Holmhurst
Hastings
Sept. 1. 1879.

My dear Prince

I executed your commissions in London with great pleasure. You will find photographs of most of the places you have seen - though I am sorry to say, though I went to all the best shops in London I could only get one of Oxford worth having. But if you like, I can easily get more when I next go to Oxford, and can send them to you to Sweden. The stick is not quite black, as they assured me at the shop that the only black wood (ebony) was too brittle to be used in the way you described : but I have otherwise got exactly what you desired & it is a very dark colour. Both it and the photographs were to be sent to Hyde Park ?St. and Count Steinbock would forward them.

I was very sorry indeed to miss the happiness of seeing my Prince again at Glamis. Lady Strathmore has sent me a description of you visit, which gave great pleasure. I am so glad the weather was tolerable. I hope you liked all the boys, especially "Bertie". I was glad also to know that you would meet Francis Villiers & his charming wife. I think you will have liked Lord ?Senfields. I have always heard of it as one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, but have never been there. Alnwick I have often been at, but most in the time of "Algernon the Great & Eleanor the Good" - Duke & Duchess of Northumberland. What a wonderfully curious place it is! and the ??? quite beautiful. I hope you have been taken to ?Wailsworth.

When I left Glamis I went for two days to Oban and actually faced the waves of the Atlantic sufficiently to go to Staffa and Iona. The former however is quite glorious - the most sublime miracle of nature and worth any effort.

I reached home on Saturday, the 23^rd and was just congratulating myself on my return, when in an hour I was telegraphed for to come to Ascot to my sorrowing cousins, the Lefevres - for dear old Sir John Shaw Lefevre was dead. So I went off to Lady Hamilton ?Landors who you saw at Oxford, and was with her and her sister for two days, and at dear old Sir John's funeral. He is an indescribable loss to me - and within the last ten days I have lost another very dear old cousin ('Uncle' my Prince would call him) in Lord Bloomfield, who for a long time was Minister in Stockholm.

I am now quietly here and very busy but go on the 9^th to my cousin Lady Elizabeth Biddulph (née Yorks) near Hereford, to attend the famous musical festival.

My Prince will know - without my saying it in words - with how much interest I shall always follow him in thought

and how truly I am
his affect^ate & devoted

Augustus J C Hare