From Private John Worlock  H.M 3rd Light Dragoons.

Bombay ‘Calaba’ Barracks.  December 28th 1847

Dear Father.

I have received your kind letter on the 24th of this month & very glad to hear that you were all enjoying good health, which, thank God I am enjoying at present. Dear Father I received my transfer about 4 months ago & the day following a letter from Mother. The same afternoon I sat down & answered it, which you say you never received.

I have been in Bombay about 3 weeks & there is a Corporal transferred to the 14th Light Dragoons. Both Regiments are lying together, our ‘south’ was to proceed to Calcutta & to clear our expences & we were given to understand the fare is 10.0s. 0d. Which of course I have not the means, although I have been very careful with what little money I have got, but still if I had the money, I should be very sorry to pay nearly half the worth of my discharge for to get there. I am trying to get a vessel to work my passage but whether I will suceed or not I cannot say. But the Brigade Major says that if we cannot pay our fare or get up the best way we can, he must send us back to our Regiment.

I have never received any answer to the letter from poor Mr. Hopkins. It is a sad job for Mrs. Mercer, I was very sorry to hear of his death.

We came down from --- Kirkee in 3 days, by ourselves, with a pair of Buffalos & ‘hackery’, that is a cart about the same size of a wheelbarrow. We came down the ‘Ghauts’, that tremendous chain of mountains. In the night it is very bad, we were afraid we would be destroyed by the wild beasts, for when we had reached half way down the dreadful howl from them was awful, believe me Father I cannot describe it, & to make the sound of it so much worse there, I should say, hundreds of Jackalls set up their yell. Our native coachman finished up a tree & left us to the mercy. I can assure you that the stoutest of hearts would be struck with terror & especially when only two & a native. It has been known that when Regiments have been marching up, for some of them to them to meet with their death by Hyenas & Tigers. And Monkeys innumerable, you will see them shaking the trees to shake the nuts on to you. The reason they are a plenty there, is because no person can get about to shoot them, but there is a great number of Tiger traps set there.

I hope Mother will receive the letter I wrote to her before you receive this, it will be useless for you to answer this before you receive another from me & that will be immediately I know whether I can get a passage or else join my Regiment again, which I should not like to do after taking farewell from so many. The 3rd are expected to go home next year. I am very thankful for yours & his Graces kindness to get it for me, although I would not have troubled you had I known that the expenses fell upon myself  but stillI think it would be worth the difference to exchange Regiments,  as there is no likely hood of any war at present. Although I say it ‘here’ to you, I certainly would like to ‘join’ in some engagement, but as for to stay in the Country, I would not ‘give’ a ‘penny’ to. Although I am well at present, I have been troubled with fever & ague. I really thought I should never write another letter to you, when I took the bowels complaint. We lost more men, since we have been in the Country with ‘---‘ than any thing else. The East is not at all like the West Indies, for there are no European settlers, except the Army & I term it a Europeans Grave. The 22nd Regiment has lost twice the strength of their regiment in 7 years. That is ‘16’ hundred, you may have seen it in the paper.

My love to Dear Grandmother & all relatives, so nothing more at present.

I remain               ‘Aunt’ Higgs
Yours for ever             is doing very well
J.P.Worlock                for a family.