Carclew <1>
September 11th 1828 –
My dear Henry
We arrived here last Sunday, after having spent a few days very pleasantly at Saltram, & a week still more agreeably at Kingston Hall. – Saltram is in a charming country, about two miles from Plymouth – we made an excursion in the admiral’s twelve-oared barge to Mount Edgcumbe, <2> which far surpassed my imagination, though I had heard so much about it; ever since we have been in this part of the country, we all feel somehow as if we were out of England, & Mt Edgcumbe in particular put me more in mind of Italy than any thing I have seen since I left it. – You would be delighted with the gardens; there are three, English, french [sic] & Italian – the orange-trees are more than one hundered [sic] years old; & the finest ilex’s, bay-trees, cypress’s, cork-trees & magnolia’s grow in the open air. Ld Mt E. <3> received us very hospitably & lent us his carriage to drive about the grounds; looking at the calm, blue sea through trees, from a great height, struck me as particularly italian. –
We then went to the Breakwater, a stupendous work built at the entrance of the sound; when finished it will a [sic] mile long, & 460 feet broad at the foundations; but it will be some time before it is completed, as it has already been sixteen years in building, & a great deal still remains to be done. –
The Russian fleet happened to have been driven into the harbour a few days ago by stress of weather, so we determined to finish our excursion by a visit to the commodore; he had just gone ashore, but we went on board his ship notwithstanding, and were received by two officers, one of whom spoke a little french [sic] luckily, & the other a few words of English – I had never seen so large a vessel before; it had 74 guns, & was called the Czar Konstantin; every thing was as clean as possible except the men, who looked rather uncivilised. –
Lady Morley <4> is the most agreable woman I ever met with, & draws & paints like an artist –
It is just 4 o’clock, so I must fold up my letter, though I have quantities of things to say. –
Mama <5> desires me to say she cannot conceive why we have been so long in hearing from you? we cannot help thinking it must be your fault in not writing, & are all rather angry & very much surprised at it. – Do pray answer this as soon as possible, that we may know at least where abouts you are –
Yr affectionate sister
C. A. Feilding
Two letters have been received from Uncle John <7> who is at Malta & coming home as quick as possible
Switzerland
Monsieur
Monsieur Henry Fox Talbot
Poste Restante
Genève
en Suisse
Notes:
1. Carclew, Cornwall, 3 mi N of Penryn: seat of Sir Charles Lemon.
2. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe.
3. Richard Edgcumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe (1764–1839).
4. Frances Parker, née Talbot, Lady Morley (d. 1857).
5. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
6. See Doc. No: 01700.
7. John George Charles Fox Strangways (1803–1859), MP.