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24 Oct 58 Peter Hong Kong Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Hong Kong, 24 Oct. ‘58
My dear Mother
As I promised in my last by this steamer, I send you a case of all sorts of funny things as Christmas presents to distribute.
The best way will be for my Father to get Wheatley’s or somebody to get them cleared at Southampton, particularly explaining to them that they are small presents from China & that as each present is carefully packed up & addressed it would be particularly desirable if they should not be opened or pulled about at the Custom House.
The declared value is 50 Dollars which at 4s/2d is £10.8.4. (N.B since changed to £12) on which duty will be payable at I believe 10%. I will make a list of the things for you (in case of need) as I believe the custom house will not believe the content of so large a package from China to be only £10 & this had better be attached to the Bill of Lading or receipt & sent to the parties who are to clear the case.
As this will be the last of this sort you will ever receive, you will have to make much of it. My pockets are empty now & I am sorry to say I fear they are even worse than that – but it is that abominable duty which always annoys me. You cannot send your friends a present but they are made to pay for it.
As Mary comes in for such a lot of it, I think if I were my Father, I’d make Mr. R* stump up.
I wrote a long letter detailing the various items, but on second thoughts put it inside the Box at the top of which you will find it.
The dress which I send you I hope you will like as also the screens which are regularly Chinese in no mistake; but I am anticipating, I am afraid, & must leave you to gaze in astonishment as the various wonders are revealed to the eye.
On second thoughts I will not send the list I spoke of, as that would be letting you into all the secrets.
The Comet which lasted a fortnight has disappeared & its lengthy tail is no longer visible in the Heavens.
Albert Smith* has gone home – but don’t believe him. He hasn’t seen China. If I had come so far I think I would have done the thing properly. Hong Kong at no time & Canton in its present state are not China. If he tells the people of England (who are generally allowed to be green enough to believe anything) that he has seen China, I shall begin to doubt the fact of his ever having reached the summit of Mont Blanc as he asserts.
There was at least some ambition in the attempt, but there certainly was no ambition in coming to Hong Kong & then going back without seeing China. If he wanted to cram the public he might easily have invented a yarn upon China without coming so far.
The ‘Lord Raglan’, the vessel which took John to the Mauritius has this morning arrived with the 1st Royals from Gibraltar – at least one battalion. She will probably take the 59th to the Cape. Just fancy a Regiment (59th) in which there is now scarcely (if at all) a man who originally left England in it – & now instead of going home, they’re going to send them to the Cape.
I was at some very grand theatricals on board the ‘Dinapore’* (one of Mr Lindsay’s vessels) the other evening & we were mustered very strong. Ladies seemed to have sprung into existence for the occasion but I expect they were chiefly Captains’ wives & bonnet shop attachées – for of course ladies would not venture amongst the mixed company which an entertainment on board a vessel in a foreign port necessarily entails.
However as I was not in proper costume I was obliged to bolt before the dancing began – indeed I think I shall give up dancing altogether now I turn ‘old fogy’.
It’s quite hot enough without trying to make oneself more so, especially when these miserable Hong Kong-ites will not use punkhahs.
I have begun at them already – under the assumed name of ‘Anti-Olo-Custom’. Olo-Custom being the Canton expression for ‘old custom’ or in one word, ‘custom’.
You are aware that the Chinese are perfect martyrs to this – they boast of never having changed since the world began – quite forgetting that the pigtails & little feet are of far more recent origin.
It is the giving way to this ‘custom’ which has prevented them ever rising beyond that certain stage of civilisation in which they undoubtedly were when the Ancient Britons, our beloved forefathers, are well known to have been sacrificing little children – the fatter the better – at the shrine of the invisible Deity. Now certain lazy individuals – Hong Kong-ites all over – prostrated by the climate & their own lazy dispositions will not take the trouble to fight against these ‘olo custom’ notions but sit down in their easy chairs – make themselves martyrs & think themselves philosophers.
The subject on which I have commenced as you see by my letter to the China Mail signed ‘Anti Olo-Custom’ is that of the system with regard to servants. Now you know how we lately suffered with our servants. How they all bolted & left us & you will also be able to see how my suggestion would at once put a stop to all further annoyance & yet it is my firm impression that with the knowledge of the late difficulties brought upon us by our want of energy & system, Hong Kong read that letter & never gave a thought to the subject.
But I’m going to follow it up under another name as in this delightful colony it is not necessary to ‘enclose one’s card & remain, Sir, yours truly &c.’ I don’t know whether to contradict it first to excite interest & sign myself ‘Olo-Custom’ or whether to confirm it & call myself ‘A Sufferer’ or something of that sort.
My China Dog is growing fast & is very ugly & very handsome according to the position he assumes. In shape he is very like a wolf or jackal – his coat will be glossy black – very thick & in some parts, viz. about the head, rather rough & a very handsome tail – a wolfish tail, not a foxy brush. Although quite a puppy he has fearful teeth, barks dreadfully at strangers & runs away when chased. He is very affectionate & follows me even on horseback till he can sometimes scarcely get along. Being however a China dog – a notoriously ill used creature – he often comes in for little raps from those who do not recognise his belongings.
PGL
25 Oct 1858
The mail arrived & I have letters from four quarters – I must say you are all capital correspondents with the exception of Mary (in whom it may be excusable just now, but then she wouldn’t write [even] if it wasn’t) & especially yourself & my Father who never fail a mail – & who I hope never will – at any rate to hear from one.
I cannot understand how it is you will not send the papers to me as over & over again requested – the postage is only a penny so that you can have no excuse. Indeed I think of making arrangements to have them sent out Times & all by Smith Elder’s,* for after all the cost is very little & the satisfaction one gets amply repays for the expenditure.
I understood from my Father that Sir Peter* was kind enough to say that he would send me regularly the Saturday Review. If such is the case it is nonsense sticking them into saddlery cases to take six months coming here when they have of course lost all interest – all for the sake of a penny. I am going to think seriously about this.
One of my letters was from John! who writes in such a tranquil strain that I am sure he must have written at least half a dozen letters before – & not one of them have I received. This is really too bad, but there is no remedy I suppose.
Julius also writes all jolly – still in Azimghar – but they don’t either of these appear to get any higher altho’ I constantly see changes in the Regts. There are a lot below them but always ...
[page missing]
... than the animal is worth – at present it is somewhat lame but I believe that it is only for want of being looked after & of course if it does not come round, I can easily shoot it. The saddle & bridle tho’ ‘might be sold for much & given to the poor’ after all the expenses paid.
Everybody seems getting married by your letter. Well, it is a very commendable institution & I am a great admirer of it but there are circumstances in everyone’s life which change the turn of events.
There is nothing I think in a man’s
........ I mean a man expatr
.......... – so inspiring as the thoughts
[corner of the page missing] .......... & of the girl he
......... or rather of the girl who loves
......... – for the former oft embitters
.. ........ the latter inspires. Oh that
there was some girl who loved me!*
I send in addition to my usual paper to my Father a local one & one for Sir Peter. The overland one I fear would not contain my letter, which please point out to Sir Peter tho’ there are a great many localisms which I fear will not be understood & now I must say goodbye but not without wishing you all every felicity for the happy season is near & don’t let Helen eat too much plum pudding.
Your affect son
Peter
* Mr R – Her husband, John Riley
* Albert Smith – An indefatigable lecturer on the subject of Mont Blanc between 1851 and 1858. More than just an illustrated lecture, Smith's presentation was closer to a one-man theatrical performance using panoramic scenery, and it achieved huge popularity for a time and gave rise to a range of associated souvenirs
* Dinapore – Daily News, 21st April 1851. ‘Launch of an East Indiaman at Workington. – Messrs. W.S.Lindsay and Co., the well known East India merchants, have determined to build a fleet of superior construction, to form a new line of ten packets between London and Calcutta, at a cost of £150,000. Dinapore, to be commanded by Captain J.D.Wilson, is as beautiful a specimen of naval architecture as the combined skill and science of the nineteenth century ever produced.’
* Smith Elder – Smith Elder & Co, East India, Army and Colonial Agents, 65 Cornhill, London
* Sir Peter – Sir Peter Laurie, his great-uncle
* ... some girl who loved me! – Peter Laurie married Emily Smale, daughter of Sir John Smale (Chief Justice of Hong Kong) in Hong Kong in 1868