Sunday 17 November 1839
Breakfast at 10 1/4 to 11 very fine morning - Ann poorly - could not go to church - I staid at home in consequence
Low again mercy upon us cheered her but I see all won't do
Ann had a letter from her sister marked Hamburg 5th. instant - all well - poor Ann unfit for much adventurous travelling tho' as I tell her it is the being stationary that does not suit - when the novelty goes off there is not sufficient excitement - Il faut y penser - I scarce know what to do for the best
Read prayers in 25 minutes from 12 1/2 to 12 55/60 - beautiful day now at 1 20/60
Ann has just lain down and I have just written the above of today - to go homewards and thro' Germany to Paris for Dr. Double, or not? what will be best? Que Dieu me guide! - think of it by and by let me finish my newspapers - today was sacrament Sunday - what a pity we could not go to church! - Return the 2 packets of newspapers and ask Mr. Camidge to come to tea
Princess Marie married to the duke of Leuchtenstein, 18 June last at St. Petersburg Count Pahlen Russian ambassador at Paris held the canopy over her, the Grand Duke Alexandre (prince héréditaire) held it over the Duke of Leuchtenstein the Emperor allows them 7000,000/- (Rubels) per annum
Vide St. James's chronicle page 2 column 6 Dibbling wheat - Benjamin King of Eastbourne, not very far from Hastings, had now growing 11 fine plants from 11 grains of wheat, some white some red, one plant with 94 ears, one ditto with 107 ears, and some of the straw upwards of 5 1/2 feet high - each grain was put 3 inches into the ground this speaks volumes 'for depositing the grain below the reach of birds and of most insects, by which, too, it is little liable to be injured by frost, and the roots spread enough before it rises into stalk to supply sap for making stiff straw and well-filled ears' - In Norfolk broadcasting of wheat is unknown - all is either dibbled or drilled, neither uses more than 1 1/2 bushel of seed therefore this 1 1/2 bushel saved as compared with broadcasting, amply pays for dibbling it - cost of dibbling varies on different soils therefore Hertfordshire and Norfolk from 6/- to 10/- per acre - average = 8/- per acre and produce in Norfolk admitted to be 4 bushels per acre more than when broadcast - the 1st page of the English Agricultural Society's Journal says 'the average production of wheat is stated, at 26 bushels per acre in England and Wales but if this could be raised only to 27 bushels, at 50/- per quarter it would be an annual gain of £1,200,000; if 3 bushels are broadcast, 26 bushels is not nine-fold the seed but in the plant of wheat with 107 ears they average more than 30 grains each, and the production is then 3210 fold' from the Sussex advertiser
South sea expedition - 3 voyage to the South pole or Pacific Ocean - Erebus commanded by Captain Ross nephew to Captain Ross who attempted a north west passage, and Terror bomb commanded by Captain Crosier - the vessels lent by the Admiralty to the Board of Arts and Sciences which pays expence of outfit - St James's Chronicle 27 August last page 3 column 1. and vide page 3 column 4.
'Tea; its effects medicinal and moral' By G. G. Sigmond, M.D.' &c. &c. Longman & Co. - good copious details of the recent discovery of the tea-plant in our own territory of Assam, of the efforts now making to render us independent of the Chinese for our supply.
Internal decoration of Eglintoun Castle (at the tournament) was committed to Messrs. Philips of Regent Street and Messrs. Pratt of Bond Street.
St. James's Chronicle 29 to 31 August page 3. column 1. and page 3 column 5. Thames tunnel now reaches low water mark therefore no fear of another irruption - Length of tunnel now = 920 feet being little short of 3/4 of the whole distance there being about 380 feet more to complete the entire length - the tunnel is expected to be opened for passengers towards the latter end of next year
St. James Chronicle Saturday 31 August to Tuesday 3 September 1839 page 3 column 2 first day of the tournament was Wednesday 28 August - and vide column 3 Lady Mexborough 'wore an Eastern Costume, which attracted much attention, as did also a very handsome dress worn by Miss Stuart de Rothesay'
Death of Lady Hester Stanhope at Djoun, after a long illness - eldest daughter of the late, and sister of the present Earl Stanhope, - born 12 March 1776 therefore in her 64th year at the time of her decease.
St. James's Chronicle from Saturday 27 to 30 July 1839 page 2 column 4 Captain Spencer's travels in Circassia 2 volumes octavo 28/- and cheaper edition published by Colbourn, Great Marlbro' Street - and City of the Sultan by Miss Pardoe - St. James's Chronicle Tuesday 6 to 8 August 1839 page 4. column 5.
Lady Hester Stanhope - died at one of her villas near Sidon - the English consul from Beyroot accompanied by the Reverend W Thompson, an American missionary, performed over her body the last offices of Christian burial - thro' Syria & Arabia called 'Queen of the Desert' and 'the madam Zenobia', and was looked up as the future Deliverer of Asia, and especially of the Holy Land. The fame of her piety and her alms giving was diffused from Mount Lebanon, with its settled dwellers, to the farthest nomade wandering tribes of the sands of Arabia' St James's Chronicle from Saturday 10 to 13 August 1839 page 4. column 4.
All the day till 5 1/2 - then dressed - dinner at 6 in 3/4 hour, and from 6 3/4 to 7 1/2 and from 9 1/4 to 1 reading over and making the foregoing notes from the 23 newspapers, St James's Chronicles, lent us by Mr Camidge
At 7 1/2 went down to princess Radzivill for 3/4 hour - declined staying longer on account of Ann who had had a bad headache all the day - the old Princess Orousoff and the Prince and Countess Kutaisoff and old English Lady came first before I came away - Countess Pouschine had dined there and one of her brothers - the Princess Radzivill very kind and civil and ditto ditto very especially the old Princess Orousoff who begged to go chez elle every evening that we were not engaged, and to go to dinner whenever we liked - should always be glad to see us - promised to go on Tuesday evening - Princess goes away (leaves this house) tomorrow to go chez her father and mother Prince and Princess Ourousoff for a month or six weeks before her going to St. Petersburg where she will spend the winter and spring and perhaps next summer - does not like more travelling without her husband - nothing so melancholy as souvenirs isolés - souvenirs in which he cannot take part
Ann had letter this morning from her sister thro' Messrs A. Marc and Company and I this afternoon at 5 1/2 from Mariana Lawton - 3 pages and ends and under the seal, dated Lawton 23 October - directed aux soins de Messrs. Tottie and Aufwedson Stockholm, and thence forwarded to St. Petersburg and here
Queerish sort of letter - seems to have received my letter from Calais - but not pleased to have heard 1st. from Egley the bookseller that we had passed thro' London on our way to continent - had inquired my address at Hammersley's - her pages may never reach me - 'they won't be much loss except to show you that absence does not make my memory quite so short as yours' - .... 'I don't ask you to write, not because I don't desire to hear from you, but because I know you had rather not be bothered with letter writing - adieu! affectionately yours Mary' - account of the death of Mr. Duffin on the 17th. September borne well by his widow and valet de chambre ditto of the illness of Mariana's god daughter - and of Miss Best's having returned home in September, while Mariana was in York, 'and gave a deplorable account of both Isabella and Charlotte whom she had left with Cooper all sick at Frankfort. this did not sound comfortable I hope both you and your friend are making a most satisfactory and joyous travel.' Isabella Norcliffe had been near 'killed by a train of railway carriages going over her, and was only saved by what might have proved a second death namely a man knocking her backward off the trams by which fall she was very much hurt and was seriously ill afterwards'
Very fine day - cannot see thro' the frost on the glass the degree of cold outside - Fahrenheit 65 1/2 now at 1 1/2 tonight on my table -
Very interesting and history about things
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