I arrived safe here on the 20th Ultimo and am now living in Ship Street Barracks along with two detachments of the 90th. I am drilled four hours a day & have to attend all court martials, parades &c &c.

Although it is the most disagreeable part of the service I don't feel it all irksome. The parade to church in full dress every Sunday & every officer is obliged to go alternately with the presbyterians and catholics but as I am a presbyterian I shall have to march them every Sunday to church[,] all the other officers being either episcopalians or catholics. There is only three Scotch officers in this Regt myself included. I have been pretty lucky as yet having got two Ensigns below me and if the Regiment goes to Turkey or India (to either of the places it must go) I will be senior Ensign in a very short time as my brother officers are all men of fortune who'll sell out whenever we go on service.

We have lost nearly all the Scotchmen having volunteered for the 79th & 93rd Highlanders who have gone to Turkey, however we have nearly two hundred recruits which makes up for the loss. I dare say there are as many presbyterians in the Regt as would fill the whole of the centre seats in the Irvine Free Church and if we were stationed in Irvine I should make them all Free Church. I have got a servant who has been nineteen years in the service & he says there's not a woman in the "service" that will wash better than his wife. Compts to Ann. My dear Mrs MacLaren.

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