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Muzaffarpur.—Sends birthday greetings, and refers to the receipt of a parcel containing cards to himself and to his Christmas dinner with the Collector. Discusses his future movements.

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Transcript

Mozufferpore
Dec 27. 97

My dear Ellen.

I write this on your birthday, wishing you many happy returns. I wonder whether you are having a bright sunny day; here we have delightful weather. It is just like a very fine English September, but somewhat warmer in the middle of the day. We have some capital games of lawn tennis from 3 to 5.

Possibly you may not know, or be able to find this place on a map because it is spelt all kinds of ways; in that case look North West from Calcutta & you will come to Patna & a little North you will see this.

A fine budget arrived here Xmas eve forwarded on from Nellore containing among others Xmas & birthday cards from Mother yourself & Carry; I think but for the insertion of “birthday” it would have quite escaped my remembrance that I had such a thing coming off at all, & I should have reached the mature age of 26 without ever becoming aquainted† with the fact.

I have now definitely made up my mind to stop in India till I go to Australia; this I have arranged because Booty very much prefers my coming to him at the end of February & wants me to go round some Islands with him, & this will probably take 3 or 4 weeks.

Please address all letters after you receive this (and it is really much the best plan for any one travelling to India because in this way no time is wasted) | to c/o Thos Cook & Son | Bombay; | & I will keep them posted up in my whereabouts & they will forward letters on.

There are quite a number of people in this station & we have a lovely time.

On Xmas day we went & dined with the Collector (I am not sure whether you will have got used to this term yet; it means the chief Magistrate, a post to which Campbell & Adie will probably attain in about 10 years) & his wife & had a pleasant little party of 14; this evening we are going to a small dance there.

With thanks for all your good wishes

I remain

Ever your aff[ectiona]te Brother
Fredk W Lawrence

I shall probably leave here about Jany 3 or 4 & go to Calcutta, & spend 10 days there. For the eclipse I shall join a party somewhere near Benares; I am not sure yet of the place; Campbell is going there with Michy Smith the Madras Astronomer, & I shall possibly meet Dr Common, & I fancy Christie.

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† Sic.

Cambridge Mission, Delhi.—Responds to letters from home. His decision not to return to Calcutta prevented him from seeing Mr Preston again. Describes his stays at Roorkee and Delhi.

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Transcript

Cambridge Mission | Delhi.
Feb 10. 98

My dear Ellen

I find I have only written to you once since I have been in India, but then of course I have reckoned really all letters to 79 L.G. as the same. Your letters to me have at last got straight; so I have to acknowledge yours & Carry’s of Jany 14 & Mama’s of Jany 21, all of which brought very interesting news; please thank Carry for managing subscriptions; she guessed right about the Homeopathic Hoop. I have an order; I forgot that they were in the habit of sending a receipt from there, or I would have told her that. I don’t think there is anything else which calls for comment.

As I altered my plans & settled not to go back to Calcutta, I have not been able to see Mr Preston again; I am disappointed as I should have liked to have had a talk with him; it was a pity that owing to a mistake of mine (forgetting he was there) I left it too late to do more than just have a few words with him when he was busy; but such mistakes can’t help happening. I have not been able to get as far as Lahore to see the other brother.

I had a jolly time with Tipple at Roorkee, & we went over for Saturday to Monday to a place near by (only 7 hours away by rail!) to see two other Cambridge men, H. S. Rix whom I used to know very well (a Trinity Man who has been out 3 years), & H N Hutchinson who came out with me on board the Caledonia, & so we were 4 together. It seemed quite like old times.

At Roorkee I spent the days in the labs trying in vain to distill some very dirty mercury, in the afternoons I played tennis or rowed or rode on my bicycle, & one morning went out for a ride on a horse.

Then in the evening I went sometimes & dined at the Mess of the R E officers (Royal Engineers) who kindly made me an honorary member during my stay.

Here as you will see I am stopping at the Mission, & have found one man who was up at Trinity with me; but so far it has been rather wet & I have not seen much of the sights.

I am going however to drive out to-morrow morning to the Kut’b, one of the residents here going with me, & we hope to spend some hours wandering about. I am afraid I shant be very good at descriptions but such little as I can give will be sent shortly to complete my second encyclical.

With love to all

Your affectionate Brother.
Fredk W Lawrence.