Bâle
Septr 29th
My dear Henry
I was much disappointed at finding no letters here either from you or Caroline <1> or anybody tho’ we have been so long on the road there was quite time enough. We did not go to Manheim so I wrote to the Postmaster there to send our letters to Zurich – & shall hope to find some there for we have not had a single line yet. We very near missed the train leaving Francfort & had hardly time to take leave of Uncle W. <2> who had been taking us to some shops, whereby we were seduced into forgetting the time – we got to Carlsruhe that evg early. but next day we really did arrive at the station just too late & poor Ld Mt E. <3> had to sit from 9 till 12 in his carriage waiting – & we did not get here till 11 o’clock last night, having 2 most heavy stages from the end of the railroad – (wh by the bye you never mentioned & the maps put it as going quite to Bâle.) The Hotel was so full we could hardly lodge ourselves – but today some people have made room by going We took a pretty drive & walk to the Castle of Arlesheim – tomorrow also we must stay here to wash & then begin our vetturino <4> progress thro’ Switzerland – Pray write to Genoa – & then Leghorn – Ld Mt E. says if possible he wd wish to catch the steamer that leaves Leghorn the 13th & Naples the 19th so you can judge about sending yr letters – Love to C. <5> I hope A. <6> is better
Yr aff sister
Horatia
Notes:
1. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
2. Henry Stephen Fox Strangways, 3rd Earl of Ilchester (1787–1858).
3. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
4. Coach, coachman.
5. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
6. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].