[Thomas Waters, R.M., to his wife, Elizabeth]
Addressed to Mrs Capt.Waters R.M., King Street, Woolwich, Kent
H.M.S.Revenge Suda Candia [Porta Suda, Crete] 11 March 1841
My dear Wife
In my Letter to you of the 17th January I stated that I had joined H.M.S.Revenge for the purpose of doing duty in her until Capt.Calamy’s return from Malta Hospital. I am still in the same Ship, Capt.C. not having yet returned, how long I am to remain in her I cannot say nor where I am to go when I do leave her, perhaps to England but I cannot tell, the Marines are all embarked from Africa in different Men of War in the Mediterranean, there are about thirteen supernumery Captains disposed in the fleet, there are in this Ship, Supernumeries including myself, three Captains seven Serjeants & Corporals and thirty-eight private Marines-
We quitted Marmorice Bay the 8th Inst., the Bay a very large one is surrounded by Woody rugged Mountains having a house here and there a mile or two apart with small enclosures to some of them, the hedges, which are not very plentiful, as far as I could see, are generally composed of myrtle, bay, arbute, wild olive and such like beautiful shrubs and trees, water in summer is scarce but fruit, I believe, is plentiful such as oranges, lemons, grapes, figs etc. there is a very small dirty town with a ruined castle at the head of the Bay, in the neighbourhood of the town we saw several carcasses of bullocks, with only their skins taken from them, scattered about, haveing, I suppose, been drove from a distance through very very rough tracts over the Mountains……………………………….
(Four lines of the letter have been cut away here)
…jackalls etc.- Yesterday we arrived in the Harbour of Suda in Candia a large fertile mountainous Island anciently called Crete, how long we are going to remain here I cannot say, or what we are going to do- I hope you are all well, I have no news to give you and it is of no use for me to write a long letter about nothing-
Love to all my dear family, Yours truly
Thos. Waters