______________________________________________________________________________________________

27 Jan 59 Julius Akbupore Mother Hyde Park Place (West) ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Akbupore

27 Jan 59. –

My dear Mother

I believe this will just be in time to catch the mail so I will give you our last news, which is that Regt. is to move immediately to Fyzabad (so please direct all letters there).

It is not a bad place for a Native City but the worst of it is that there are no Barracks or Bungalows there. However if we are to remain there for any time we must build some sort of mud pig sty for ourselves in which to eke out a miserable existence during the hot winds.

It is beginning to become hotter again. In another month it will be so hot that it will be impossible to live in a tent with any comfort. Even now the temperature varies considerably in the course of three or four hours. At 6 in the morning it is almost 45° & during the day it gets up to 102°.

I understand that ‘Leaves’ will be out – some to England, others to the Hills. I shall try & put in another two years of Indian Service before I take ‘Leave’ to England, but if I can scrape money enough together I think I shall take a trip to Simla or some of those pleasant places in the hot weather. We are so badly off for officers that I suspect there will be some difficulty in getting away. The Regt. is now very strong in men, there being about 1,000, but we have not got an officer per Company, some of them are commanded by HEI* Company’s Cadets.

I wish my father could manage to give me a shove up for a Company. I have been doing Capts. work for the last 9 months. There is poor Bales vacancy * still unfilled as Mathew is reported unfit for a Company & I believe they are enquiring into it at home. In the meantime they are stopping our promotion.

We hear nothing out here of Second Battalion. At one time it was reported we were to have one. The Business out here is over. There may be a little more to be done in Central India with ‘Tantia Topee’.* The Nana & Begum are in Nepaul but Jung Bahadoor is to look them up. If they make again into Oude we shall in all probability be after them as that will be our line of country.

I am sorry to hear from you that Helen is weakish. I hope that is nothing but what will wear off in time. Am glad to hear my Father’s eye is all right again.

With love to yourself & all

Believe me

Yr. affect Son

J D Laurie

* HEI – Honourable East India (Company)

* Bale's vacancy – Brevet-Major Henry Edward Bale died in India in 1858. His shako and hot weather trousers are on display in the National Army Museum

* Tantia Topee – Ramachandra Pandurang Tope (1814 - 1859) was one of the rebels’ best leaders and only captured after betrayal by his trusted friend Man Singh. He was executed on 18 April 1859