'Up the Country': Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of IndiaEden, Emily
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'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
We had some more ladies to see the durbar, and the secretaries have
become resigned to that innovation, and think it rather improves the
appearance of things.
Wednesday, Oct. 23.
P. returned from Cashmere to-day, much sooner than we expected him. He
walked into my room just as I was going to dress, and I should not have
known him the least if I had met him out of doors. He said he had
spoken to several people, who had not made him out at all. His hair is
quite long, hanging about his shoulders, and his beard half-way down to
his waist. It is a mark of respectability in the countries he has
travelled through, but it looks ruffianish here: however, it was rather
becoming. P. gives such an account of the shawls that are making for us
in Cashmere, and he has brought drawings of them that make one's
shawl-mouth water.
Hurripore, Wednesday, Oct. 30.
There! I have seen the last of poor, dear Simla, except a distant
glimpse from the Fir Tree Bungalow, where I shall sleep to-morrow.
This place is so very low, and hot accordingly. I had always settled to
make my journey to Barr last four days. More than three hours of a
jonpaun knocks me up, and the last three days I have unluckily been
ailing. I should not have set off yesterday afternoon, only that my bed
and sofa and every atom of clothes had gone on in the morning, and three
hours of any pain can be borne. So in spite of a desperate headache, I
started for Syree, with Dr. D., Giles, and Wright, meaning to get into
bed the moment I arrived. But I had the sad spectacle of my bed set down
about half-way, and the coolies smoking and cooking their dinner round
it. However, Rosina had made me up a bed on a native charpoy that did to
lie and excruciate my head upon, till the bed came up, and the doctor
made me up a composing draught; but such a night as I had! I had not
tasted anything for thirty-six hours, and about ten an insane desire
for a sandwich seized me; so, though I had heard the cooks with all
their chattels set off for this place two hours before, I called to the
hirkaru who was sleeping at the door, and told him to tell Giles I
wanted a sandwich. Hirkarus are good for carrying a note, or a parcel,
but are never trusted with a message. After making me repeat sandwich
six times, and evidently thinking it meant a friend from England, or
some new medicine, I heard him repeating as he walked off round the
bungalow, 'Lady Sahib sant vich muncta' (muncta meaning '_wants_,' and
the only word that we have all learnt, showing what _wanting_ creatures
we are). Giles made up a mixture of leg of chicken and dust, which was
satisfying under the circumstances, but still my head raved; and having
heard the jackals (which do not exist at Simla) tearing up a dog, I had
a vague idea that the sandwich was made of the remains of Chance, which
gave it an unpleasant flavour.
Then the Pariah dogs fought, and the A.s' coolies arrived with all their
things and insisted on bringing them into the bungalow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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