Ma Chere Amie

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      I have my dear Anna's promise
of a few lines from you to-morrow, I shall have
so great satisfaction in receiving them that I
write in the mean time to thank you for your
kind intention of complying with my request; I
am not without some expectation of a letter in
the same cover from our Dearest Miranda as I
think you may have received one this afternoon,
I have been most sincerely wishing my-self with
you at the opening of it, that I might have
had an earlier account of her, & enjoyed with
you the greatest pleasure we could have received of
hearing that she was well. I left you my
Dear Mrs: Hamilton with a very sincere regret &
it was doubly painful, as besides the concern I
felt at parting from you I could not but be sensible
that losing another of the Society would make
your Dear Mary's absence even more tedious; however
I hope a little time now will re-unite
us all, & that we shall forget the pain we

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have felt in parting in the satisfaction of
meeting again. I hope I have left a very
good Deputy, Anna I dare say fills up some of your
leisure hours, she can not play at Chess, but
Mrs: Glover can beat you at all-Fours -- I hope
they prevail on you to go out a good deal tell
me whether you have given up the little excursion
you talked of making with Leonidas &c. to
this part of the world, the weather is not
inviting but the country still looks pleasant; I
do not enquire my Dear Mrs: Hamilton particularly
of your health I heard you were pretty
well -- & I was the happier to hear it as I was
not without anxiety lest we should have over
fatigued you at Hampton-Court --
This retired place affords little news -- we were
going this afternoon to Egham Races but prevented
I do not regret it, I am not fond of that
amusement & am happier to employ some part of
the time which I should have spent there in conversing
with you -- tell Leonidas the Gentleman was here
who painted those views in Otaheité which we saw

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at the Exhibition, I remember his remarking it
& our surprise at the purple appearance of the
Mountains & I was pleased to have it in my power to
satisfy his curiosity & my own by enquiring of Mr:
Hodges who was in the Country what occasioned it, he
tells me they are always covered with a sort of Fern
which grows upon them the same kind of Fern which
we find upon Heaths in England, & which also
bears a purple flower, but that has a larger
Flower, is fuller of Blossoms, & is always in Bloom.
Mr. Hodges says he was much pleased with the appearance
of the country by his account it is very beautiful
& the perpetual spring they enjoy makes it
usual to see the fruit at the
same time upon the Tree in blossom,
green, & ripe -- I was diverted
to hear that Omiah before he left England
purchased a very elegant white Satin umbrella
with a broad fringe &c. which cost him 5 guineas
to preserve his complexion from the Sun --
      My sister will tell you that we have been
obliged to give up our scheme of going into Sussex
Mr. Paine is prevented -- could I have foreseen this I
would not have left you -- as this is put off --
My Sister Barnard insists upon fetching me for

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two or three days to Maple Durham -- I ask your
leave of Absence for only that time I can not
refuse a request of hers, & I will most certainly
return to you next week you may depend upon
my promise, if you love me well enough to

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be interested in it, I flatter myself you do; --
continue to love me -- I will not deceive you
      Adieu Ma Chere Amie
           Je vous aime en verité Adieu
                                                         Caterina

To --
The Honourable Mrs: Hamilton
      James Street
                             Buckingham Gate