| Description | He wrote last from Suez, and has learned to like sea-voyaging, which he describes as monotonous, with 'intolerable heat and stench' below decks. He describes a visit to Aden, and its landscape and heat, where he had an introduction to Lieutenant Playfair at one of the cantonments. William had the urge to 'waylay' an eagle, borrowing a gun from a Mr Wilson. Wilson brought down a black vulture. William missed his eagle, but Wilson eventually succeeded, and there is an extended description of their hunting. Eventually, William had collected four feathers for his cap, from a small swift pigeon, a white vulture, a black vulture, and a hawk. He describes hotels in Aden, 'long, low, and flat roofed' and life on board ship, where he is completing the index to his law and history notebooks. He is now at Point de Galle [Galle, Sri Lanka] but his adventures at Ceylon must wait until he writes from Calcutta [Kolkata]. |