| Description | Most annoyed to hear he has an outstanding unpaid account with Mr Whitby "I assure you when I left Manchester I was cleaned out to the last farthing and in the confusion of that last day forgot to write to you to tell you so." Promises to pay by the end of next month. "I suppose £10 will clear it. I must be very careful not to borrow again without being able to repay at the proper time. You have no idea what kind of a life we lead out here. Campaigning when there is no enemy before to cause excitement is far from agreeable. As I write to you now, the sun is pouring its fiercest rays upon my rent and even as I sit on the floor to write this the perspiration is running down me as if I had come out of the water. We have just escaped from an enemy more terrible than the Russians, I mean the Asiatic Chlorea. We have lost many men, but now I hope have got rid of it. This would be a famous country for a speculating farmer if only there was any law in the land, but when might is right, it would not pay to invest money. The soil is of the richest description. The crops that come off the land show it, what few there are. It is terrible to see such a fine country unpopulated and only the theatre for war. Everywhere are traces of the Russians who were here in '53 and lost thousands of men by disease. I hope a good learning for our generals not to trust such a place. I often look forward to getting back home again but do wish to just have one good brush with the Russians. I do not think I shall stop here another summer. I cannot stand the climate, the heat knocks me up." |