Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, 9 November 1923 Letters 1916-1923 Nora Ring

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 Kerry Library Archives Charlie Daly Collection, P41/23/13 https://letters1916.ie/item/5369 English Nora Ring 1923-11-09 The British Bank of South America, Bahea, Brazil Susan Daly Knockane, Firies, Co Kerry, Ireland Female Civil War (1922-1923) Civil War (1922-1923)

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 P41/23/13 The British Bank of South AmericaCaira —41BahiaBrazil 9th November 1923 My dear Susan At last — I have found a fewmoments in which to scribble you a note tolet you have my new address. All ourletters are addressed to the Bank as it isthe safest mode of delivery — I have been7 weeks here and I have been kept busysince I arrived, although I must say I havedone nothing really worth while — Labour isso cheap here with all the niggers that noneof the white people work — I love the placealready — the bay is very pretty — sucha lovely blue sea all studded withlittle islands. We live quite near abeautiful sandy beach. Our house issituated just as Jim’s house in Valenciaand we can bathe all the year round,the sea is quite warm sometimes. 2 Well Susan Jen will tell you all about our wedding &remind her to give you a photo although they areawful peaks . Such a glorious honey moon trip as Ihave had — being with the few days we spent in thepeace and solitude of Glendalough! It was lovelythere — we had a full moon also — so it was areal honey-moon— we motored through the Vale of AvocaI saw the Meeting of the Waters. I admired the scenerybut it cannot be compared with the majestic-ruggedbeauty of the Kingdom. Even Paddy admitted that althoughwe were in the Wicklow of the Byrne Clan — In London we couldn’t call our souls our ownbetween my being introduced to the Byrne family there& mailing my brother & numerous relatives we weretired of trotting about & glad to get on the “Andes” at Southampton on 31st August The is a lovely ship and the largest Royal Mail boat going from Europe to S. America. We had a lovely cabin on the side & in the dining salon we have a nice small table near the port—hole. We had a splendid land & dancing after dinner every evening. So we enjoyed ourselves to perfection. We called at Cherbourg — Conurra — Vigo — Lisbon —Maderia and Penamluco. Conurra & Vigo we reached on 2nd September — arriving at Conurra at day break & reaching Corunna Vigo at 5 o’clock the same evening. We went ashore at Lisbon & motored all round the city. We had lunch in a quaint old café where Paddy got the nigger band to play Brazilian for me. At Madeira we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly - I won’t attempt to describe Madeira —it is so beautiful — & it is one of the few places whose picturesqueness has not been exaggerated — we went up to the hotel in the Summit in a funny old mountain railway. The native kids threw bouquets of flowers at us on our way up 3 We came down in a toboggan drawn by twonatives — they simply went like the wind. We saw some exquisite lace embroiderythere — I sent a card to Tomas from Madeira.Hope he got it — I should like to writehim a long letter about — my voyage butI hope he will be released before this letterreaches you — so he can read it. After we left Madeira we were on theopen sea for 7 days — we did not callat any port and the only land we couldget a glimpse of was the Penal Settlementof Fernando — Noninna —! how cheerful! - I was ever so sorry when the trip cameto an end. I could live all my life in aship especially as neither of us was sea sick.Some friends came on board at Penamluco& 24 hours later Nora Bean na aslanded in Bahia – all the natives were in the docks to greet us — & they salaamed & uttered what seemed to me unintelligible sounds but which was in really bad Portuguese. 4 They shouted O’Mayor & patted Paddy onthe back & salaamed once more to theSenhora do Mayor” — (wife). I was amused.We motored to this house & I was delightedwith it — & I must say Bahia is far beyondmy expectations — it is decidedly pretty& I like the climate — the heat has notbeen too oppressive — but still one cannotwear even the flimsiest coat. It is lovelyto see the blue sky and the sunshinealways — people get up around 5-30am(I am the exception to the rule naturallybut they go to bed early also — The British& American colonies are getting larger everyday and there are quite a number inthe French & German colonies — The White ladies spend their time visiting& going to tea & sights. I am the youngest lady married or single in the colony and I have great fun. Imagine me soberly sitting at a tea sight with a group of Stolid English matrons when my 5 Celtic blood wants me to get up & shake every one of themto wake them up. They are the usual type ofEnglish women one meets abroad trying to do thegreat thing”. As you may well imagine — neither myage or my nationality make me have anything incommon with the people who are old at 25They get very grooved when they remain out here along time. The men are also at these tea butI amuse Paddy immensely every evening by telling himall about them — He is always afraid they might have the misfortune to mention “Ireland” or “troubles” —and that I shall be had up for “wilful wholesalemurder” of the ladies of the colony. I tell him they havenot intelligence enough to know where Ireland ismuch less discuss the political question — I likethe Americans and the French ladies — the American Consul’s wife is a most intelligent woman. She has been all over the world — we are great friends as she has a claim on old Ireland also. We were at a lovely Ball at the French Club given in honour of the Officers of a French Battleship that called at the port — the decorations were lovely and we were all given moire silk with the name of the ship in gilt letters — I danced all the time and enjoyed myself thoroughly — we are to have a dance at our own club on the 10th. The nigger servants are great. “The Black Watch” I call them. They go about so silently — the police & soldiers here are a scream — Brazilians & niggers all mixed up — They seem to have ammunition galore because they are always firing about at nothing. What a pity some of our friends could not lay their hands on it! How are all the boys — give my love to them all especially . Do not forget to send me 5 Poor Charlie’s Mortuary Card. I often thinkof him. (RIP) Have you got a school yet?If you happen to see the Whelansremember me to them. I hope you will write me a long letter& tell me all about yourself & our friendsGive me love to your Mother & keep a bigshare yourself. It seems such a short time ago sinceyou were sitting near my bed —when youcame to say goodbye—! That was the dayPaddy returned from London —he is thesame old Paddy I knew in Valenciaand we are as happy can be. Godhas been very good to me in giving mesuch a husband. Jen called us “TheBabes in the Wood” & the people hear say the same thing with love & good wishes from Nora Miss. Susan DalyKnockaneFiriesCo. KerryIreland Knockane, Firies, Co Kerry, Ireland Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, 9 November 1923 The British Bank of South America, Bahea, Brazil Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, 9 November 1923 Nora Ring Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, March 1923Letter from Nora Ring to Susan Daly, 9 November 1923