Dover,
Saturday night Dec. 11. 1824
My Dear Mother,
I am arrived here with no other casualty than the loss of my keys, which seem to have been left in Giovanni’s <1> possession. We had a long & rough passage (5 hours and 20 minutes) I was ill of course, but not more so than usual, & was therefore astonished to find myself on my arrival quite abattu <2> & stupid, for instance I let my cloak drop off on the quay & never found it out till somebody told me; nor could I find the way to the Ship Inn which I know as well as our house in Sackville St. <3> To be sure one reason was, that it was night & dark as pitch – I never was so much affected before by the sea, after the voyage was over, doubtless owing to the animal spirits having been previously exhausted by passing two successive nights in the Diligence. The only satisfaction was that I patronized our old friend Capt Bushell, <4> & he beat the rival packet by a quarter of an hour. – We made signals for a boat to shew on the way into Dover harbour, it being pitch dark, the weather was cloudy & gloomy the wind foul but moderate. The Calais diligence went a snail’s pace taking 40 hours & a half on its journey – my companions were commonplace. The evening I left you I went to sleep & slept well all night; on waking the sun was shining bright & looking out of the window I saw the Cathedral of Amiens not two miles before me. I visited it after breakfast – We eat our luncheon at sunset at Abbeville. Our road then lay through Montreuil, Boulogne & other places, which I am not the first traveller that has visited. We dined at Montreuil at 10 at night & reached Boulogne at ½ past 4 in the morn (today) That night was lovely, cloudless moonlight. Towards morning it overcast & the day grew dismal. At Boulogne we picked up Capt Bushell who went with us to Calais where his vessel lay. The second night I slept little & very disturbed that is last night; it was not cold either night. I will not take the diligence any more, the expense is the same as travelling in one’s own carriage the distance of 24 posts; therefore one only gains the difference between 24 & 32 & loses 12 hours time or a good nights rest. – You have given me a letter directed Isabella Thomasina <5> but as her name is Isabella Catherine I wish you would take the trouble to write another, & send it me in the Ambassador’s bag. Our Conductor was the only original in the diligence with his pious ejaculations mal à propos, <6> as he walked about in the night <illegible deletion> in the rainy streets éclairez moi, <7> he bawls out, car il y a un <vaisseau?> Dieu merci! <8>
Give my love to all
Your affte Son
H. Talbot
Lady Elisabeth Feilding
Hotel de la Terrasse
Rue Rivoli
Paris
Notes:
1. Giovanni Percij.
2. Dejected.
3. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.
4. See Doc. No: 01117.
5. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874).
6. Unsuitable.
7. Enlighten me.
8. For there is a <vessel> thank God.