August 2nd.—­Yesterday, I received your letter, with all the sad details....  It was truly a lovely death, in harmony with the life that preceded it....  It is indeed a heavy blow to all....  This is a sad letter, but my heart is heavy.  It is difficult to make plans, with such a break-down of human hopes in possession of all my thoughts.

Calcutta.—­August 8th.—­It is now dreadfully hot....  In search of something to stay my gasping, I mounted on to the roof of the house this morning, to take my walk there, instead of in my close garden, where there are low shrubs which give no shade, but exclude the breeze.  I made nothing, however, by my motion, for no air was stirring even there.  I had a solitary and ghastly stroll on the leads, surrounded by the adjutants,—­a sort of hideous and filthy vulture.  They do the work of scavengers in Calcutta, and are ready to treat one as a nuisance, if they had a chance....  There is much sickness here now.

August 9th.—...  The ‘Ferooz’ will not reach Suez till about the middle of November, so you had better not arrive there till after that time.  You will have the best season for the voyage, and time to rest here before we go up the country.

Calcutta.—­August 17th.—...  I told you that I was feeling the weather....  I am going to-morrow for change of air, to a place about 300 miles from Calcutta, on the railway.  It is not cooler, but drier, and the doctor strongly recommends the change.  This is our worst season, and I suppose we may expect six weeks more of it.  If this change is not enough, I may perhaps try and get a steamer, and go over to Burmah.  But there is some difficulty in this at present.

[Sidenote:  Bhagulpore.]

Bhagulpore.—­August 19th.—­We made out our journey to this place very well yesterday.  The morning was cloudy, with drizzling rain, and much cooler than usual, and we had the great advantage of little sun and no dust all day.  At the station of Burdwan, the inhabitants of the station, some of them ladies, met us, and in a very polite manner presented flowers.  We kept our time pretty well in our special train, and reached our abode at about 7 P.M.  The air here is sensibly fresher than at Calcutta....  The house is a regular bungalow,—­a cottage, all on the ground-floor.  It is situated on a mound overlooking the Ganges.  There is no garden about it, but a grass field, with a few trees here and there.  Between the window at which I am writing and the river is an open shed, in which two elephants are switching their tails, and knocking about the hay which has been given them for their breakfast.  This is a much more quiet and rural place than any which I have visited since I have been in India; for Barrackpore is a great military station, and the park, &c., there are quite public.  Here there are not altogether above five or six European families....  We have a train twice a day from Calcutta, so I can get my boxes as regularly as I do there.

[Sidenote:  Monghyr.]