The Camp Sunningdale. Nov:17/[18]90
My dear young Lion Thank you for your latter just received. I am glad to hear that you have got to the 26th:prob:of Euclid. When next you write please tell me what you are doing in Latin & whether you have had any riding lessons yet. I am glad that you got B again. The Miss Thomsons (not Thompsons) are neices[sic] of Dr: Johnson whose portrait you saw & who travelled with me in India. We were boys together at school & College , Glasgow, & we both collected minerals, Insects, & plants. We also collected shells. When you get older I should like to take you to Scotland, & show you the places where Dr: Johnson & I used to make excursions. Reggie was here for three days last week; he has gone back to Mr: Le Touché's. There is to be an exhibition of Naval things next year in London, & they have asked me to send Memorials of the Antarctic Expedition so I have promised to send the Penguin & two other cases of Birds & my Antarctic pictures of ships in the Ice. The weather here has been very warm. The new Brougham has come, it is such a pretty one I hope that Kitty will like it, but just now new gravel has been put down on the roads & it is dreadful the jarring & grinding that the poor Victoria gets on its way backwards & forwards to the Station. We shall not use the Brougham until the roads are smoother, for the stones knock all the

paint off the wheels. We have had no more pigeons to eat - I have just now counted 14 but there may be more. We have been eating some of the old hens from the fowl yard. Yesterday we had the first celery, & it was very good. I suppose you heard of the dreadful wreck of the Serpent not far from Corunna. I think she must have been much out of her reckoning to have got so near to the coast of Spain. I too am longing for Christmas that I may have you back. Reggie has promised to come to us then. All send their love to you & to Hugh Ever your loving Old Lion.