Details
cover 1879 (5 Oct.-1 Dec.) XU5's (9), each with contents, each to his father or to his sister, eight XU5's bearing Cape 6d. rectangular, the other put into the mail in England, all written at Cape Town, the Great Britain XU5 damaged, the others with one or two faults but mostly fine.
Further details
Extract:
October 5th - A, B, C, D and E Companies sail from Durban on the 1st; F, G and H remain there for the present. They go on to the Maritius when a ship comes. My Company is to be stationed here. B Company go to St. Helena. Mr Cookson belongs to B Company and is very much out of sorts at the thought of that little island. I think the Cape the best of the three by a long way, and am lucky in that respect.
October 14th - We are getting slowly settled down in our new quarters, the Barracks are large for us alone but just now there are no end of soldiers' wives in the place, women of all regiments, but I am glad to say they will soon move off to their husbands in different parts of South Africa, the children in the Barracks square and the passages are a horrid nuisance and you are always tumbling over them.
October 21st - The men have far too much money and of course spend most of it on Cape wine which being cheap they drink like beer and are much surprised at the effect it has on them. Soldiers will never believe till its actually proved in their own case and then are not quite sure and would prefer to experiment again.
November 2nd - The south east winds blow here tremendously throwing up clouds of dust and the only place to escape them is in the country at Wynberg. There was a cricket match going on there yesterday to which everyone great and small went. Our band played during the afternoon and is much praised. It really plays very well considered it has been so broken up lately. Lady Frere gave a dance the other night a very good one, I should say there were over 200 at it, Dutch and English. We are much surprised at the number of young ladies here. The afternoon previous to the dance four of us went to Government House to practice reel dancing. The four Miss Freres had danced it a little before but all the ladies took to it wonderfully and we were able to get up three sets on the night of the dance. Our pipe Major playing for us. The Freres are most kind and hospitable and always asking some of us up there.
November 18th - Mr Dickson has been astonishing the natives by going about in a kilt. I believe he wore one in Edinburgh. I don't like it and besides he is not a Highlander, which would be the only excuse for wearing it out here. He likes being conspicuous.
October 5th - A, B, C, D and E Companies sail from Durban on the 1st; F, G and H remain there for the present. They go on to the Maritius when a ship comes. My Company is to be stationed here. B Company go to St. Helena. Mr Cookson belongs to B Company and is very much out of sorts at the thought of that little island. I think the Cape the best of the three by a long way, and am lucky in that respect.
October 14th - We are getting slowly settled down in our new quarters, the Barracks are large for us alone but just now there are no end of soldiers' wives in the place, women of all regiments, but I am glad to say they will soon move off to their husbands in different parts of South Africa, the children in the Barracks square and the passages are a horrid nuisance and you are always tumbling over them.
October 21st - The men have far too much money and of course spend most of it on Cape wine which being cheap they drink like beer and are much surprised at the effect it has on them. Soldiers will never believe till its actually proved in their own case and then are not quite sure and would prefer to experiment again.
November 2nd - The south east winds blow here tremendously throwing up clouds of dust and the only place to escape them is in the country at Wynberg. There was a cricket match going on there yesterday to which everyone great and small went. Our band played during the afternoon and is much praised. It really plays very well considered it has been so broken up lately. Lady Frere gave a dance the other night a very good one, I should say there were over 200 at it, Dutch and English. We are much surprised at the number of young ladies here. The afternoon previous to the dance four of us went to Government House to practice reel dancing. The four Miss Freres had danced it a little before but all the ladies took to it wonderfully and we were able to get up three sets on the night of the dance. Our pipe Major playing for us. The Freres are most kind and hospitable and always asking some of us up there.
November 18th - Mr Dickson has been astonishing the natives by going about in a kilt. I believe he wore one in Edinburgh. I don't like it and besides he is not a Highlander, which would be the only excuse for wearing it out here. He likes being conspicuous.