Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 2 June 1866
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 2 June 1866
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 2 June 1866
Sender
Thornton Arnott Lewes
Recipient
n Arnott Lewes
Date(s)
- 1866-06-02
Place
Ladismith
Letter Content
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 2 June 1866
MS: Yale.
Ladismith | June 2. 1866.
Private Business
Dear Pater,
The beginning of your letter of the 7th puzzled me immensely till on finishing it, I discovered the enclosures of F.I.D. 708 and Cronin's letters, which disgusted me immensely.
The way I got into debt of 20£, not £22 (2 pounds were Cronin's accounts) was this. I intended to start up country in the beginning of September, but owing to Cronin's joining me, to weather, dilatoriness of the waggonmaker etc. we did not start till the end of October, and as I had to stay in Durban during the time Hotel expenses were unavoidable. As to Cronin's statement that he "incautiously made a bill in my favour" that is all bosh, if he had not made the bill, for our combined debts, he would not have been able to go, any more than I, though certainly his was a smaller amount. To prevent the endorsers of the two Bills from suffering more loss than possible at the moment, I sent down my watch and chain to Cronin to sell and repay them, but I believe the watch never reached him.
Cronin's letter was written on the 2nd of September before he had seen me, before he had understood how it was that I had not been quicker in coming down owing to non receipt of his letters, and as to his statement about my running myself into debt etc. he had heard the report that I was "spree"ing it at Sandsprint (of course a pure fiction). Notwithstanding his letter is as you say an impertinence, both to you and to me, and I shall not forget it when I see him again. . . .
I turn to the more pleasant part of my letter. . . . The Free State war with the Basutos being now ended, by the Basutos giving up the best fourth of their country, the Govt. of the F. State has determined to protect itself from future wars by giving 3 rows of places averaging 3000 acres each along the new boundary line to men who are willing to occupy them on military tenure. . . . Now I, am one of those who have the preference in getting a farm, being as Art. 15 1 says "a white person who has done actual burgher or commando service during the present war." And this farm I must occupy. . . . If you send out Bertie to me, we will go partners, he putting in the cash with which you will fit him out, and I putting in my farm, pledging myself to stick thereto for the term of 3 years. [A detailed list of the cost of house, waggon, stock, oxen, etc. totaling £400 and for Bertie's guns and clothes.]
Since my last letter with the description of the battle of Plattberg I only made one patrol, and though 23 of the enemy were killed, there was no fighting. . . . Peace was concluded about the middle of April, the 15th I think, and we went back to Bloemfontein. I returned slowly to Natal, sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback, and astonished the natives who had heard that I was killed. . . . During my journey I went in for a month's schoolmastering at a Boer's on the road. My intention was not to go down to Natal till I had got the title deeds of my farm, but afterwards I thought it would be better to go down and get my letters, to hear what your ideas were, in the meantime. However as to schoolmastering, I tried it for a week . . . but the hopeless stupidity of Boer children . . . was such that I was not sorry, when the Boer's daughter, a girl of about 16, gave me "cheek," to make that an excuse and "hook it." . . . If Bertie is to come out, you had better despatch him at once. . . .
This is I think all I have to say, so with love to every one I remain, Dear Pater
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Lewes.
MS: Yale.
Ladismith | June 2. 1866.
Private Business
Dear Pater,
The beginning of your letter of the 7th puzzled me immensely till on finishing it, I discovered the enclosures of F.I.D. 708 and Cronin's letters, which disgusted me immensely.
The way I got into debt of 20£, not £22 (2 pounds were Cronin's accounts) was this. I intended to start up country in the beginning of September, but owing to Cronin's joining me, to weather, dilatoriness of the waggonmaker etc. we did not start till the end of October, and as I had to stay in Durban during the time Hotel expenses were unavoidable. As to Cronin's statement that he "incautiously made a bill in my favour" that is all bosh, if he had not made the bill, for our combined debts, he would not have been able to go, any more than I, though certainly his was a smaller amount. To prevent the endorsers of the two Bills from suffering more loss than possible at the moment, I sent down my watch and chain to Cronin to sell and repay them, but I believe the watch never reached him.
Cronin's letter was written on the 2nd of September before he had seen me, before he had understood how it was that I had not been quicker in coming down owing to non receipt of his letters, and as to his statement about my running myself into debt etc. he had heard the report that I was "spree"ing it at Sandsprint (of course a pure fiction). Notwithstanding his letter is as you say an impertinence, both to you and to me, and I shall not forget it when I see him again. . . .
I turn to the more pleasant part of my letter. . . . The Free State war with the Basutos being now ended, by the Basutos giving up the best fourth of their country, the Govt. of the F. State has determined to protect itself from future wars by giving 3 rows of places averaging 3000 acres each along the new boundary line to men who are willing to occupy them on military tenure. . . . Now I, am one of those who have the preference in getting a farm, being as Art. 15 1 says "a white person who has done actual burgher or commando service during the present war." And this farm I must occupy. . . . If you send out Bertie to me, we will go partners, he putting in the cash with which you will fit him out, and I putting in my farm, pledging myself to stick thereto for the term of 3 years. [A detailed list of the cost of house, waggon, stock, oxen, etc. totaling £400 and for Bertie's guns and clothes.]
Since my last letter with the description of the battle of Plattberg I only made one patrol, and though 23 of the enemy were killed, there was no fighting. . . . Peace was concluded about the middle of April, the 15th I think, and we went back to Bloemfontein. I returned slowly to Natal, sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback, and astonished the natives who had heard that I was killed. . . . During my journey I went in for a month's schoolmastering at a Boer's on the road. My intention was not to go down to Natal till I had got the title deeds of my farm, but afterwards I thought it would be better to go down and get my letters, to hear what your ideas were, in the meantime. However as to schoolmastering, I tried it for a week . . . but the hopeless stupidity of Boer children . . . was such that I was not sorry, when the Boer's daughter, a girl of about 16, gave me "cheek," to make that an excuse and "hook it." . . . If Bertie is to come out, you had better despatch him at once. . . .
This is I think all I have to say, so with love to every one I remain, Dear Pater
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Lewes.
Signature
Thornton Lewes.
Citation
Thornton Arnott Lewes, Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 2 June 1866, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/95621