View source for The Life and Letters of Sir John Hall – S.M. Mitra (1911)

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== p104 ==
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104      DR FORREST

''Thunderbolt'' steamer for him to Waterloo Bay. The
report is that he will not leave this until the middle of
February; but perhaps the arrival of his successor may
hurry his movements. Lady Sarah has fretted herself
at his recall, and yesterday I heard from Dr. Forrest,
her medical attendant, that she had got fever. I hope,
however, that her indisposition will prove of little moment
and of short duration, for should anything happen to her,
it would be a great blow to the old gentleman, and add
to his affliction. Dr. Forrest, who belongs to the Medical
Staff here, and has made a good deal of money, I hear,
by private practice, is indignant at being passed over by
Atkinson, who is junior to him in the Service, and is
going to make an application to return home on account
of his health, to which I suppose I shall be compelled to
give my assent. The other day he sent a regular reprimand
to Sir James McGrigor for overlooking his individual
merits, and promoting a junior Officer over his head, which
he sent to me for transmission home. I, of course,
returned it to him with a message that, however much
he fancied Sir James deserved censure for the promotion
he had made, I was not the channel through which such
a communication should pass, but that if I could forward
his views in getting an exchange, or even promotion,
it would afford me much pleasure. It was rather a
knowing dodge of the canny Scot, as all Sir James's
anger would have fallen on me, and very properly, for
transmitting such a document; but I have been severely
bitten once by one of his countrymen for my goodnature,
and I will forgive the next who persuades me to
commit myself again for his advantage. The weather
has become quite cool within the last few days, and, if
this be the hottest month of the year, it must be a pleasant
climate. I went the other day to Wynberg, a small
village about eight miles from Cape Town. It is pleasantly
situated on the south-east side of the mountains that
close in Cape Town, and is several degrees cooler than
this place. About half-way to Wynberg there is a pretty
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