GORDON WRITES TO HIS MOTHER A MONTH BEFORE ARRIVING IN TIANJIN, CHINA, TELLING HER ABOUT HIS TRIP THROUGH THE GULF OF SUEZ
GORDON
(Charles George, 1833-1885, General Gordon of Khartoum, 'Chinese Gordon')
Superb Autograph Letter Signed "C. G. Gordon" to "My dear Mother",
saying that "In spite of the heat I must write you a line to tell you how we got on after Cairo. When I despatched my letter to you on the 4th Augt I went up in a carriage to the Citadel and had a splendid view of the Pyramids both of Giza and Cairo. You remember that Mehmet Aliput the Mamelukes to death in this Castle and the place where one of them jumped his horse over and escaped and where they were buried is shown. The Mosque in the Citadel and palace are most beautiful. I shall leave with ... a piece of the marble ... send it to you. We went on at 10 am to Suez, a miserable place 90 miles from Cairo and over the veritable desert it was a perfect waste of sand. Suez looked very warm, the steamers lay enclosed about 2 miles from the village, and we were conveyed to them by a small tug. The place where they said the Israelites passed is about 1 mile from Suez, the only reason for it being that the water is shallower there than elsewhere. The Arab boys dive wonderfully well altho the water is far from clear, they pick up 6 with ease. The land on each side of the Gulf of Suez is high and arid and looks very hot; about Sunday we passed the range of which Mt Sinai & Horeb are peaks but no one could say positively which was which, after the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea (which by the way is of Meditterranean blueness) widens and we lose sight of land. The whole navigation is very intricate and a native pilot is kept with the vessel as far as Aden. We are all pretty well ... it is not good to say anything about its being warm. The Cabin is provided with 'punkahs' or mats which are pulled to & fro by small boys to produce a draft. I found an officer called Hills of the Bombay Engineers who is my companion. We are crowded in my opinion but I hear it is nothing to what the crush is during the cool months. There is ample room for another line of packets on this route and it would be a great boon for the passengers, for at present we are at the mercy of the P & O for everything. As yet we have heard no news from China. The Sun today was on our Zenith and did not seem the worse for his eclipse. The Priests are in fine feather, they still keep to their hot black dress. There is a horrid child called Maggie, Sardinian, who squalls frightfully every evening on going to bed. There is a lieutenant of Bengal Infantry, fat and old with a heap of children and a funny wife ... We passed several sharks today and some shoals of flying fish pursued on all sides as well. We went thro the straits of Bab el Mandeb today ...", he then talks about a fellow passenger "she remarked that she had been fool enough to take her husband's advice and come out to India. He replied that most people made a mistake once in their lives, in spite of the heat she wept ... and a reconciliation took place ... we arrived in the Bay of Aden last night ... and I rode off to Bayly ... he came to meet me but I missed him and soon after I came to his house ... he is looking to my eyes very well ... in good spirits and has a capital house, he had ridden into Aden Bay to meet me and certainly did not seem the worse for the ride. He says he does not feel the heat at all and it is only during the wet season that he has any feeling of the bullet. I do not think that he can suffer much as he looks so well. My best love to my father, August, Helen & Mensa and please write to Ella and let her know that Bayly is looking very well and has been extremely kind ..." and hoping that she is well, 4 sides 8vo., crosswritten on 3 sides, "About 300 miles from Aden". 8th August
Item Date:
1860
Stock No:
39502
£4750
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GORE-LANGTON
(William, 1760-1847, of Newton Park, Somerset, Colonel)
Autograph Letter in the third person to Mr Nicholetts,
truly regretting he cannot dine with the Reformers of Bridport owing to Mrs Gore-Langton's health, 1 side 8vo., Malvern, 8th August
Item Date:
1832
Stock No:
50151
£25
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GORELL
(Ronald Gorell Barnes, 1884-1963, Colonel & Author)
Typed Letter Signed to 'Dear Sir',
thanking him for "the copy of 'Poetry' ... it was your first letter which brought it or the Empire Poetry League to my knowledge ... I feel that if I, who have been closely attentive both to Imperial and poetic affairs for a great many years, was so ignorant, many other people must be also", as to "the meeting at the Lyceum Club on May 7, I only know that I was invited by the members (it is a ladies' club only) to dine and speak to them afterwards on poetry", he does not think the club is inviting non-members, "As to severity in criticism, personally I think one only need fear injustice ... but I am grateful to you for your reassurance", 2 sides 8vo, 31 Kensington Square, W.8., 2nd May
Item Date:
1925
Stock No:
17207
£25
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GORT
(Charles Vereker, 1768-1842, Soldier and Politician, from 1817 2nd Viscount)
Autograph Envelope Signed for Free Postage,
to Mrs PALLISER, 54 Wellington Street, Leamington, from Dublin, 26th November
a trifle worn without loss
Item Date:
1839
Stock No:
55859
£20
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GOSSIP, 1939
Paper Slip headed 'Gossip', printed in red, for inserting in passports,
warning that "You will not help Britain while abroad, if you ... run down the British war effort ... allege that British Government organisations are ... inept", imply that "Britain is defenceless or in danger" or "talk thoughtlessly of military, aerial or naval matters, even if, in your opinion, what you say is harmless", ending "As a British citizen you have the right to 'grouse' in your own country; but idle gossip and grumbles voiced abroad are a help to the enemy", 100,000 copies printed by 'M&C Ltd.', 1 side 3¼" x 8", no place, November
Item Date:
1939
Stock No:
56117
£75
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