FL860542

[Page 252]

Messina April 25 1811

My dear Mother

A few days since I had the pleasure to
receive your affectionate letters of the 11th of October 1809 and of
the 17th March and 6th of May of the following year. I have read
them over and over with the most lively solicitude, and with
sensations which you alone can conceive. The picture which
you have drawn of yourself is most affecting, but the many
smiling scenes of the surrounding beauties of the Farm must
surely greatly tend to direct your mind. Even at a distance
I am I seem under their influence But tho' to run over
those scenes is most amusing to me, yet of course you will
be better pleased that I should leave them and speak of those
only which are about myself.

I am now writing in the Guard Room alone –
in a small House appropriated for the Guard on the Marina
this Town which ever way I turn my eyes I am entirely faced
with a beautiful prospect. From the Northern Window is seen
the Faro (on which we were quar encamped) and that once
that dreadful Monster Scylla. From the Eastern I behold the har
bour of Messina formed by a narrow neck of land which
stretches round like a reap hook, and is so very low that
one would conceive it in danger from the sea. In the same
direction rise the Mountains of Calabria, from the summits
of which the Snow has but just disappeared. By a slight turn
of my head towards the north I can just discern the edies [eddies] of [continued at top of next page]

[continued from page 255]
Packet which I suppose you see. I am beginning to exhaust my subjects
and therefore it is in vain for me to attempt what is impossible for
an imagination so barren as mine. You desire, my dear Mother, that
I should give you detailed accounts of myself, but this to tell the Truth is
unpleasant for I. I. I. in a letter is quite disgusting, however as it is
a Mother's request, the scruple of the son must yield to so superior a power.

My Chief companion, I may say my only one is a young Irishman
of course a terrible blood thirsty fellow because an Hiburnian – However
this part of his Character I have not yet been enabled to discover, and
we have consequently since our first acquaintance at Winchester been
upon the best of terms. We have breakfasted together for six Months, and
as the best of friends esteeming each other as much as it is possible
for Army people to do. He keeps our breakfast account, a kind of
minutiae which I do not like the trouble of, as a Subaltern's account
generates ruses thus – 10lb. Salt – borrowed a little Sugar – to minding
the spout of the tea pot – sundries – Do [Ditto], Do Do to Salt; but however our
breakfast establishment is not so bad as the generallity. We have a
uniform set of tea things, and a clean table Cloth – a circumstance very
rare with our unfortunate [indecipherable]. Besides we are so that if not as
to indulge ourselves with two eggs a piece, and a couple of White Rolls,
together with milk, honey and butter and sundry other expensive Articles, and
upon the whole we are what Hannibal would call very comfortable.
[continued at lower part of next page]