Bath
5 Octr 1847
My Dear Horatia
This evening arrived your welcome letter from Bâle, <1> bearing several curious postmarks, which I cannot explain, or account for. They were
(1) Basel 30 Septr
(2) zu Spät
(3) Bale 3 Octr
From which it could appear that letters when too late, are detained three days – And that when they do set out, they make up for lost time by accomplishing the journey to Bath in 2 days
I remember being puzzled in a similar way when I was in Switzerland, by noticing that the Boulogne postmark on the letters always preceded the actual time by 2 days only – I think it must be a legal or administrative fiction, but I do not discover the use of it.
I am sorry that you had such a long day’s journey from Carlsruhe to Bale, and hope that no ill consequences resulted from the fatigue. You say that I did not tell you of the interrupted communication between Schlingen and Bâle. This is too bad – I wrote a long and explicit letter to Ld Mt E. <2> himself warning him of the unfinished railroad, and mentioning that I myself had had a narrow escape on that road from the upsetting of an omnibus in the dark, & telling him by all means to avoid it by taking the French line which is complete through Kiel, Strasburg & Colmar – This I did myself on my return, & found it a very pleasant line, and not much further in distance, and the French custom houses (the only drawback) civil.
I should like very much to come and see you at Palermo during the winter, if it were not so far off – the French ought to be excommunicated for not having yet made a railroad from Paris to Marseille –
Your affte
Henry
Wednesday 6 October.
Caroline <3> has just arrived from Windsor on her way to Mt Edgcumbe, <4> and will spend the Evening with us.
C. has asked the Q. <5> to appoint Nicole <6> photographer in ordinary to her Majesty, to which she graciously consented – so that his establishment in Regent St will receive a great accession of dignity
Constance <7> desires me to thank you for the letter she received from you three days ago.
Notes:
1. There is a letter from Horatia to WHFT from Bâle dated 29 September 1847, but it bears no postmarks. [See Doc. No: 05996].
2. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe.
5. Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901).
6. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.
7. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.