This letter was written from Trieste to Henry Charles Platts at Shildon, Durham, in 1869. Transcription below:-
Trieste, 8 Via Dogana
My very dear Mr Henry,
Very long ago I made up my mind to write to you; circumstances and my wanderings have done so well of it that it is only now that I satisfy (with the greatest pleasure, "a la vu sans dire,") my very earnest desire: shall you excuse me?..._ Of one thing however you must feel certain, viz. that my friendship far from decreasing according to the old proverb "Les absents ont fort" - is like a spring, the expansion of which being the greater, the greater its wants are to rejoin the two ends. You will understand me better by this simple illustration - I shall not make any allusion in this letter of the sad events which are now raging in our unhappy land! Rage and shame are the only feelings that are overflowing in my heart. Beaten everywhere, betrayed by our chiefs, having only dissensions among us, what have we to do ?...- Only to be all "prussified"! I received letters from my family, but not directly from my father, which makes me feel rather uneasy - But my uncles give me the best assurances about him, notwithstanding which, I am much anxious until I shall have such notice from him.
I wrote lately to Dappe to Mme. Bolle, you know, but did not yet receive any reply._ According to a demand of your Dear Mother, I went lately to inquire about a Mr Boswell, a former (and I can assure you, a still warm) friend of your family - I should feel extremely obliged to you if you would communicate the following to Dear Mrs Platts - I went last Sunday into the abode of Mr. B. - a very nice, well situated house on the hills of Trieste, with a capital view commanding the harbour, the sea, on both sides of the "peninsula triestina", and the lands and mountains behind it. I found a rather old gentleman, quite "right on his legs" - who received me after I had introduced myself as a friend of yours - with the courtesy and "la chaleur d'un jeune homme" - after I had explained the object of my mission, said who I was, he said he felt quite happy to hear of Mrs Platts - whom he had never forgotten, and at the same time, felt very sorry at hearing of the loss you made years ago - he had never heard of it - the last time he heard of Mrs Platts was in the newspapers in which he read of her safe arrival at Malta, with her children, during the Crimean War. He had three daughters, all married, and a son, also married, - We made together several [illegible] - and he introduced me to them. I had already spoken to his son on board the "Vesta" (Lloyds). He is 2nd engineer.
[Page 3 is missing]
... pas aupres de Madame Marie and Mademoiselles Mary and Louise. Also remember me kindly to Mr & Mrs Bouch and [illegible] Prout ..._
Hoping to hear soon from you, Believe me, dear Mr Henry. Yours most sincerely, (signed Belieres) 9 November.
- Excuse blunders of English- a friend of mine suggests me just now about the war that it remains only to us to be taken all into captivity like the Jews of old!
