'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 the distribution was ended, Runjeet said to G., 'Now speak some
words of friendship to me.' So then G. made his farewell, and ended by
saying he hoped Runjeet would wear a parting gift he had brought--that
bunch of emerald grapes we got at Simla.
They produced a great effect. Kurruck Singh and Noor Mahal, who were
sitting on the other side of me, got up to see them, and there was a
murmur of applause, which is unusual at a durbar. Runjeet asked if G.
had any request to make to him; and G. said only one more, that he would
occasionally wear the ring he was going to put on his finger, and he
produced the ring, made of one immense diamond, that was sent up from
Calcutta on speculation. It nearly covered Runjeet's little finger, and
it was quite odd to see the effect it had on the old man. He raised
himself quite up, and called for a candle to put behind it, and seemed
quite taken by surprise; and the gentlemen said that they overheard all
the Sikhs commenting on the generosity of the Governor-General, and the
_real_ friendship he must have for the Maharajah to give him such
presents. Runjeet took a most tender farewell of us; and so now that is
done.
Monday, Dec. 31.
After church, yesterday, Runjeet sent his treasures down with his great
diamond, 'the Light of the World,' which I did not see when the others
saw it. It is very large, but not very bright. There were also some
immense emeralds--some of those we had seen on the horses--and some
enormous rubies. It was a curious sight. G.'s presents, however, looked
very handsome, even amongst all these; and the treasurer said Runjeet
had had them in the morning to show to his chiefs, and that some of them
had advised him to have the _grapes_ made into a rosary, but he said he
never would have it altered; it should always be shown as a proof of the
Governor-General's generosity, just as he gave it to him. The ring,
which did not cost so much, the Sikhs, however, value still more.
In the afternoon, F. and I went to pay our visit to Mrs. Shere Singh.
Shere Singh thought it had been given up, and has been teasing E.'s
heart out about it. It would have been ill-natured not to go, and,
moreover, we should have missed a very pretty sight. We have never been
to any of their tents. Pertâb came to fetch us. The tents are very near
ours, and very showy-looking--all red and white stripes.
We were received with a very noisy salute, and all his own goocherras,
in their fancy dresses, were drawn up on each side of some fine shawl
carpets. Shere Singh was a mass of gold and jewels himself, and it was a
fine sight to see him come to the entrance, with all his people about
him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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