'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
We marched ten miles to-day. These moves are the most amusing part of
the journey; besides the odd native groups, our friends catch us up in
their _déshabille_--Mrs. A. carrying the baby in an open carriage; Mrs.
C. with hers fast asleep in a tonjaun; Miss H. on the top of an
elephant, pacifying the big boy of the A.s; Captain D. riding on in a
suit of dust-coloured canvas, with a coal-heaver's hat, going as hard as
he can, to see that the tent is ready for his wife; Mrs. B. carrying Mr.
B.'s pet cat in her palanquin carriage, with her ayah opposite guarding
the parroquet from the cat. Then Giles comes bounding by, in fact, run
away with, but apologises for passing us when we arrive, by saying he
was going on to take care that tea was ready for us. Then we overtake
Captain D.'s dogs, all walking with red great coats on--our dogs all
wear coats in the morning; then Chance's servant stalking along, with a
great stick in one hand, a shawl draped over his livery, and Chance's
nose peeping from under the shawl. F.'s pets travel in her cart. We each
have a cart, but I can never find anything to put in mine. There are
fakeers who always belong to a camp, and beat their drums just by the
first tent, and the instant this drum is heard everybody thinks of their
breakfast and hurries on; and the Sepoys and servants are so glad to get
to the end of the march, that they throw the fakeer a cowrie, or some
infinitely small coin, by which he lives.
Mr. A. came over yesterday evening. They brought Mr. G. as far as
Chroppra, his station, and he is to follow us to Allahabad, when the
wedding will take place.
Goofrein, Sunday, Nov. 26.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account