MHOW
BOMBAY
5th November 1866,
My dear Brother,
I enclose for Kate a pocket hankerchief, its only merit being it came from MHOW. I would have wished to have been able to obtain one of a superior kind but although I have been on the lookout for several months there are none to be had and we expect to leave here the middle of next month and being a busy time with one in my position I am as it were compelled to send what I can procure, or none at all and being under the impression Kate would rather have this one or not have one at all. I send it.
The 11th Hussars have arrived out after making a good passage of 83 days to BOMBAY, they are partly in POONA and the remainder of KHANDULLA and will in a few days, go to the camp at EGUTYSORE, and await there until the road to MHOW is considered healthy so that they will not arrive here possibly before 10 December and we rightly should be spared to do so, be able to march from MHOW in from 5 to 10 daysafter their arrival here. Our orders are, on being relieved, to proceed to camp at EGUTYSORE there to await the ship bewing reported ready when we procedd to BOMBAY to embark, it is 7 days march from to the railway terminus at KHUMDWA, from which we should go to EGUTYSORE in about 24 hours by rail they by rail to BOMBAY.
I was on leave a week or two back for a fewy days to INDORE the Rajah HOLKAH's capital. There is one very fine building in the city which is in Hindoo Temple and it is a remarkably fine building. There is another near it, not quite so good an one. The Rajah's Palace is large but not ornamented of course. All cases hare settled there instead of Law Courts as we travel home. He has another residence at the LALL BAGH about two miles through the city. The LALL BAGH are beuatifully laid out gardens with Indian fruit and flowers, the oranges were nice and ripe and besides the Rajahs residence there are other buildings containing curiosities &c. The Rajah's bed there is on a swinging cot. Outside the Palace in the city is a large tiger caged. The city is very large and like all other Eastern places, beastly dirty and a large population next the Temple and the LALL BAGH the finest part to be seen Residency and gardens and grounds attached to it. The grounds are more like a nobleman's Park at home than any place I have seen in India. I don't know whether you take much interest in natural history you would have little difficulty of procuring plenty of specimens in this neighbourhood especially of the larger kind of wild animals and in some instances you would not require to go far from your bungalow for them. For instance we had the other day a Large Laughing Hyena close to our bungalow, myself and our Adjutant got within about 12 yards of him when he vaught sight of us and skeaddled, like the jackall, these animals come close into camp of an evening and at night in search of food and they will giggle and fight like anything over a bone.
With kindest love to self and Kate and the children I remain your affectionate brother
T. Mitchell, Quartermaster, Inniskilling Dragoons.
P.S.You will be glad to hear every mail brings me good
news from my ain giud wife and darling bairns. also
Permit me to congratulate you both on the latest addition to your family.