| Description | William was disturbed to hear that his letter was late and he might have prevented it; [William] Waterfield undertook to send it with an added note of his own. He relates that there had been two affrays involving 'old Stewart' [Hay Tweeddale Stewart] as a toll collector. Stewart has a knack of irritating everyone with whom he has a difference. William moved to Junghypore was because Aurangabad was to far from the most important part of his district. He was at Mirzapore [Mirzapur] yesterday to investigate a 'horrible murder'. A man had attempted to poison his uncle, had failed, then killed his aunt with a hatchet and hanged himself. This was witnessed by one of the family who bolted himself in a room. The transfer of headquarters has been sanctioned and William will need to plan a new building with the Executive Engineer. He did not see the occultation of Jupiter, but the passage of the Moon between Jupiter and Venus earlier in the month was 'very lovely'. In his own experience of affray, the matter was entirely betwen hired fighting men and the police, and the case is before the executive authorities. It was observed that William's going at night to make arrests was injudicious, but showed zeal. The failure of the criminal trial was not William's doing, but he may yet feel the goverment's displeasure. All of his recent annoyances mean little except for the heavier punishment of there being 'a something wanting in my judgement which prevents me from seeing matters as other people do'. He acts on his last judgement rather than upon a whole fair view of the case, he surmises, and thinks it right until the judge or collector upsets that view. He has now resolved to try chess, and he has improved. He gives thanks for law books and now needs only one prismatic compass, as he bought one in Calcutta [Kolkata] which was expensive and full of faults. |