Letter from William Henry Seward to Frederick William Seward, April 19, 1871

  • Posted on: 9 May 2018
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frederick William Seward, April 19, 1871
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:csh

student editor

Transcriber:spp:srr

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1871-04-19

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frederick William Seward, April 19, 1871

action: sent

sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Goa, India

receiver: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08  Death: 1915-04-25

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: csh 

revision: tap 2018-04-05

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Page 1

Returning from Goa April 19 1871
Coast of Malabar
My dear Frederick
The Government of Bombay
x


put a steamer with a double
headed captaincy, that is two
Captains and a double flag
that is to say the flag of
Great Britain and our own
stars and stripes at my
service to visit Goa three
hundred miles south of
Bombay on the coast of
Malabar once the European
capital of India now shriv-
eled and in hopeless decline,
but still Portuguese and
therefore chivalrous. It was
quite apparent that Japan
and China and Hong Kong
x


and even the straits settle-
ments thought a visit
from me conferred as much
Page 2

distinction as a visit from
the Duke of Edinburg
Birth: 1844-08-06 Death: 1900-07-31
I
I am not clear that British
India has thought so. How-
ever that may be Goa with
the territory reduced to 48
square miles and its
population four hundred
thousand has flattered me
into a belief that my visit
was especially welcome So
much for unaffected
kindness and friendship in
so small a community. so
much powder is burned
in such small and few
guns, so much glorious music
from so few instruments and
throats, so much wine that
needed "no bush," so plenti-
fully poured out by so few
hands with so few cups,
I never before knew.
I have wanted to trans-
cribe the leaves of Olive's
Birth: 1844-07-15 Death: 1908-11-27

Page 3

journal of our visit to
Goa, but it has taken
all this our only day of
return to write it in the
book. The sun has set
upon us during the task
dinner is on the table
We sleep on deck when
it is cool (ish 'o') though
dark, the Southern cross
rises and sets during our
slumbers. Tomorrow I drive
with the Byculla club
200 in number, Friday settle
accounts, Saturday sail
for Cairo on the same
steamer that carries this
letter.
I shall send you some
photographs furnished me
by John Wharton
Unknown
and his
English wife
Unknown
born in
India, & their surviving
child
Unknown
– He is a police
officer at Bombay in
good repute contented and
Page 4

I think proud of his success
His wife's family are
evidently proud of the
connection
Olive joins me in love
to you & Anna
Birth: 1834-03-29 Death: 1919-05-02
and all
friends. I am bearing
the excitement and dis-
sipations of society better
than at home and of ^the fatigue of^ tr[ av ]
x

Supplied

Reason: hole
el
no worse
It is due to my aman-
uensis that these frequent
corrections are my own
after thoughts in dictation
not hers,
Affectionately your Father
William H. Seward
per O.R.S.