gave us some beautiful parrots, and monkeys and sloths for our menagerie, which nobody can take away from us.
My dearest Mary,—We sent off yesterday to the ‘Tamerlane,’ which sails in a few days, a most important box addressed to the care of Captain Grindlay, containing all sorts of odds and ends addressed to various people; and, amongst others, there is a small parcel for you, which will puzzle you unless this explanation precedes it. Your Willie, in his letter to me, asked ‘How is your black maid?’ and I told Rosina one of my little nephews had written to ask after her. Besides a mysterious veneration for a letter, which all natives have, the idea of being asked after by a little English boy and my nephew, quite enchanted her. She is very much (as all the uneducated natives are) like a child of three years old in feelings and intellect, and she asked to see Willie’s letter, and to be shown her name, and she, of course, turned it topsy-turvy, and kissed it and cried
