| Description | He takes advantage of a holiday to write to Herschel, despite not having a rely to his last, knowing that Herschel has many correspondents. He explains the state of his cases, and that the Major-General has put him on special duty 'as a sort of Head Detective', allowing his to choose his own men from different districts. He describes a case involving a band of 'Dacoitee' [armed bandits] which he broke by making a former head bandit a chief constable. He states that some of his force is out in the districts in disguise, relaying information, and describes thirty of his men who are 'cutthroats...yet true as steel'. He notes the a billiard table is en route, which will 'drive the blues into the shades of oblivion'. Cholera is widespread in the region, giving examples of sufferers, including a doctor who died of the disease. He notes the dreadful state of affairs there, with no-one to talk to and a miserable library. Barton has called, and says he knows Herschel; Parker is also coming. He would never have left the North West is he has known the conditions, promotion or not. The prevailing idea among men there is 'to make money and cut' and he gives an unflattering description of their wives. |