Dear Sir

Abergelli Aug. 22^d 1793.

I am now at the Brighthelmstone of North wales, a place rather inferior to that of Sussex: but the inconveniencies must be submitted to as it does most amazingly confirm the health of our dear child. I trust that a fortnights more penance will effect the end of our coming here & restore us all by our fire side at Downing. some good rises out of every thing. you I know will rejoice to hear that I shall at abergelli probably complete the tour of the isle of wight & join fill the blank I left from the borders of Sussex to Lymington. I brought with me [...] my Journal, y^r materials Cambden, & worsely, I find myself well inclined to work & hope to effect the business. If you have anything more say [sic] pray communicate. still something may be added. one thing in particular let me request you to inform me, if Sir R^d Worsley leaves his pictures &c &c at Appledorecombe in the order they were in the list you favord me with.

I truely lament the necessity which miss Catherine has for a Bath journey: may she feel every good effect which you can wish. I feel for you. I credit you for Botany bay till we meet. In town. in my passage homewards in July I met with two of its inhabitants at the Br. Museum. They had the features of very ugly negroes but the hair neither woolly or frizzled; nor yet straight like the Indostans, rather waved & black. their complection copper suffused over with black. their minds lively & intelligent. They entertaind us with the song & dance of their own country. the first was learned from the Kangaroo which is their dancing master as the Bear is of the Kamtschatkans. I wishd to see how the [sic] performed the english dances: so, being the most active of the philosophical company, took out Baneelon, & performed with him a jig, Cheshire round & others of our most agile dances. his powers & quickness of imitating our steps were surprizing.

Now for Moses. To his great misfortune I had a mill to rebuild. He very unwisely took in as a boarder a fine stout hibernican mill wright: & I much fear we may seeay of him as of his meek namesake, Ecce cornuta ejus facies!¹ He gives likewise symptoms of methodism; so I fear much for the effect it may have on both head & hand.

I never lamented a war so much as this as it is war with madmen of which we cannot fore-see the end: & all this without the lest imputation to government. I think the convention would save the Queen: but she must fall a sacrifice to the mob. for you know it is impossible for the armies to recede on acc^t. of an individual. – Did you ever read so wretched & low a forgery as the letter &c ascribed to M^r Pitt?²

I am only 17 miles from Downing. Pray let me hear from you with the usual address. Mrs P. join in best complim^ts to the Ladies³ & yourself.

I am
D^r Sir
most truely y^rs

Tho. Pennant.

I forgot a material part of my letter to beg from you a small matter towards regraving the late John Lloyd rector of Caerwis my right hand in welsh antiquities my constant friend & companion in travel: to whom we all owe much. The plate for the benefit of his widow & [...] children among [...] whom is only 250^£ for widow’s jointure & his ten [...]fatherless.

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Editorial notes

1. ‘the skin of his face shone’, said of Moses after he had spoken to God on Mount Sinai. The translation comes from the King James Version of Exodus 34: 29–30.
2. On this forged letter of William Pitt's, see Oxford Journal, 24 August 1793: 'The fabricated letter ordered by the Convention to be circulated through France, as an intercepted letter of Mr Pitt, mentioned in most of the prints, is a forgery so barefaced, that we should have supposed even the Rump Convention of France, would not have attempted to gull the people with it'.
3. Elizabeth and Catherine Bull.