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14 Jan 59 Peter Hong Kong Mother 5, Hyde Park Place local ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hong Kong

14 Jany. 1859

My dear Mother

The last fortnight has been nothing but a series of reverses to me – & treat them philosophically as I can, I am giving way fast under them.

In the first place, I have been laid up myself from a strain brought on by riding & until yesterday have not left the house since I last wrote to you. This alone was enough to put me in bad spirits, with doctors hovering around & medicine bottles staring me in the face, but every thing seems to have conspired to come upon me at the same moment.

All my riding operations were suddenly put a stop to just at the very time when I was beginning to enter into the spirit of the thing & then when I am laid up & unable to move, domestic calamities come upon me one after the other.

First my favourite China Dog who had been taken over to the stable to be kept, appears before me in such a state – evidently from want of feeding, altho’ I paid $2 or 9s a month for her keep – that I was obliged to get rid of her on the spot. No sooner was this over than my little dog Lylie suddenly took to fits, foaming at the mouth & all sorts of things; broke her chain twice one night with the violence of the convulsions; refused all food & eventually died while attempting to pour some hot soup down her throat.

I felt her loss very much as I was very, very fond of her & did not half know how fond I was until I had lost her. She is buried beneath a beautiful shady tree in the compound.

In consequence of my illness & not being able to enforce my orders, my ‘boy’ took to laziness – always a predominant feature in his character - & became so outrageous in his coolness that at last I was obliged to get rid of him on the spot.

Since then I have had no servant except the coolie who sweeps the room out &c. Next day one of my rabbits – a new importation from the north – was found dead. I wonder he didn’t kill them all while he was about it.

Yesterday I went out for the first time just to take a quiet walk to the racecourse to look on. I asked some one to ride my horse round when lo! he was dead lame, the whole of his hind quarters being completely stiffened with rheumatism.

This is the climax. I have nothing more to lose – except my own life – the enjoyment of which has been most suddenly whisked away. Every thing of which I felt an interest – every thing has suddenly disappeared.

I see my whip hanging up every morning when I rise – my little Lylie’s collar suspended to a piece of coral – & my own medicine bottles ranged upon my dressing table – & then I feel that I am alone; sick in body & sick at heart.

I cannot write any more. I am not in good spirits for writing otherwise I should find plenty to say.

Give little Helen a kiss for me & my love to my Father & believe me ever,

Your affect son

Peter Laurie