Birds of Passage

by Henrietta Clive

  Mr Malcolm has prepared oranges, yams and tamarinds in profusion for us, which will be a great relief. He is extremely civil. Mr Webbe’s elephant made us a visit today. I am afraid he cannot go with us as he drinks 14 gallons of water a day. I shall write again before we go tomorrow we are to go to the top of the Dolphin nose to breakfast at sunrise. There is not much to see as sights, but the country is a good deal like Simmons Bay and very pretty as new plants, shrubs or stones except some wild myrtle of which I shall desire you, my love, some seed. Did I tell you that Mr Corbet’s Charly Bird is so coarse and ugly I will not attempt to smuggle it. I shall show it to Mr Dick for his opinion. Adieu. The girls are in good spirits. The Bay horse is better and the Sultana perfectly so. The former has got a cold. I shall send you my pure horses. I should like them above all things in England. I know you will be impertinent about their shape and my own. They are not thin and I am sure would be very strong and useful in our roads. I should like them much if there was the means of conveying them, which we have not. God bless you, my dear Lord. I rejoice to hear your leg is better I assure you if you find the home quiet without us we miss you as much. The more I think of all we are to do the more I wish you were with us.

  Adieu.

  Ever your very affectionate,

  H. A. C.

  April 2nd, Vizagapatam, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  This morning as we came down from the Dolphin’s nose, I had the great pleasure of receiving your letter. Tho we have a little rarity of scene to relieve us which you do not, yet we think and speak of you continually and of your being separated from us and those are not the most cheerful times of the day. I gave your love to the dear girls who received the message with great pleasure. They are well and charmed with this place, which we are to leave on Sunday. I am very happy to find your leg is so much better. I was not a little anxious about it and very glad Mr Webbe is to be with you. The more people you have with you the better and of course all affairs must go on with expedition and ease when they and you can meet … whenever you please in a moment. I have received this morning a very gracious letter from Lord Wellesley enclosing one for his spouse by express which shall acknowledge tomorrow which I suppose it is right to do. I am very glad that all is going on so well … I shall be always glad to hear a little what is going on in this country, which I can only do from you. The news is not likely to travel to me in England from anybody there.

  We went this morning to Captain Blackmore’s. He is a fine old man and says that he had very bad health till he lived upon the Dolphin’s Nose and that here it is perfect. I am sure you would like it much. The view is not over a rich country but so pleasant that one forgets the want of trees. He has a good garden in that the soil has travelled up the hill, which was the most barren of places naturally and rather difficult of access. I really think it the most refreshing place I have seen next to Bangalore and we wished you to see it whenever you come to England. Mr Malcolm was much pleased by your response to him. He is very much like his Brother and very attentive to us.

  The French man is taken, for which I am sorry. I am afraid he will be kept in irons and I dislike his countenance so much that I had much rather he had gone entirely away. I find that everybody thinks we shall go into the Cape. Captain Urmston is believed to intend it and to say that his numbers of passengers are so great, that he will be obliged to go there tho there are now 200 ships ready for anybody here besides all other things. Mr Dick will tell you what he will say to him on the subject. Mr Woocock is not yet arrived. I removed the telescope and did not bring the drawings … because I thought they were to be copied for you first before they were to come to me …

  Signora Anna is a great deal better from bark and port wine. I have not got your picture yet. Mrs Gordon’s is to be done first. Mr Cartwright I do not think is much obliged to Strachey and you for sending him letters to copy that to Mr Scott he says he copied at Madras but is doing it again. You have not sent me the Duplicate to Mr Strachey and Rodson, which I copied. God bless you, my dear Lord. The girls send so many loves to you and everybody else requests many respects and compliments.

  Adieu. Ever your very affectionate,

  H. A. C.

  April 3rd, Charly’s journal

  Went up to the Dolphin’s nose, breakfasted with Captain Blackmore, and returned to Mr Malcolm’s house. One of the principal natives in this district sent Mamma a beautiful little sucking elephant as a present. We longed to keep it, it was so young and small, and covered with a handsome cloth and long tassels, but it was thought it would require so much water to drink, it would not be right to take it.

  April 3rd, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  I shall just tell you that we are all well because we are so vain as to think that you will like to hear it and we three have agreed today that it is right for you to hear every day while we are here. There are letters begun to you, which I believe, are to go tomorrow. Signora A is much better. I begin to think I am as good a physician as Dr Thomas. I insisted upon bark and port and from that time she recovered fast and has had a very slight return of her fever. I have seen Capt Urmston today who protests that he has no intention of going into the Cape unless from any unavoidable necessity if the sailors should have the scurvy or the animals want water but that in any case he should not stay more than forty-eight hours and promises still that we shall be in England in the course of August … but I rather doubt.

  My elephant spread great horror in the fleet. Everybody was afraid he was to be sent to their ship. I send you the letter about him and will you be so good as to say to Mr Alesana who has charge of him what is to be done with him.

  The Rajah of Vizagapatam sent me all sorts of sweets with a message by Mr Webbe, the resident or collector, with an Essence bottle and betel box which I did not accept, except the eatables. I have given up all thoughts of Samachilum. The thermometer there is at 102 and the dear girls are so well that I wish to keep them so without running any risk. I believe we are to embark on Sunday morning. Col Torin is so ill that I believe he is to remain being worse since he went on board. Col Strange is going I hear but he has been invisible they say because he is not quite sober nor has not been so these two days. Adieu. God bless you my dear Lord. The girls send many loves to you.

  Ever your very affectionate

  H. A. C.

  No news of Woodcock yet.

  April 4th, Vizagapatam, Charly to Lord Clive

  My dear Papa – I was very glad to hear through Mamma you were so much better and I hope by this time you are able to walk in the garden. I am afraid it is not so cool at Madras as it is here. The Thermometer is at 84 but the breeze is so strong we are as cool as possible. It seems as if every place almost is cooler than Madras, which is very unfortunate as the Government, and most of the inhabitants are there. I suppose you have not been to the Red Hills yet; as the weather is not growing much hotter I think you will find the Island the coolest place although there is no garden there. I daresay you will like it.

  We landed here on the 31st of March at a little before 6 o’clock in the morning. There was no surf in the little river where we came on shore, which is a very pleasant thing, and I hope we shall have none going on board again. The Castle Eden is very far from the shore as Capt Cumming is the youngest Captain in the Fleet and is therefore obliged to keep on the Commodore’s left hand and the Prince William Henry is on the right.

  I began this letter yesterday and since that have received yours which I am very much obliged to you for it. It was a pleasure I did not expect … Signora Anna was very ill with her ague two days after we arrived here but is now better but does not seem to have any wish to return to Madras. I am very glad to hear you are able to stir out again but should be still more so if I heard you were quite recovered. The Turcomans [horses, presumably from Turkmenistan] have indeed very short legs and I think they are the largest little beasts.

  Fevorsan, Mamma’s little elephant, is a very nice little beast but as they say he drinks 15 gallons o
f water a day he would not be a good person to have in a ship; he came the other day into the house to pay us a visit and seemed very tame.

  We have not found any pebbles here and only some wild myrtle and carpet grasses on the rocks. I never saw any place so barren as this. The Cape was not very well cultivated but I think it more so than this. The appearance of the land from Coringa to this place is very like it. I am very happy to tell you the Sultana is in perfect health as well as the cows and bulls. The horse on board the Sir Edward Hughes has had a very bad cold but is now much better. Likewise the Tanjore people are very well and the Mango Tree. Captain Brown says the Pineapples are shooting out and he thinks they will produce fruit, which will be very pleasant. Pray give my compliments to Tipu. The Tipu that is on board the ship is in very good health and spirits.

  Adieu, my dear Papa,

  I am ever your dutiful and affectionate daughter

  Charlotte Florentia Clive.

  Signora Anna presents her best respects to you and says she thinks she will be prey for fish of the sea if her fever is so naughty again.

  April 4th, Vizagapatam, Harry to Lord Clive

  My dear Papa – I was glad to hear in your letter to Charlotte (which she received this morning) that your leg was very near well, and that you intended taking again your usual walk round the garden … as well as looking at the new building. I am afraid the heat is growing more oppressive everyday at Madras. It is tolerably cool here, but we found it very hot in the ship, particularly when we were at anchor. We went up the Dolphin’s nose to Captain Blackmore’s House, the other day, and took a walk round the top of the hill, it is a very pretty place, I hope that when you come to England (which I sincerely hope you will soon do) you will come by this place, for I am sure you would like it very much. There is a little garden near it in which Captain Blackmore says everything thrives very much. All the soil is brought up from below. We did not see it. He caught seventeen cheetas in one year with traps. I do not think he has caught any lately. It is a very rocky hill and was at first covered with them and jungle. He told us he made a road three miles long but it was too expensive to continue it.

  We have seen the people inlaying the ivory. It appears very simple. They draw the pattern they intend with a pencil and then cut it out slightly with a small piece of iron. They afterwards put hot lac upon it and when it is dry scrape it off and polish it. The lac remains in the marks made with the piece of iron.

  We usually sit upon deck in the evening, as we used to do in the Dover Castle. When we first left Madras, we had fine moonlight nights but unfortunately they are now all past. We dine and breakfast in the stern gallery which is very pleasant but there is more motion there than in our cabins which makes it disagreeable in rolling weather. When we were at anchor off Narsapoor (where we had no great deal of motion) we could not sit there. Coringa was much more pleasant. There was scarcely any at all, as the ship was in a kind of bay, but it was very hot then.

  We expect to sail from hence on Monday, but are not quite sure. Mr Dick says he does not think we shall be later. The Prince William Henry is not ready, she lost an anchor off Coringa, and Captain Basket says it may detain us a day longer. Cockatoo is in perfect health, I hear (we left him in the ship) and is grown much more reconciled to his cage, but he does not much approve of having a cloth pined round it to prevent the sea spray from touching him. All the birds and beasts are very well not excepting Dhoondi, who is very frisky and a little fatter than he was at Madras.

  Believe me, ever, dear Papa,

  your dutiful and affectionate daughter,

  H. C.

  April 4th, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  As you have two letters today I shall keep mine till tomorrow. We were all much pleased with yours this morning. I long to take my Turcomans but Mr Dick looked so wise about hay and water that I did not dare. The governor may do as he pleases and I should like much if they were to follow me. They seem just the sort of things to bear a great deal of work and a road not quite so smooth as that to the Mount and Bandstand. They are very long lived. God bless you.

  You must excuse mistakes. We do not make foul copies of letters now and it is done by themselves.

  April 5th, Vizagapatam, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  We are still here and likely to remain till Sunday. Captain Basket lost an anchor off Coringa and was obliged to change his latter and do a great deal which prevented him from taking in the everlasting bales. He has sent word that he cannot be ready till Tuesday. Mr Woodcock arrived at 4 o’clock yesterday after a bad passage. We are all very well. Signora A, a great deal better. It is impossible to look better than the girls do. We have a sort of land wind that is far from pleasant and I feel it a good deal. Col Torin was supposed to be almost dying but he is revived and may possibly go on to England. One of General de Meuron’s boys has the liver complaint. They are very good-humoured souls and I am sorry they are ill. Captain Urmston promises that we are to cross the line in three weeks and be in England in August, but I do not quite believe him. I will take care of your letter to Mr Ashton and am much-obliged to you for those to Hadean and Mr Strachey.

  I wish I could wake and find myself within sight of England. It is a horrible voyage and I cannot help thinking of the Cape and the Britannia which we saw coming in there … The Thermometer is at 85 and indeed our climate is not now better than yours.

  We hear sad accounts from Ganjam.* All the villages burning and the people flying in every direction and the Bengal sepoys not yet arrived but I believe are within six days march.

  Mrs Baker is a very comfortable person to us … The girls send their best love to you. Charlotte is singing, not like a nightingale and old Harry taking a little care of herself just now but I have no fears for her from her healthy countenance. I am not at all sure if there had been new habitation upon the Dolphin’s Nose if we might not have remained another year. The air seems really perfect.

  Your letter delighted Charlotte very much. I hope the next will be to old Harry who looked a little disappointed I thought.

  God bless you.

  Ever, my dear Lord,

  your very affectionate

  H. A. C.

  April 6th, Monday morning, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  Mr Dick has hurried us on board and we are once more in the Castle Eden, tho the Prince William Henry will as everybody says not be ready to sail till tomorrow to which Mr Dick had agreed. I am on the couch and very uncomfortable. Since I began to write we have had a violent storm of rain, which has cooled us and done us good. I believe they are afraid of squalls from the Northwest.

  All the animals are well but a few of the plants dead for which I am very sorry. Harry is extremely well and Charlotte in good spirits. I shall take all-possible care of them but I confess I am very anxious for the rest of my time. I feel how much I have to take care of continually and the more I think of it the more uncomfortable I am at our separation. We have been so much more comfortable for these last years than we have ever been that I cannot help having much anxiety for the future. The common habits of life are so different in the different countries and all is so changed that it is all uncomfortable. I shall endeavour to do as well as I can and as nearly as I think you would. I beg you will write a great deal by every opportunity and a word by the overland dispatches. It will be a great pleasure and relief to me and I will write to you, you may be afraid. If any letter comes, which of course there will by the ships, pray open those from our own family but return them to me as I like, even tho’ I shall be at home to know who wrote and what they said. And all those from my own friends which can have nothing that can interest you, I hope to have unopened. I have desired Captain Brown to take care of any packets and to dispose of them. We have thunder and a great deal of swell and I wish we were off.

  Everybody’s love to you.

  God bless you, my dear Lord,

  and send you soon to us in England.

  Ever your affectionate,

  H. A. C.

/>   Charly’s journal of April 7th provided details about their fellow passengers and their living arrangements aboard ship. ‘Our party consisted of twelve persons: Mamma, Signora Anna, my sister and myself, in the round-house; Mrs Baker, in a small cabin next to us; Mrs Hart, half the great saloon; General de Meuron, the commanding officer of the Swiss Regiment, in the Company’s service, the other half, Mr Torin, Colonel Doveton, Mr Cartwright, and Mr Thomas, (surgeon) cabins on the gun-deck.’

  On April 9th the Castle Eden set sail. Captain Brown returned to Madras.

  April 9th, on board the Castle Eden, Henrietta to Lord Clive

  There is a small vessel in sight, which we hope may be something going to Madras. Therefore I shall prepare letters with a chance of its arriving with you. We are all pretty well, Harry and Charlotte extremely so. Harry begins to look healthy, at least I think more so than she did. Charlotte in great spirits. I am unable to sit up yet. Tho’ I am not sick, I am unable to move. Signora A is well again and everybody satisfied. We are all now in the Latitude of Madras. Godbless you. They will not let me write any more.