| RefNo | HSF/2/1/74 |
| Previous numbers | 32.8.57 and 32.8.57A-C |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from 'Jack' [John Herschel], Mussoorie, to 'My darling Maria' [Maria Sophia Herschel] |
| Creator | Herschel; John (1837-1921); British army officer and astronomer |
| Date | 17-28 July 1864 |
| Description | He thanks Maria for her correspondence as 'house letters' are always welcome. He was disappointed not to have letters in the last mail about the wedding [of William James Herschel], but he supposes they were all too busy, and he asks for an account of it. He asks for information about the Hardcastle family, as he only knows that one was an M.P. for Bury St. Edmunds. He complains about her transparent writing paper. He now keeps a diary and notes previous correspondence with Bella [Isabella Herschel] and his father. John enquires about Margaret Cowrie, and whether she is now a widow: 'he was as fine a fellow as ever fell a victim to Calcutta'. He has just found out that he has missed the last mail and will need to keep this letter back for ten or twelve days. He wishes her to ask his father whether anything can be made of the coincidence of the word 'nugget' from New South Wales and the word in Arabic; noting the Albanian for gunpowder is the same as they use in India. John is fond of etymological speculations [a section of letter appears to be missing at this point]. John continues with an account of a camel train bearing goods, and the possibility of the camel tumbling over quicksand. He gets seriously nervous at such times and hopes he would be up to an emergency. He gives an account of an accident while he was at Chatham, involving running a yacht into an old hulk, causing considerable danger, and an incident in India whil ehe was scambling along a cliff. [From 24 July] He has received the English papers, includign the 'Sussex Advertiser'. He hopes that she liked the bracelet he sent, and Bella her chain. He longs to see the school room transformed, but he has to wait another three years before coming home. He had hoped to make a tour of two months in India, giving details, but [James Thomas] Walker and [John Baboneau Nickterlien] Hennessey will be returning to India around Christmas time, and it would be impolitic for John to be absent. He has an ambition to have an Indian obsrervatory in the Himalayas, and being in charge of it when the time comes. [From 28 July] He will close the letter and go to bed as he has Dehra in the morning. He has been socialising during the week and is thinking of going to a fancy dress ball in September. He will have to be best man at one or two weddings. |
| Extent | 16p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7955 | Herschel; John (1837 - 1921); Colonel; military engineer, surveyor and astronomer | 1837 - 1921 |