, then the European & lastly the native infantry: as we passed each their band struck up the Nat[ional] anthem, & they kept at the salute till all the carriages had past -- it was a grand sight altogether "stunning fine" -- but for the clouds of red dust which were kicked up along the road, & the immoderate heat of the afternoon. Gov[ernmen]t house consists of 2 noble buildings, placed in a large grass park, studded with trees of Mango, Date, Cocoa, arnut[?], Peepal *7, Tamarind & especially Thespesia populnea. Our building, at which we landed, is the dwelling-house of two stories, with pillared fronts & broad arcades all 'round; at the door we were received by the Native Servants; in white robes & turbans, with broad scarlet belts edged with gold bearing a brass badge. The public rooms are upstairs, very large & lofty, built of brick covered with chunaru a preparation of lime plaster, as fine & smooth as the best marble of which all the interior work appeared built. The broad stairs are beautifully carpetted[sic] & the landing--place upstairs surrounded with marble like pillars & gilt armchairs. The rooms themselves are quite cut up by the

[[4]] huge Punkahs *8, which completely crop the lofty rooms beneath cut glass chandeliers, the floors too are covered with yellow Chinese mats for coolness, which spoils the look of the yellow silk furniture. There are no pictures, no library; no flowers or conservatory, (no book of standard merit on the table; there was nothing that indicated a speck of intellect in the house or household -- tennpeg[?] Chinese puzzles & English &c caricature books, Cruickshank etchings & the like swarmed. Lord Tweedale is, between ourselves, a stupid old man, a very bad Governor, who, in a day or two, is they plan to be shipped out of India, on his embarkation: is rather deaf, heavy & not up to his word: he cannot write English & is obstinate & opinionated to a degree) he is a fine-looking old fellow very square-built & heavy, both in figure & face, was I believe a very good soldier & is otherwise about as fit for a governor as I am. Lady T[weedale] is a most fascinating person who looks good 30 years younger than she is, without any dressing or getting up: her manners are charming & she is universally beloved. She is a good deal like her daughter in face, but though so much older, she has more delicate features & a ten times more intelligent countenance (not that I believe the old lady to be intellectual, at all;-- but Lady D.[alhousie] is the most vapid person I ever fell in with) very kind, good-natured & easily pleased with little attentions (but listless, wholly uninformed & devoid of curiosity. I believe she cannot spell & her brother, L[or]d Arthur Hay *9, who is just appointed one of L[or]d D[alhousie]'s 6 A[ide] D[e] C[amp]s at Calcutta, can hardly write his own name) he is however, a great collecting naturalist, & will I hope be of some use to me (the rest of this illustrious family, of whom I have heard, are equally equally[sic] deficient. Lord Dance is not likely to improve the breed;-- Lord Dalhousie certainly may; if my Lady's tenure[?] be not too heavy for the whole lineup[?].)

[[5]] I had not been long in the drawing room, before I was made up to by a little (fat pouchy) aide de camp, in the shape of a cavalry officer, in skye[sic] blue uniform, covered with a map of silver lace & buttons, gold toggles &c &c for the life of me I could not recognize him, either from appearance or the name of Major Garsten, till he reminded me of living with his maiden sisters in my but & ben *10 in Abercrombie Place, & having occasionally driven home with me from evening-parties; then truly, I did remember me of him, as a sick scarecrow from India, bereft of moustache, as thin as a whipping post & with eyes nearer the occipital than os frontis -- his sisters it was who used to stretch their (scruffy) necks, out of their room door, as I passed, & screech out "how's Dr Graham." -- "officer man". -- The then emaciated Capt[ain] G[arsten] is now a Major, as broad as long, A[ide] D[e] C[amp] to L[or]d T[weedale] -- & Resident at the Court of the Nabob *11 of Arat, whose palace towers he showed me out of the windows. I knew him then as a relation of the House Drummond, & friend of the Swinton's & he appears further to be connected with the Ramsay's or Hays, who talk of him as having been the handsomest boy they ever knew: but that must be good 40 years ago! after all, the little major was delighted to see me, put his rooms, Barouche & pair, & riding horse, at my disposal, & was as kind & attentive as man could be. There was but a small dinner party , consisting of a few more soldiers, one of these a very fine fellow, a General Cubbon *12, Polit[ical]. agent for all Mysore, the finest appointment almost in India & where he keeps state & house like a prince, for all comers (at Bangalore)[.] His Surgeon had come down with him, a stupid looking man, but from whom I obtained a great deal of information about cotton growing soil in his part of India, where the heat & dryness of the summer causes wine glasses to snap of at the stem without being touched, & teak--wood tables to split across the grain: he knew & spoke

[[6]] most highly of Dr Wight as did very many persons. The dinner was far from sumptuous, either as to plate, meats or fruits, & the dining room a great empty high room, with fine chandeliers & punkahs & splendid pier glasses along the walls, as have all the state rooms, but no pictures or other ornaments, tasteful or distasteful. My apartments were not in Gov[ernmen]t House but detached: in fact I had a house or Bungalow all to myself, with bedrooms, writing room, dressing room & bathroom; all empty hollow-like places with no windows, but the walls all round formed of venetian blinds, mats for carpets & the beds enclosed by mosquito curtains. others of us had tents, pitched close to the House. These are lined inside with chintz & very pretty. Two of the A[ide] D[e] C[amp]s live constantly in one of these, when at Madras; but the governor almost always resides with his suite at a country-house called Ghindy *13, some 7 miles off. On Thursday morning we had to raise Admiral "Highfield" of the Vernon, with Capt[ain] Sir H. Blackwood of the Fox & several other naval officers in Madras Sands. I wanted to see Sir H. B[lackwood]. (whose brother (who a Capt[ain] R[oyal]. N[avy].) I knew at Cambridge) & who is going in the Fox to survey the Teak forests of Moulmein *14, where he recommends Government buy a large piece of land & build a Dockyard to supersede Bombay *15. The Teak of the Malabar Coast being all destroyed, by injudicious cutting down. L[or]d D[alhousie]. only intended at first to stay 24 hours at Madras, but was overpersuaded & had to hold a levee on Friday: so the rest of Thursday was spent in getting on board the "Moozuffer" for our clothes. In the evening I called on Mr Jos. Thomson, brother of R. D. T. of Glasgow, & a member of the house in which Giddy is partner. From him I found that I could get Giddy's plant--collector up from Cape Comorin, to Calcutta, & I hope retain him in my service for 20 or 25

[[7]] Rupees a month, (£2" or £2"10.). I had also to get a Madras Serv[an]t if I possibly could, but in this I failed after a great deal of trouble. The Madras Serv[an]ts: will do more than the Bengalees[sic], can speak a little English & will stick to you longer through all parts of the country, all very splendid qualities for a traveller. The one I first tried for was already engaged, the second wanted 20 Rupees a month, which I cannot afford as I must have 5 serv[an]ts (besides plant collectors) at wages of [1 word illeg.] *16 6 to 14 rupees a month & the third an old man who was willing to come for 10, I did not like the look of, & thought I saw flaws in his "character" -- so after a great deal of trouble I am obliged to put off, till I get to Bengal. In the mean time my progress in the lingo is very slow; for, as you know, I have no head for languages, & especially such cacophinous[sic] ones as this. In the town I saw a juggler with the hooded snake or cobra, a beautiful creature, but of a rather sickly yellow colour, which coiled round his neck, & suffered itself to be teazed[sic] to phrenzy[sic]. He also swallowed an egg & brought it out by his ear;-- very common India tricks all, but so familiar from early readings, only that I cannot help mentioning them. At dinner we had a large party, when I made particular acquaintance with a Mr & Mrs Walter Elliott. Mr E[lliott]. son of a late governor, & I think Col[onial]. Sec[retar]y -- a very clever man, extremely fond of antiquities & zoology. Mrs E[lliott] is a pretty bright--eyed person, by no mean injured by the sun & life in India. Elliott asked me to his house the following morning, where I saw a many curiosities & antiquities. The rooms were very nicely furnished & we had family prayers, a great rarity in this country. In the afternoon we had to stand by Lord Dalhousie during a levee; at which all the people of Madras, civil & military, were obliged to bow to L[or]d D[alhousie]. (& his suite of course). I never saw so many kowtowed people together before, M Dupuis would have fainted at 19/20 of the bows: of the military in particular, who drew up short before us, shrugged their shoulders, & threw out their heads chests & bodies as if someone had hit them smart in the pit of the stomach. The levee was held in a