20 October 1843 Mysore HG 4 Cover

20 October 1843

op Manuscript Routing Note: Via Cannanore Egypt and Falmouth Main Address Block: Dr William Smythe Pennington St. M / near Rugby Warwickshire. Postal Markings (Reverse Panel): INDIA (Red rectangular stamp) G.P.O. / 18 DE 1843 (London General Post Office red arrival circular datestamp) Various manuscript postage due/rate markings: 4, 26, 43 Letter Page 1 My dear Brother and Sister On our arrival here this morning from Cannanore en route with the 9th Regt. N.I. to Secunderabad, we received dear Jane’s melancholy letter of the 28th Augt. And it is I feel unnecessary to assure you that we deeply deplore the loss you have sustained and sincerely sympathize with you in your distress. I regret this is the last safe date for the present Mail and that I must of necessity be obliged in consequence to put off sending a Bill for the amount you require for dear Charles until the next Overland Mail, but you may depend on my remitting the money God willing then and to my heart aches that I cannot assist you to the extent of your losses but I shall ever be happy to do so to the extent of my means. I am now about £600 above the world – four of it my duty to reserve in the event of my demise when my poor wife would require it to take her home – the other two are at your service, Letter Page 2 and shall those be enclosed in my next. I have, after having had my hopes buoyed up to the almost very last moment, been utterly disappointed in the ability of my friends to secure my Continuance in my late Army appointment at Cannanore owing it is generally surmised to the Commander-in-Chief but from what motive we have not been able to ascertain. However I shall if spared, be as well if not better off at Secunderabad where also I shall be Senior Assistant Med. Officer. And I have been pretty fortunate in the disposal of my property at Cannanore having got my own money for my Houses and found as well as my Phaeton & pair. On our arrival at Secunderabad it is our fixed resolve to keep within the most moderate expend. so as to enable us kind as we now both are of this Country to rejoin you in old England when we hope through a kind and Merciful Providence to spend the evening of our life with you. Our March hitherto, though the most fatiguing and harassing owing to almost daily rain and the almost impassable state of the at best wretched roads, has been thank God free from sickness and our Camp is pretty free from it unless a few Letter Page 3 Chronic Cases of fevers and rheumatism. We have still about 450 miles to go to our destination but it is the most agreeable season of the year after the rains which are now nearly over. Give our affectionate love to dear Charles and give him our Cordial congratulations on his near proximity to the realization of his wishes. Susan is at present so painfully affected by your losses that she is unable to write by the present Mail but intends d