![An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [‎403r] (825/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0825.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [‎403r] (825/1291)")
An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [403r] (825/1291)
The record is made up of 2 files (630 folios). It was created in 1898-1914. It was written in English and Persian. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
T '/, , ,
/bmf lX littl s prs.ying-c/;rp')ts. It is m turfcliy vn-j tryt-
ing oO L i< < W'ic.v.iVB a.t work on it, c nu ?, pruo.’ mt omployor who
a&.b on hand an ordnr for anything ixc-iptionally i inn will al-
Wc -<7^ 0 (! cavuful to run siniultf’nnously with it another carp'>t
ol i>h '■ > ooarsur typ} anu put thu w javors on to th^m on alt’^r—
nato days. Now, to Inav » thn dosigning room and pass to
th» actual woi’k-rooms. Ttm apparatus Minploy»a is of course
of the most primitive. There are first of all two huge
wooden beams/running horizontally, round which are stretched
the strong cotton threads which running vertically rorm the
warp 01 the carpet. It is no small business to prepare the
Wr i p *oi a large carpet j the threads must be chosen, spaced
carefully —your 40, 80 or 150 to the unit, stretched taut
and so adjusted that as the work progresses the lowjr beam
can be rotated and the finished carpet rolled to bring the
woi^ing line within th reach of the weavers. Mf' 3randLy
told us it often took a weeks work to prepare one such
frame. There is no metal work and no machinery and it is
riac.zing uO see these b ams with their wood n levers and cranks
wo iking clumsily perhaps but as ant* effectively
as any modern invention and probably unchanged since the days
oi Alexander ^bc. Darius. One huge beam, about 20 yards long
and 12 inches diameter, on which two carpets were being
woven had cost no less than £100. When your warp is duly
adjusted, you next insert two smaller, lighter horizontal beams
which divide the threads in such a way that ha.il or them form
as xt were a back warp and half a front one. Then the weavers
get to work. On a carpet about 4 yards wide there may be
5 or 6 men working, or more,if speed is urgent. They squat
ornth ) ground ana work upwards. Bach takes his woollen thread
passes it round two threads of the warp catching one pack one
and one front one, ties a secure knot and outs off his woil
with a sharp knife about an inch or half an inch from the
knot. Good weaving depends not only on speed but on the
tightness aid security of the knot, the infallible catching of
dols threads and finally th » trimming. if the weaving is
slovenly the whole texture of the carpet Is spoiled, if the
trimming is careless a great deal of wool is wasted. When
one complete horizontal row of stitches has been made, the
weavers beat them down with a curious sort of strong metal
comb to that they may lie even and tight against the row below
riid t.u«-,t you may get your 40 or 80 or 150 to your vertical
ueU. Here again is need for skill and practice, lor
careless weavers or a set who perhaps do not all work equally
lighly may produce wavy horizontal lines and a carpet which
About this item
- Content
This file consists of two separate physical files as follows:
1) An account of a journey in Kashmir in 1898-99 written by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer of the Indian Army. His account is entitled 'Three Months of Privilege Leave'. It contains his observations on the languages, peoples, transport, flora and fauna, trade and climate of the region. There are occasional edits and corrections to the original text marked in red pen. The Persian language material in the file is a proverb written on folio 194.
In addition to this travel diary, the following is enclosed: an essay by Lorimer entitled 'Modern Education' dated 9 February 1895 (folios 1-24); two copies of a pamphlet that was published 'for private circulation' in memory of David's brother, John Gordon Lorimer, following his death on 8 February 1914 (folios 255-262); and another essay by Lorimer entitled 'Our Indian N.W. Frontier - a study in a bye-gone Civilisation. A forgotten Chapter of Frontier History' (folios 221-253).
2) Copies of letters that were sent from Emily Overend Lorimer to her parents, Thomas George Overend and Hannah Kingsbury. The letters describe the lives of Emily and her husband, David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer (referred to as 'Lock' in the letters), while living in Bahrain from October 1911 until November 1912 (folios 263-310) and in Kerman from January 1913 until November 1914 (folios 313-634). David served as Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrain 1911-12 and as HM Consul, Kerman and Persian Baluchistan, 1913-14.
The letters discuss a range of topics including Lorimer's observations of local customs, food, climate, scenery and festivals; the couple's domestic life and arrangements (especially their servants, who are often discussed in racialised, insulting language); and her interactions with other non-local residents. Also discussed are Lorimer's reading habits, her and her husband's health, family news and, occasionally, world events and political developments.
On folios 322-324, the file contains a description of a walk around Kerman in March 1914 that is accompanied by a sequence of six small black and white photographs of various points in the journey (folios 315-321).
In addition to these letters, the file also contains a number obituaries and letters of condolence written upon the death of David's brother, John Gordon Lorimer, on 8 February 1914 (folios 299-302, 415-416 and 543-544).
On folio 417, the file contains an obituary of David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer published in an unknown newspaper following his death on 26 February 1962.
- Extent and format
- 2 files (630 folios)
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: this file consists of two physical volumes. The foliation sequence commences at the front cover of volume one (ff 1-262) and terminates at the inside back cover of volume two (ff 263-634); these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English and Persian in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman [403r] (825/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x00005b> [accessed 4 April 2025]
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- Reference
- Mss Eur D922/1
- Title
- An Account of a Journey in Kashmir by David Lockhart Robertson Lorimer and Letters from Emily Overend Lorimer to her Parents sent from Bahrain and Kerman
- Pages
- 263r:298v, 303r:306v, 309r:391v, 393r:411v, 418r:542v, 545r:634v
- Author
- Lorimer, Emily Martha
- Copyright
- ©Munro Family
- Usage terms
- Creative Commons Attribution Licence