this place might console me for half the week at Calcutta. The elephants were brought out, and most of the party got on them, but they looked so large I did not like it. Captain Chads is a very pleasant man, so simple and straightforward, which is a merit here. Captain Chads has a young Disbrowe with him, and we have sent to ask him to dine with us on Saturday and go with us to the Opera.
George held a military levee, and all the field-officers came on to us afterwards; but they were not above thirty, and it was soon over. Wrote up my journal. Mr. Pelham arrived to luncheon on his way to Benares—a hurried journey he is making while the ‘Jupiter’ is refitting, and which all old Indians look upon as madness at this time of the year. He is very delicate, and it will be lucky if he has no illness on the road. Captain Grey is in despair at hearing that the regiment he is to take from Ceylon, and which he thought would consist of 250 men, is 400 strong. Altogether the officers and their families amount to forty-six people without counting their servants.
