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Enclosure to Governor's Despatch No. 305, of the 13th August, 1901,
Letter from Sir John Carrington to His Excellency the Governor.
Address:- c/o The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Yokohama.
Chasenji, Japan,
31st July, 1901,
2
Sir,
5 16 SEP C
I have to ask Your Excellency's consideration of the following matters relating to myself and my office.
2. As Your Excellency is perhaps aware my health has not been good for some time past. In April, 1899, I suffered from a severe attack of gastritis. The same trouble recurred in January, 1900. After these two illnesses my health was not what it was before, and accordingly in the course of last month I asked for and obtained three months' leave of absence. My intention was to proceed to this country and pass the period of leave in the hills, partly with the view of recuperating my health and partly with the view of having leisure to work on a Commission at the new Edition of the Statute Laws of the Colony with which I had been entrusted by the Statute Laws (revised Edition) Ordinance, 1900.
3. Unfortunately I have so far met with ill-success in achieving both these objects. On the 3rd instant, the night before arriving at Yokohama, I was again attacked with gastritis, and, although it soon passed away, I remained weak and delicate until the 18th instant, when the trouble returned in an aggravated form. This time it was accompanied by jaundice. Fortunately Major Whitty, R.A.M.C., is spending his vacation here and he has been most kind and careful in attending to me. I enclose a certificate as to my illness which he has been good enough to write. I will only add that, although I have now entered on the convalescent stage, I am greatly reduced and very weak, and that this state must continue for some time because some weeks at least must elapse before I can partake of any solid or sufficient food.
4. In these circumstances I propose to remain here and try, with the aid of the scenery and climate being of the finest, and my daughter, to nurse myself back to health and strength until it is time for me to return to Hongkong, where I am due to arrive on the 1st October next. But the question which weighs upon my mind and with regard to which I am now addressing Your Excellency is, what is the best thing to be done in the interests both of the service and of myself, when I arrive there?
5. Before leaving Hongkong I made no secret, as I think Your Excellency is aware, of my intention to ask leave to retire on pension on reaching the age of 55 on the 29th May next. But, as the case
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