Record

HSF - Correspondence of Sir John Frederick William Herschel, and the Herschel family
- 3 - Letters of William James Herschel
  - 1 - Letters from William James Herschel to family members

RefNo	HSF/3/1/2
Level	Item
Title	Letter from William James Herschel, Nimes, and on board ship off Sicily, to 'Dearest Mamma' [Margaret Brodie Herschel]
Creator	Herschel; Sir William James; second baronet (1833-1917); British developer of fingerprinting and judge
Date	25 January 1853
Description	He feels the excitement has done him good, as he feels less heavy-hearted. He is now at Nimes, having travelled from Paris, spending five days there instead of three. He notes seeing pictures and statues at the Louvre and lists his other visits. He delivered the letter to Madame Tricquette, but others were not at home. M. [Henri Victor] Regnualt and M. [Jean-Baptiste] Biot were not at their colleges. He gives an account of theatre visits, including Racine's Mithridate in which Madame Rachel acted well. He notes his travel route and gives an extended description of a view of sunrise at the Pont du Gard and the village of Remoulins; it was a 'river of light' which he would have laughed at if painted as a reality. He still laughs at [Joseph Mallord William] Turner, however. He has spent the day at Nimes and will go to Marseilles to catch the boat tomorrow. A fountain and statues have been added to the town, and the back of the Temple of Diana has been excavated. William gives a sketch of limestone stratification at this site and relates how the aqueduct has been traced to the Roman baths. He is sitting up to try to see the amphitheatre by moonlight. [On board ship off Sicily] He describes the strong winds which impeded his train, which arrived at Marseilles just half and hour before his boat's departure. The steamer did not start until the next morning, however. [Two days later] William has been seasick, the ship now goes a twelve knots and he expects to be in Malta next. If the 'Indus' has sailed, he will go to Alexandria on his present ship. Admiral [Sir Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds] Pellew, now seventy years old, is on board and has taken up William very kindly. He returns to his stay in Paris, and his impressions of France and the French, including gentlemen, food, and stone architecture. He agrees with his father that 'nationality is the great character of the Frenchman'. He saw the Emperor at the theatre and believes he is to be married. The Rhone and Saone at Lyons were beautiful, but he did not go far enough to see the spots sketched by his mother. William thinks he will have little time in Malta. He gives some messages to pass on and recalls the dangerous Pont St Esprit on the Rhone.
Extent	14p.
Format	Manuscript
PhysicalDescription	Ink on paper
AccessStatus	Open

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