| RefNo | HSF/2/1/22 |
| Previous numbers | 32.8.7 and 32.8.7A |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from J [John] Herschel, off Malta, to 'Dearest Mama' [Margaret Brodie Herschel] |
| Creator | Herschel; John (1837-1921); British army officer and astronomer |
| Date | 29 November 1858 |
| Description | He is at last near Malta and expects to be there by the afternoon. John intended to have written from Gibraltar, but after his first evening at sea he was not in any condition to. He starved himself and once the ship was under sail, he got better and was well enough to eat dinner at Gibraltar. Bad weather prevented him from going onshore there. He gives an account of a sailor falling overboard and drowning once they set sail. His natural reflection was that if a man may drown in a calm harbour, what chance would a man have in a running sea at night. They have since followed the coast of Africa and begin to feel heat. Time passes slowly on board, with books and games exhausted. He knows the gentlemen but has spoken to only a few of the ladies. They will take up more passengers and the Marseilles mail. They will arrive at Malta that evening and he intends to go ashore, perhaps to the opera. The next stop is Alexandria and he hopes to write from there. |
| Extent | 7p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7955 | Herschel; John (1837 - 1921) | 1837 - 1921 |