Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 22 September 1865
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 22 September 1865
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 22 September 1865
Sender
Thornton Arnott Lewes
Recipient
Thornton Arnott Lewes
Date(s)
- 1865-09-22
Place
Ladismith
Letter Content
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 22 September 1865
MS: Yale.
Ladismith, | September 22. 1865.
Dear Pater,
Yours of the 15th July, has just turned up, along with 2 first numbers of the Fortnightly, for which I am much obliged. My other letters, will by this time have arrived giving you all the details "the latest news from [Our own Correspondent.]"
Respecting Bertie, he is knocked on the head (morally) for some time to come, as there will be no trading to be done for a good time, now. The War between the Free State and the Basutos must first be over, even supposing there is no war between Natal and the Basutos, of which there is a strong possibility. In fact this country is so fearfully unsettled, that it is hard enough for the present inhabitants to get anything to do, and therefore not at all the time for new arrivals. When the time seems fit I will write you full details.
Of course, I should go on with the trading for a couple of years or so at least till Bertie could manage perfectly independently for himself, and I would be at Durban ready to receive him, whenever he might come. Of course, you would let me know in what ship he would start and when. Wherever I might be in Natal, I should not take long to get to Durban in case of his arrival.
I start today or tomorrow to join the Free State Boers against the Basutos, as I hear, there is a Commando (consisting of all the armed men of a district) just over the Natal boundary. Percy Whitehead, to whom I brought out a letter of introduction from his sister Mrs. Malleson, 671 has just come down from the seat of war, where he has been distinguishing himself. I came into town yesterday, from the farm where I have been stopping, on purpose to see him and make arrangements to go back with him, but unfortunately he has gone to Maritzburg. I hope soon to have a little wild fighting to describe, but the Basutos are such cowards, they run very soon. I should think 2,000 Basutos have been killed and wounded (at least) during the war, and not more than 50 Boers, if as many, so you see the danger is not very great. I will write and give you all the news, with descriptions of Commando life etc. whenever I have an opportunity, but don't be frightened if you don't hear for two or three months. Since last I wrote I have been doing nothing, staying on the farm, painting a waggon, papering rooms etc. mild work of this kind. I have just recovered 13 oxen of those stolen, the Kaffir chiefs having sent down some of the stolen cattle. So these go towards paying the debts of the firm.
I am glad to hear Charlie is so happy, how do you find the house without him? But I suppose you see a good deal of him. I hope the Fortnightly pays you well, whatever it may do as regards the publishers.
This letter is a short one, for there is nothing to be said at all, vegetation is so like in all parts of the world, that when I tell you, I have been vegetating for the last 2 months, you know as much about me as I do myself. I forgot to say that by volunteering for the Free State I obtain a right to a farm in that country and to a share of the booty, which I am afraid won't be enormous. I wish everything was comfortably settled, the state of disturbance here, is so uncomfortable; one can't make up one's mind to settle down quietly to anything, as at any moment, one may be called out to fight Basutos or Zulus.
Luise Burckhardt was married on the 4th of April, and as she went to Italy for her honeymoon, Charlie and she must have been pretty close to each other, at Milan, Florence or somewhere thereabouts.
My latest literary intelligence, is that I have composed a song in 23 verses for the Natal Frontier Guard, likewise various bad jokes, of which I insert one for your special amusement. What is the most wonderful British hybrid? The Bull-ass (Bullace)!!! I call that "Plum a falla."
With much love to everybody,
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Lewes.
MS: Yale.
Ladismith, | September 22. 1865.
Dear Pater,
Yours of the 15th July, has just turned up, along with 2 first numbers of the Fortnightly, for which I am much obliged. My other letters, will by this time have arrived giving you all the details "the latest news from [Our own Correspondent.]"
Respecting Bertie, he is knocked on the head (morally) for some time to come, as there will be no trading to be done for a good time, now. The War between the Free State and the Basutos must first be over, even supposing there is no war between Natal and the Basutos, of which there is a strong possibility. In fact this country is so fearfully unsettled, that it is hard enough for the present inhabitants to get anything to do, and therefore not at all the time for new arrivals. When the time seems fit I will write you full details.
Of course, I should go on with the trading for a couple of years or so at least till Bertie could manage perfectly independently for himself, and I would be at Durban ready to receive him, whenever he might come. Of course, you would let me know in what ship he would start and when. Wherever I might be in Natal, I should not take long to get to Durban in case of his arrival.
I start today or tomorrow to join the Free State Boers against the Basutos, as I hear, there is a Commando (consisting of all the armed men of a district) just over the Natal boundary. Percy Whitehead, to whom I brought out a letter of introduction from his sister Mrs. Malleson, 671 has just come down from the seat of war, where he has been distinguishing himself. I came into town yesterday, from the farm where I have been stopping, on purpose to see him and make arrangements to go back with him, but unfortunately he has gone to Maritzburg. I hope soon to have a little wild fighting to describe, but the Basutos are such cowards, they run very soon. I should think 2,000 Basutos have been killed and wounded (at least) during the war, and not more than 50 Boers, if as many, so you see the danger is not very great. I will write and give you all the news, with descriptions of Commando life etc. whenever I have an opportunity, but don't be frightened if you don't hear for two or three months. Since last I wrote I have been doing nothing, staying on the farm, painting a waggon, papering rooms etc. mild work of this kind. I have just recovered 13 oxen of those stolen, the Kaffir chiefs having sent down some of the stolen cattle. So these go towards paying the debts of the firm.
I am glad to hear Charlie is so happy, how do you find the house without him? But I suppose you see a good deal of him. I hope the Fortnightly pays you well, whatever it may do as regards the publishers.
This letter is a short one, for there is nothing to be said at all, vegetation is so like in all parts of the world, that when I tell you, I have been vegetating for the last 2 months, you know as much about me as I do myself. I forgot to say that by volunteering for the Free State I obtain a right to a farm in that country and to a share of the booty, which I am afraid won't be enormous. I wish everything was comfortably settled, the state of disturbance here, is so uncomfortable; one can't make up one's mind to settle down quietly to anything, as at any moment, one may be called out to fight Basutos or Zulus.
Luise Burckhardt was married on the 4th of April, and as she went to Italy for her honeymoon, Charlie and she must have been pretty close to each other, at Milan, Florence or somewhere thereabouts.
My latest literary intelligence, is that I have composed a song in 23 verses for the Natal Frontier Guard, likewise various bad jokes, of which I insert one for your special amusement. What is the most wonderful British hybrid? The Bull-ass (Bullace)!!! I call that "Plum a falla."
With much love to everybody,
Your affectionate Son
Thornton Lewes.
Signature
Thornton Lewes.
Citation
Thornton Arnott Lewes, Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Ladismith, 22 September 1865, 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/95622