'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
They are all very much occupied in burying a live native--a man who has
been described in various travels, who says he has the power of existing
in a trance, and who has made a vow to be buried for twelve years. We
have seen a great many people who have seen him buried, a guard placed
and even a house built over the grave, and who have seen him dug up
again at the end of two months apparently a corpse, but he comes _to_
again. Dr. D. was quite incredulous, but says in his letter to-day that
after hearing all the witnesses, and seeing the man, he has become quite
a convert. They were all going to attend the burying in the afternoon,
and the man had desired that he might not be dug up till the
Governor-General's arrival at Lahore next November. He offered to come
and be buried here, but Runjeet did not approve of it.
We had a musical dinner yesterday, a borrowed pianoforte and singing,
and two couples who accompany each other. The flute couple I think a
failure, but they are reckoned in this country perfectly wonderful; and
they whispered quite confidentially, 'I suppose you are aware that
before ---- came out to this country, the famous Nicholson said he could
teach him nothing more.' I suspect when he goes back the famous
Nicholson will find he may throw in a lesson or two with good effect.
The other couple are beautiful musicians.
Monday, July 2.
Captain P.'s house was robbed last night of about 80_l._ worth of plate.
One of his own servants is supposed to have done it, but there was
another house at the other end of Simla broken open at the same time,
and robbed of the same amount of plate, so there must be a gang of
robbers in the bazaar, much to ----'s disgrace. It is considered quite a
shocking thing to have a robbery in India--pilfering is commendable and
rather a source of vanity, but a robbery of an European is a sort of
high treason in all native states, and the town pays for that loss.
CHAPTER XX.
Simla, Wednesday, August 8, 1838.
I ought to have begun again sooner, as my last Journal was sent off this
day week, but it appears it will have to wait at Bombay till the eighth
of next month, so, as you may receive two at once, it will be rather in
your favour if one week is omitted.
It has rained almost literally without ceasing, with constant fog; but
if it is clear for ten minutes the beauty of the hills is surpassing;
such masses of clouds about them and below them, and they are so purple
and so green at this time of year.
August 18.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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