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 I see by the papers that Jharawaddie has had the ex-queen trampled to death by an elephant, which is looked upon as an honourable mode of dying, and shows much kindness and consideration on the part of Jharawaddie. My servants are in a state of compassionate consternation to-day because Ariffe’s house has been broken into and his chief wife’s jewels carried off. I sent to know if there was any chance of recovery, and the messenger, who does not speak the best English in the world, came back and said he hoped so, for he had gone to complain to ‘the petticoat,’ which, as they all if possible avoid saying the word ‘wife,’ I naturally thought stood for the chief wife; and it was only after many details of the sayings and doings of the ‘petticoat’ that I found he meant the ‘petty court.’

This will find you set off to foreign parts, which irks me to think of. Your letters are a kind of second ‘yous.’ God bless you, dearest! Yours most affectionately, 1em