Sunday, May 10, 1840

1840

May

Sunday 10

8 3/4

1 40/..

Finish morning, Réaumur 10 1/4° at 10 a.m.  About before breakfast at 10 1/4 to 11 –

Then had Mr. Besoc and then Captain Tolstoy, who staid after Mr. Besoc and till after 1 – I had just turned all my things out of my bag to begin packing before they came – All the rest of the day packing and putting away my papers etc. (to be left behind) in the top of my Moscow portmanteau, and put my own dresses and Ann’s in the portmanteau to be left behind –

About 8, went down to see about the kibitka packing – ’Tis now 9 and we have not dined or had tea –

Madame Latchinoff sent the translation of her voyage to Erivan by 10 this morning (before breakfast) – It seems, after all, that Mr. Tolstoy (not Captain – only Lieutenant as yet) likes better reading than that of light travels etc. etc. His favourite work, Mignard’s French Revolution, 4 volumes octavo and likes Hume and Gibbon and Robertson –

The Black Sea, said Besoc and Tolstoy, very stormy from 1 September to 1 May – Short, hay-cocky waves – Government bought 5 steamers in London – One of 130 horsepower lost – Could not contend against the storm – But from 1 May to 1 September, 4 months

of summer and the sea stormless (storms have been known in May) and beautiful – One

goes from Kertch to Yalta and thence to Odessa, but regular post road by land – Vessels have

been 3 months instead of 30 hours (or 2 or 3 days with wind) from Constantinople to Odessa –

Besoc himself was a month and all but lost – 1 1/2 day from Constantinople to Trebizond – The Tchukess pirates dangerous to unarmed vessels –

Fine day – feel queer from not having walked out for several days –

Read Madame Latchinoff’s little work after dinner – Sense well enough – French bad –


WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/24/0100


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