Letter from James Glencairn Burns to Agnes Eleanor Perochon, 21 January 1812

Calcutta, 21st Jany 1812.

Dear Madam,

I would have written you by the
last fleet, but really had no time, however I avail myself of some Ships,
which are about to sail for
England, to send you a few lines. I had a pretty
comfortable passage upon the whole, although
I was in the 3rd Mate's Mess, which is little better
than a common sailor’s lot, as to comfort; but Capt.
McIntosh gave me a letter to the Captain of the
Ship, who treated me very well: but my chief com=
fort was, having the Surgeon’s Cabin to return to, with
out which I should have been miserable; he is a
Scotchman, & one I never saw, or heard of before I
went on board, but I was not on board three days,
when he invited me to go into his Cabin whenever I was inclined:
when we had very pleasant weather all the
way out. We arrived here on the 20th Novr. after a
six months passage. Coming up the river the banks
are very beautiful, & the nearer you approach Calcutta,
the more beautiful it is, being beautified by most

Helegant Houses, which gave me an idea of what Calcutta
was; however I was partly disappointed in the beauty
of it; the Houses taken separately are noble structures
& at well it merits the appellation of the City of Palaces;
but the Streets are far from being beautiful, being irregular
& very dirty: as for the face of the Country, what little
I have seen of it, does not say much for it, having, though
really very fruitful, a very sterile appearance, being so
scorched by the Sun, & even if it was pretty, there would
be no seeing it, the country being one continued plain
& not the least appearance of being mountainous, though
farther up the Country there are very large hills,
I am told. The Regiment which I am going to join
is a considerable way up the Country, so that I shall
see a good deal of it. On my arrival at Calcutta, I
went to deliver your letter to Mrs Wilson, & also one from
Capt. MacIntosh to Mr Wilson, but was disappointed
in not finding him at home, both he & Mrs Wilson
having gone to their Country House, where they constantly
reside, & when I am at present, by his kind invitation,
also living very pleasantly. Mr Perochon used to call
Castledyke the Paradise of Dumfries; I inform you
this is also a Paradise, the Hour being very pleasantly

situated on the banks of the River. I delivered your
letter to Mr Fergusson, to whom & his [?] I had one also from
Mr Fairby he was very kind to me, and during my stay
in Calcutta I lived with his partner Mr Clark, a
gentlemen from Ayrshire, who was remarkably
kind to me. Your other letters one to Mr Gordon, & the
other to Mr Lindsay, I have not yet delivered, the
former being a long way up the Country, but Mr
W. is going to forward it; & the latter Mr Lindsay
is dead. I have also met with a great deal of attention
from Mrs Fergusson, who is a very pleasant agreeable
woman, and is in a fair way of bringing him
either a son or daughter. Mr and Mrs Wils [page torn]
desire to be kindly remembered to you & Mr Perochon.
Give my best respects to him, & I hope he still
keeps his health; remember me also to John.
I say no more, but



am
Your obt servant
J. G. Burns.
15th Native Infantry

Direct to the Care of
Messrs Fairlie Calcutta.