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<head>Col. Hale to W<hi rend="superscript">m.</hi> Empson esq. dated Maracaybo nov<hi rend="superscript">r.</hi> 2<hi rend="superscript">d.</hi> 1823 (Copy)</head> | <head>Col. Hale to W<hi rend="superscript">m.</hi> Empson esq. dated Maracaybo nov<hi rend="superscript">r.</hi> 2<hi rend="superscript">d.</hi> 1823 (Copy)</head> | ||
<p>Every morning, | <p>Every morning, Trays full of <hi rend="underline">cold meat</hi> (the<lb/>slang term you must know for dead bodies.)<lb/>pass my window to be cast into a nameless<lb/>grave with the lame ceremony we bury dogs<lb/>with in England. I dont mean the Duchess of<lb/>York's dogs, but such vulgar dogs as die in holes<lb/>and corners. The townspeople scarcely suffer less<lb/>for as with war commonly comes famine, so<lb/>after famine, pretty surely follows pestilence.<lb/>Then we have the Host, with his umbrella,<lb/>bell and lanterns, trotting all day and night<lb/>through the streets, and by way of antithesis, balls<lb/>and maskings, to make our misery look ridiculous<lb/>Last night for instance there was a mock funeral<lb/>procession, to <hi rend="underline">bury Spain.</hi> The general in<lb/>chief walking at the head of it, with his officers<lb/>in the part of priests, singing the requiem. Imagine<lb/> the burial of the Whigs in London, and all<lb/>the cabinet ministers, dressed as choristers,<lb/>chanting "man passeth away like a vain<lb/>shadow." But this is called here <hi rend="underline">forming public<lb/>opinion.</hi> alas! Could they bury their ignorance,<lb/>vanity, corruption and desperation, they might indeed<lb/>form something like public opinion, but<lb/>in the present state of things, the less public opinion<lb/>the better for them, for they would be the<lb/>first to be knocked down by it. I forgot however<lb/>in all this rambling to tell you myself; luckily<lb/>I have little to tell. I am here in waiting to<lb/>amend or argument the defences and fortifications<lb/>of the place, but as at present, every material and<lb/>element is wanting, the job is not likely to be a<lb/>short one. In the mean while, I am jogging on with<lb/>some observations on emigration to this country,<lb/>the miss of which I shall, by the first safe hands<lb/>transmit to you, as a fosterfather, to watch over<lb/>it's infant birth and cradling in Paternoster Roro.<lb/>Present my most affectionate remembrances<lb/> to our common friends, and believe me, &<lb/>continued to write through the house<lb/>of <unclear>Rotgers Lursimes</unclear>, St Thomas.</p> | ||
<p>L. Hall.</p><note>J. | <p>L. Hall.</p><note>J.Be & J.Bo<lb/>29 Jan<hi rend="superscript">y</hi> 1824<lb/>Bring this with you<lb/>when you come to dine</note> | ||
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1824. Jany. 29 Col. Hale to Wm. Empson esq. dated Maracaybo novr. 2d. 1823 (Copy)
Every morning, Trays full of cold meat (the
slang term you must know for dead bodies.)
pass my window to be cast into a nameless
grave with the lame ceremony we bury dogs
with in England. I dont mean the Duchess of
York's dogs, but such vulgar dogs as die in holes
and corners. The townspeople scarcely suffer less
for as with war commonly comes famine, so
after famine, pretty surely follows pestilence.
Then we have the Host, with his umbrella,
bell and lanterns, trotting all day and night
through the streets, and by way of antithesis, balls
and maskings, to make our misery look ridiculous
Last night for instance there was a mock funeral
procession, to bury Spain. The general in
chief walking at the head of it, with his officers
in the part of priests, singing the requiem. Imagine
the burial of the Whigs in London, and all
the cabinet ministers, dressed as choristers,
chanting "man passeth away like a vain
shadow." But this is called here forming public
opinion. alas! Could they bury their ignorance,
vanity, corruption and desperation, they might indeed
form something like public opinion, but
in the present state of things, the less public opinion
the better for them, for they would be the
first to be knocked down by it. I forgot however
in all this rambling to tell you myself; luckily
I have little to tell. I am here in waiting to
amend or argument the defences and fortifications
of the place, but as at present, every material and
element is wanting, the job is not likely to be a
short one. In the mean while, I am jogging on with
some observations on emigration to this country,
the miss of which I shall, by the first safe hands
transmit to you, as a fosterfather, to watch over
it's infant birth and cradling in Paternoster Roro.
Present my most affectionate remembrances
to our common friends, and believe me, &
continued to write through the house
of Rotgers Lursimes, St Thomas.
L. Hall.
J.Be & J.Bo
29 Jany 1824
Bring this with you
when you come to dine
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Identifier: | JB/012/137/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12. |
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col.. hall to wm empson esq dated maracaybo novr 2d 1823 (copy) |
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john flowerdew colls |
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