Ryde, Isle of Wight, 8 September 1857 
Kelston Cottage, Trinity St. 

Dear Marx, 

I finally arrived today at my new lodgings '* in the middle of a 
frightful downpour and tomorrow shall at once get down to 
the army again. Yesterday in Portsmouth I noted what was worth 
seeing on the military side, so all that now remains is the navy, which 
at this moment looks distinctly sparse. My health continues good 
and if the weather improves I hope I shall soon be completely 
cured. It takes half an hour to get here from Portsmouth and it’s a 

a April in the original - > See this volume, p. 152. 

very aristocratic little spot, though lodgings are not as dear as in 
Waterloo. At the end of the week I shall doubtless know what the 
situation is as regards food. However the hotels, etc., etc., are 
scandalously expensive. 

In Portsmouth one might almost be at home in Germany. One is 
barely aware of the navy in the town, which, by contrast, is lorded 
over by the subaltern—the false dignity, the affectation of reserve 
and the strangulated English that go to make up your OFFICER AND 
GENTLEMAN. Moreover, almost everyone goes around in uniform. I 
watched the 47th Regiment drilling, all of them bemedalled 
veterans of the Crimea,’ newly arrived from the Mediterranean. 
The more simple evolutions were passable but the intricate ‘model’ 
manoeuvres, of which there are so many in the English manual, 
were carried out very shakily. Square formation from marching in 
open order, each file proceeding diagonally, thus /////, was botched 
completely and the most hellish confusion arose. By contrast the 
march past in line, with the entire battalion deployed, was very 
well done. The commanding officer was very calm but as with us 
there was cursing and swearing within the companies. All 
movements were executed at the same gait as ours, somewhat 
longer paces perhaps, but performed rapidly though with great 
nonchalance on the part of individual men. A Prussian lieutenant’s 
comment would be: The chaps lack drill. Still very poor at 
the double. Shoot as though half-asleep. Conclusion: Manual 
rotten, men better than manual. So far little learnt from the 
French in the Crimea. The modern stuff either not introduced at 
all or else rottenly done. 2 

I shall send you ‘Army’ as soon as it is finished. Warmest 
regards to your wife and children. 

Your 
F. E.