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31 May 58 Peter Hong Kong Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________

East Pt. Hong Kong

31 May 1858

My dear Mother

By this mail I send you a small packet containing something which, from my letters of late, you will perhaps think I had quite forgotten. Such is however not the case for I have only been waiting for an opportunity to close its pages & that opportunity I have lately found.

You must not imagine that because I have not for some time mentioned it, that I had quite given up the idea I once had of publishing it * – on the contrary, altho’ my time is now completely taken up I have yet availed myself of every slight opportunity to complete it. Still I do not wish you or indeed any one to think that I for one moment think there is any particular merit in the work or that I have the slightest idea of handing my name down to posterity or any nonsense of that sort because that would be nonsense.

I only wish to publish it as a pleasing memento of the past & if any one else can find interest in my adventures, so much the better. I really do think there are many amusing parts in it & as I have given myself a good deal of trouble about it I do think it will be worth a little expense.

So please understand, I should like it carefully read thro’ & any material errors corrected by some competent person, then printed in a good clear legible manner so that at any rate not more [than] – if indeed so much as – 1 page of the manuscript should form one page in print.

The headings of the various pages would be as p’ margins of the manuscript & the space which was intended for the same at the commencement of the chapters need not be taken notice of.

A neat cloth binding with some external device & the volume about 1/3 smaller than this sheet of paper would be best I think. I would not wish any one to see it before it is printed & even you I think would be better amused if you were to forgo curiosity. In its present state however I do not think any one would care – or even could read it – at least with ease.

I had an idea of marking it so much a copy or something of that sort & getting people to put their names down, giving the surplus after expenses paid, to the sufferers by the Indian Mutiny or some charity of that description, but all that sort of thing I think I must leave to your discretion – of course however remarking that my sole intention is to have it printed for private circulation.

I do not wish any body to see this letter – at least I mean any outsider, but in case you should have any doubts upon the subject I will tell you that I am quite in earnest on the subject of this letter. It is no sudden idea but one that has been (as you yourself must know) on my mind for some considerable time & which I have therefore had plenty of time to think about.

I also mentioned about my former journal to the Crimea which I asked you to get some one to copy out. If this has been done & you will send it to me I will put it in proper form. If not, please get it done & send it out & that too may be in print some day.

As to the expense of printing the former, if necessary I think I can manage that so do not let that stand in the way. Selections from my scetch Book * will also be found in the work, but I am now preparing a manuscript copy of the same which will include the scetches themselves for your drawing room table in Hyde Park Place West.

Do not say anything to Sir Peter about it until you surprise him with a copy, or perhaps you had better use your discretion about it.

Your affect. Son

Peter G. Laurie

* publishing it – The manuscript of ‘Rambles in India, China, &c.’

* scetch book – He is referring to ‘Selections from my Sketch-Book’, a collection of his poetry in ‘Rambles’ which includes ’Lylie’