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Berg Collection, New York Public Library. ALS; 3p. . Not previously published.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Ian Packer and Lynda Pratt
All quotation marks and apostrophes have been changed: " for “," for ”, ' for ‘, and ' for ’.
Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.
Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard.
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Southey's spelling has not been regularized.
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Here I am, on our return from Fleet Mound,
Sarah has probably heard that I saw her
sister Fanny at Edinburgh, & Elinor at Forres.
My journey is very pleasant, – in spite of an unpleasant circumstance, of which I give no
intimation in my letters home. I am travelling with a wound in my head. Skiddaw thought proper to explode as a
volcano the third night after I left Edinburgh. I have shown it to two surgeons – at Aberdeen & Inverness.
I have seen a great deal, & have yet much more to see. We have been in sight of the Ord of
Caithness. Never was any country in a more rapid state of improvement & xxx xx xx never was so much
done <to improve a country> in so short a space of time by Government conjointly with the people. Besides the
Canal, within the last 15 years – 1000 miles of the finest roads in the world have been made, & 1500 bridges –
great & small. Telfords Viceroywell over fully occupied.
I guess that the Arbutus plants may come from Lady Sunderlin, – who has relations of the name of Roper.
Love to Sarah & the children