'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
Our hunting expedition was on a grand scale, huntsmen and spearmen and
falconers in profusion, and twelve elephants, and five miles of open
country, and the result was, that we killed one innocent and
unsuspecting black crow, and two tame paddy birds, which one of the
falconers quietly turned out. But it was a grand sight, and I have made
a rare sketch of some of the people.
F. and I went off to Kurrah yesterday morning, and found three tents
pitched opposite to a beautiful tomb. G. and Captain N. left us after
they had seen two or three ruins, and we stayed out sketching with P.
and M. till breakfast time. The sketching mania is spreading luckily,
for as these young gentlemen must go with us, it will be a great
blessing both for themselves and us if they can draw too. P. has set up
a book, and seems to draw well. These little quiet encampments are very
pleasant, after the great dusty camp.
W. had meant to shoot at Kurrah; he always goes on the day before, as he
hates getting up early and likes living alone; but there was some
mistake about his tent last night, and when he arrived with a tired
horse over a cross-road, there was nothing but his bed, and no tent, and
all the servants sleeping round a large fire. The servants said, 'O,
Sahib went away very impassionate.'
We went on our elephants at four, to see the fort, an old ruin, on a
real, steep rock, with a great bird's-eye view of the Oude country.
Certainly a hill is a valuable article. We then joined the camp, through
four miles of old temples and tombs, and the ground about as uneven as
that at Eastcombe. Altogether, Kurrah answered to us.
We had rather a large dinner afterwards.
Futtehpore, Dec. 15.
Yesterday we were at a very dull place, Thurriah by name, and were not
even tempted to ride out of the camp. The band plays in the afternoon,
between five and six, which I established, because at dinner it is
impossible to listen comfortably; and it really plays so beautifully, it
is a pity not to hear it.
All the party walk up and down what we call High Street in front of our
tents. The Y.s with their two children, he taking a race with his boy,
and then helping to pack a camel. The 'vicarage' is always the tent that
is first struck. The A.s slink off down A-alley, at the back of their
tent, because in her present state of figure she is ashamed to be seen;
the C.s take an elephant. Colonel P. walks up and down waiting to help
Mrs. R. off her horse, and wishing she would not ride with her husband.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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