Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., March 19, 1871
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Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., March 19, 1871
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:crb
student editorTranscriber:spp:dxt
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1871-03-19
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Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., March 19, 1871
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Allahabad, India
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: crb
revision: crb 2018-03-26
<>
Page
1
e
Letter copied from William Henry Seward draft by Olive Risley
SewardGovernment House
Allahabad March 19.
My dear William
We left Calcutta by special
and exclusive car furnished us by
the East India R.R. company
on the 13th inst. and traveling all
night and the next day arrived
at Benares, one of the most ancient
most venerated and most beautiful
cities in India. On the night
of our arrival we were favored
with a part in a great regatta
upon the Ganges given by a na-
tive prince
Hindoo festival. he honored us
with much attention and the
resident British commision en-
tertained us. We came here on
the 16th and are guests of the Gov-
ernor of the North West province
of India. Sir William Muir
Scotch Presbyterian who does
Page
2
not know that he has relatives
at Auburn.
Allahabad is a central
point in the Rail Roads of In-
dia, a military post of im-
portance, but has no especial
attractions except a magnificent
bridge 3000 feet long which
crosses the [ Jumula ]
Alternate Text: Jamuna just before
its confluence with the Ganges.
We leave to-night at 1 o'clock
in the same car, which is to be
at our disposal while in India,
for the famous city of Leucknow
intending to proceed thence to
Agra and Delhi and Leahor
between the two latter places
if our health (suffers I think
is the word) we leave the Rail-
Road and make a short excur-
sion to the base of the Himma-
laya Mountains. This programme
will allow us to arrive at
Bombay about the 10th of April.
We do not yet decide whether
Page
3
to attempt the Persian Gulf
or to proceed directly from Bom-
bay to Suez.
I wrote you hastily on leav-
ing Calcutta that I had
found it necessary expedient
to reserve for possible contingen-
cies in Egypt Palestine and
Greece the proceeds of my
drafts and that I drew
the mean time for the expen-
ses which I might expect to
incur on this journey by the
way of the Route to Bombay
Every where in India has
incurred the necessity of pay-
ing fares whether by steamboat
or Rail road at about double
the highest rates known at
home.
We are entertained always
or generally by the Governors
of the Presidencies or districts
these Governors with their fam-
ilies maintain a state etiquette
Page
4
which involves the necessity
of our appearing with due
care. Our journey is proving
as instructive as I expected
I have occasionally an ill
turn which prostrates me
never more than a day and
on the whole I am doing
and enduring very much more
than I thought myself able
to endure when we left home
Olive joins me in love to all
I shall write Aunty
Affectionately
William H. Seward
O.R.S.
e
Editorial Note
Allahabad March 19.
My dear William
We left Calcutta by special
and exclusive car furnished us by
the East India R.R. company
on the 13th inst. and traveling all
night and the next day arrived
at Benares, one of the most ancient
most venerated and most beautiful
cities in India. On the night
of our arrival we were favored
with a part in a great regatta
upon the Ganges given by a na-
tive prince
Unknown
at the conclusion of aHindoo festival. he honored us
Birth: 1844-07-15 Death: 1908-11-27
with much attention and the
resident British commision en-
tertained us. We came here on
the 16th and are guests of the Gov-
ernor of the North West province
of India. Sir William Muir
Birth: 1819-04-27 Death: 1905-07-11
aScotch Presbyterian who does
not know that he has relatives
Birth:
Death: 1928-05-07 Certainty: Probable
Birth: 1835
Death: Certainty: Probable
at Auburn.
Allahabad is a central
point in the Rail Roads of In-
dia, a military post of im-
portance, but has no especial
attractions except a magnificent
bridge 3000 feet long which
crosses the [ Jumula ]
Alternate Text
its confluence with the Ganges.
We leave to-night at 1 o'clock
in the same car, which is to be
at our disposal while in India,
for the famous city of Leucknow
intending to proceed thence to
Agra and Delhi and Leahor
between the two latter places
if our health (suffers I think
is the word) we leave the Rail-
Road and make a short excur-
sion to the base of the Himma-
laya Mountains. This programme
will allow us to arrive at
Bombay about the 10th of April.
We do not yet decide whether
to attempt the Persian Gulf
or to proceed directly from Bom-
bay to Suez.
I wrote you hastily on leav-
ing Calcutta that I had
found it necessary expedient
to reserve for possible contingen-
cies in Egypt Palestine and
Greece the proceeds of my
drafts and that I drew
the mean time for the expen-
ses which I might expect to
incur on this journey by the
way of the Route to Bombay
Every where in India has
incurred the necessity of pay-
ing fares whether by steamboat
or Rail road at about double
the highest rates known at
home.
We are entertained always
or generally by the Governors
of the Presidencies or districts
these Governors with their fam-
ilies maintain a state etiquette
which involves the necessity
of our appearing with due
care. Our journey is proving
as instructive as I expected
I have occasionally an ill
turn which prostrates me
never more than a day and
on the whole I am doing
and enduring very much more
than I thought myself able
to endure when we left home
Olive joins me in love to all
I shall write Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
soonAffectionately
William H. Seward
O.R.S.