MHOW,
BOMBAY,
24th January, 1866,
My dear Brother,
I was glad to receive a letter from you by the last mail and trust this will find yourself, Kate and the children all well and jolly. You ask me to send your word what INDIA is like as regards climate. it is far different from England, it is very hot even at this time of year. One cannot move about during the day without being well protected from the effects of the sun, then soon as the sun goes down it gets dark, unless it happens to be moonlight as there is no twilight here. It is generally cool enough for one to enjoy at this season of the year a ride and sometimes a walk in the mornings and evenings, during the heat of the day, I generally drive in a covered Gharri or cart to and from my home or elsewhere on duty. In coming out to this country one should arrange to arrive between 1 November and 31 January, especially if coming overland as during some months (May to November) in the year the Red Sea is fearfully hot and a week of it is quite enough for any one.
I do not find from BOMBAY to this part of Central India that it is the country of fine palces & as one hears of occasionally at home. On the contrary I find the inhabitants generally very poor, and almost naked, their food being rice and other grain. I have seen very few Hindoos or Musslemen very well to do. The principle merchants being Parsee's who are fire worshippers - these people Parsee's, Hindoos of all casts and Musslemen I find do not like their religon interefered with, they keep no sabbath but have occasional religious feats of their own according to cast, on these occasions they parade through the roads and streets with flags and other tomfoolery beating tomtoms, yelling, singing etc., the Brahmins being considered the highest cast. The poor Hindoo's god at least that which they call god is simply a piece of rough stone, painted generally red. I said to one of our head followers a few days ago who is an hindoo, surely you cannot expect a stone to do any good for you, his answer was "There's one God for us all" and I replied that was quite correct.
You will see from the foregoing that some at least of these people have some knowledge of God, but being both ignorant and superstitious it will require great labour to make them Christians without the special providence of God who is all powerful as well as merciful. I expect you have given up the idea of coming to INDIA. I do not think you would like it. Some engine drivers and other railway people came 2nd Class from England when I came out. I saw some of them afterwards who would have been glad to go home again. You see they are much exposed and althogh they actually receive more salary then in England, their accommodation and food is far different and much more expensive and not near so good than English diet, and it is very questionable if they can save even a trifle of their pay.
With kindest love to yourself, Kate and the children,
I remain your affectionate brother.
T. Mitchell, QM,
6 DRAGOONS
I hope you will be able to make this out, let me know in your next.
The crops are in. In this part and plenty too, as far
as I can learn and I have only heard of any likelihood of a scarcity
in one district the DAWA District I think it is called.