Letters from Madras, during the years 1836-1839 / By a lady [i.e. J.C. Maitland].

  • Maitland, Julia Charlotte, -1864
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters from Madras, during the years 1836-1839 / By a lady [i.e. J.C. Maitland]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and are to remain here till Thursday. Frank is gone to the consul to get a passport, and inquire about a ship to take him home. Weare grown pretty well used to the life on board ship. Everybody is good-natured and civil. Captain Faulkner is our chief crony, but we are all good friends. I am beginning greatly to enjoy some parts of our sea-life, especially the bright blue water, and the bright yellow moonlight,—such colours as no shoregoing people ever saw. August 25th.—Madeira is very lively, very like Lucca: the country, and the heat, and the people, are Italy over again. We have just been to visit a convent here. ‘There is not much to be seen. The nuns spoke to us through a double grating and sold us flowers. Nobody is allowed to see the inside of the convent. They spoke nothing but Portuguese. They came to me, chirping, and asking me to talk to them, and to tell them something ; but, unluckily, though I could understand what they said to me, I could not answer a word ; so we were obliged to be content with nodding and bobbing, and looking friendly at each other. We have taken some beautiful rides and gathered nosegays of wild flowers—heliotropes, roses, fuchsias, and every variety of gera- niums. To-night we go on board again, leaving Frank here to find his way home by the first ship. We shall be very anxious to hear his adventures: I am afraid he may be obliged to go round by Lisbon, for no English ship is expected just at present. The Captain has sent his summons for us, so I must say ‘‘ Good-bye.” a a nr -B2