241 



Dalton and your sister all health and happiness, is most true; no 

 wish rises nearer my heart than that for the welfare of 3'ou all. 

 Keep me in remembrance as one who has a just sense of your 

 worth and virtues, and who will esteem it as one of the first plea- 

 sures England can hereafter afford — the renewal of our intimacy in 

 that happ3 r isle, without the idea of another separation. 



" But when my destiny will lead me thither I dare not venture 

 to pronounce; I hope however within four or five years. This 

 side of India has now very few profitable situations in the com- 

 pany's service ; and by the loss of Baroche, and all our valuable 

 possessions, the prospect is altogether gloomy. We are weighed 

 down by an enormous debt, unnecessary expenses, and a great 

 scarcity of cash. No payments to any civil department of the ser- 

 vice; the military swallow up our whole resources. Transfer is 

 now at thirty-three per centum, with a prospect of being worse as 

 soon as the army accounts are liquidated." 



" Accept my sincere thanks for your beautiful 

 painting of flowers, which I shall preserve until we have again the 

 pleasure of meeting in England — yet I am almost sorry you are go- 

 ing to that happy country where we all so much wish to be; but that 

 proceeds from too selfish a principle to be cherished: for believe 

 me, my dear friend, there are not two persons in the world in 

 whose success I more rejoice than yours and Dalton's. I am well 

 assured neither of you will forget me, but on the contrary I shall 

 frequently receive letters from you both. I have hinted to my 

 sister that you have many volumes of drawings and descriptions of 



every part of India in which you have been, which would be very 

 vol. iv. 2 1 



