Parlement

Long Autograph Letter Signed 'Frank H. Evans' from the banker Sir Francis Henry Evans writing while a young man in Santos Brazil to his parents in England describing a mishap with a tent at the turning of 'the first sod' of a railway station.

réf. 13140 — Santos São Paulo state Brazil. The first part to his mother dated 29 and 30 May 1860; the second part to his father dated 30 May 1860. 14pp. 12mo. The first 11pp. are addressed to his mother and signed and the last 3pp. to his father and not signed possibly indicating that a continuation is lacking. In fair condition on aged paper with the last leaf worn and creased. He explains his situation at the beginning of the letter: 'First of all you may see from my address above that I am in Santos & secondly from the more cleanly appearance of the letter that I am not in the woods. - Would that I were back again for ever since I have been here I have been ill . On the 11th. of May we finished our Picado or in other words we worked our way well down on to the flat - the next day we came to Santos & have been here with one or two days exception ever since'. He gives 'a short account' of when 'the first sod' was 'turned': 'The affair took place just behind the convent of San Antonio - which is sold for a terminus Station to the Company - it was a good large open place & in every way favourable for such an occasion. . According to the general custom of Brazilians the whole lot of them came an hour too soon & found every thing in a state of confusion - for we had run our time up too near. - You may fancy our horror when we still in our working clothes heard the national band coming & shortly after behld it marching with the guard into the grounds - attended by all the swells. Well there was nothing for it but to make them all wait & pay no attention to them till the time was up so on we worked & on they looked thoroughly disgusted at our cool reception of them - so much for the first mistake At twelve o'clock everything was all right however & the president of the Province a wretchedly small insignificant being agaisnt whom I have a small account for examining me so boringly to see if I bore any forged notes about me when I landed in Rio di Janeiro turned the sod - the Bishop of the diocese or whatever they call it here spat on it & blessed it & put holy water on it much to our disgust as we believe all three of these thing bosh especially the first & third - although according to the ideas of Brazilians the ceremony is not complete without each one - well after this a few of the gift-of-the-gab-in-their-own-opinion Brazilians jawed away for about 3/4 of an hour - the English taking it very quietly sitting down under the tent till they had finished . We all stuck ourselves near the ladies platform to see the far-famed Brazilian ladies - oh! horrors in horrors what a sight when they did come ! ! for one minute we all stood aghast & then as if by magic all disappeared in the crowd & noe talked more of the gentle sex that day'. He proceeds to discuss 'The "Tent affair"' with a small drawing of a tent. The weather worsens and a gust of wind sends 'all the ladies immediately under & in the middle of the tent - well it came stronger & stronger & blew & tore up sheet & holdfasts in the ground - unknown to all ladies we then had about forty men holding for their lives on tow or three other sails. At last came a sneezer - a heavy crack above - & with a shriek & a yell the whole of our beautiful femal garrison hooked it head over heels on hands & knees out of the place jumping forms chairs &c & under the ropes securing the sails'. The women are persuaded to return when there was a gust of wind 'such as I never felt . & away went 240 feet of Canvas'. The description continues in the same light tone 'Champagne & beer are rather apt to make one keep repeating to one's friends - Did you say I was drunk Sir 'cause if you did Sir let me tell you I'm not sir - it's you Sir it's you Sir who are drunk'. 'Everything has been steady work since.' He describes how that day he was 'thrown or rather tumbled off a horse'. On 30 May he describes to his mother how he has 'had a dispute just now' with 'Mrs Rankine the wife of one of our Engineers here' 'about the wife of Charles Matthews - she would have it that the present Mrs. C. M. was the former Mme. Vestris - of course I denied & she in her obstinacy would bet me a pair of gloves'. He concludes with the news that he is 'going to another ball'. To his father he writes in more businesslike terms giving a 'short account of my progress here' with financial details. He reports that 'Bolland with whom I am on the Sierra had spoken highly of me' and that 'Not one day passes on which I do not speak all the four languages & plenty of them too. French Germ. Portug & English. You see German after all turned out a most valuable addition.' He sends his best wishes and asks for family news. The letter concludes 'It is an awfully sickly country & one is liable to all sorts of fatal diseases any minute - People in England sitting quietly at their jolly fires in a comfortable parlour cannot understand what it is to have as much illness round you & to know that you are quite liable to it at any moment.' Santos [São Paulo state, Brazil]. The first part, to his mother, dated 29 and 30 May 1860; the second part, to his father, date hardcover