'Up the Country': Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of IndiaEden, Emily
History
'Up the Country': Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of India
Eden, Emily
Eden, Emily, 1797-1869 -- Correspondence; India -- Description and travel
When we stopped half-way between Sabathoo and this place it was a double
march, and there was not a thing come up, not even a chair; and then the
dear old khansamah, with his long white beard, went fussing about, in
and out of the tents and the trees, and there were fires burning amongst
the grass, and tea made in a minute; and then he came with half-a-dozen
fresh eggs, which he must have laid himself, and a dish of rice, and in
ten minutes we had an excellent breakfast. I met my new horse on the
plain: such a beautiful animal, like an Arabian in a picture book, with
an arched neck and an arched tail, and he throws out his legs as if he
were going to pick up a pin at a great distance. W. was riding it in a
prancing sort of manner, that made me think it was the high-spirited
animal its former owner described, and to which its present owner would
particularly object; but I am happy to say that is a mistake. I rode it
one day alone with Captain X., and to-day with G., whose horse was
enough to drive any other mad, and my beauty did not care a straw.
'I am glad, Miss Eden,' Webb said, 'you did not take fright at first
sight, because the horse would have found you out directly; and he is
about the best horse in our stable, which is saying a good deal. I rode
him all the way from Kurnaul, and I think it was as much like sitting in
a good easy-chair as anything ever I felt.' I think if the horse had a
view of Webb in his travelling costume, he would not consent to be an
easy-chair under him: a flannel jacket, with leathers, and leather
gaiters, and an immense hat made of white feathers and lined with green,
supposed to keep out the sun; and now he has set up a long beard, and he
rides by the side of the carriage, either common fashion or sideways, if
he is exercising one of our horses. G. says he wonders how the Sikhs
will describe him in their journals. We have at last arrived at the
possession of Mr. D.'s bonnets, which were packed up exactly a year ago,
and have come out as fresh as if the milliner's girl had just stepped
over with them, from the shop at the corner, the blonde inside looking
quite _blue_ and fresh, and the gauze ribbon just unrolled. It is very
odd, and I am of opinion it would be clever, even now, to have ourselves
put up in tin and soldered, till it is time to go home. We should alter
_no more_. The bonnets are particularly pretty. I mean to appear in mine
at Ferozepore, to give Runjeet some slight idea of what's what in the
matter of bonnets.
Mattae, Monday, Nov. 12.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account