Simla, Tuesday, March 19, 1839.

Don't you see, that now I am come back to Simla, a journal will be out of the question; nothing to put into it.

‘Pillicook sits on Pillicook's hill, Halloo Loo! Loo!’ (which I take to be a prophecy of our playing at Loo every evening). We came up in two days from Barr, a very fatiguing business at all times, though Mrs. A. had sent me down a hill Dhoolie, in which I could lie down, but it makes all one's bones ache to be jolted in a rough sedan for eight hours. The second day it poured till we came within sight of Simla, and with a sharp east wind from the mountains, the misery of all the dripping Bengalee servants was inconceivable. The gentlemen looked unhappy enough, as the hill ponies make slow work of the journey; and Dr. D. had a violent fit of ague before we arrived at Hurripore. X. abjures the aide-de-camp on these hill excursions and appears ‘en blouse,’ a mixture of ‘a brave Beige’ and a German student.

We found Simla very white with snow, the thermometer had been 91 in our tents that day week. But I do not think it at all uncomfortably cold here.