![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 [‎573v] (1168/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_1168.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 [‎573v] (1168/1291)")
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 [573v] (1168/1291)
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.
2.
first and best, so his hands are pretty full, and the 'unforgiving
minute* too,
I am hard at work on the Indexes In my spare moments, and am
happy to he le arning Pashtu at last. It Is surprising the sort
of mental inertia which enables you to copy the whole of a M.S.
and retain practically nothing; but I suppose it is really a sort
of self-defence one learns as one grows older — not allowing
you to waste brain-power on what for the moment you do not want.
Now that It comes to indexing, for which you need to be very
wide awake Indeed, I am tackling it In earnest. It is the greatest
fun, and as Lock would not possibly be able tomake time for it,
unless indeed he gave up something more useful and newer, I feel
it is some use. W e got a lot of foolscap cut into slips that
Just fit into a cigar box, and are an excellent substitute for
the expensive cards and drawers you buy at home.
The lullaby-falry-tale collection continues to prove amusing
I have got some delightful riddles: What is It that falls from
heaven without breaking, but breaks If It tumbles off the window
sill ? An Egg. What Is It that breaks if It falls off a
window sill and all its children gather round It at once t -
A Water-rmelon. And so on; many of them so local as to have no
point if translated. For Instance: A long narrow dark corrldor_
and a yearling-calf lowing (what is that) ? Answer : A Qalliun
namely the bubble bubble pipe with its long thin tube (like a bltif
of hose-piping) and its roaring mumraur as the air comes throwgh
the water.
You will be dismayed to hear the latest from Yezd. Poor
Mrs. Wright, who already seemed more than overwhelmed with two
ailing and spoilt children has presented her husband with
triplets. They have found two native women to nurse the pair
of boys while M r s. Wright tries to mind the wee girl herself;
they hope to rear all three. But Isn't it really awful. And
how are they ever going to be able to travel home with 5 babies.
If any of the new arrivals die (which to an impartial observer
seems not undesirable !) I do hope it won't be the much-prayed-for
little girl. Poor things; it is al least well that they are in
Yezd where work is lighter and where they seem to find the climate
and house more attractive. I can't help being selfishly glad
that they are not here, for one could do very little to help them
and yet I am sure that they would never be off one's mind. I
don't at all envy the Yezd community. There is so little
elasticity about the European community in these places, no extra
sisters or willing aunts, nor hirable nurses to come In at crises
that the tax of an un reasonable amount of illness on everyone is
very great.
We think here that poor Mr. Sandherr has really passed the
limits of what is reasonable. He is working through a fourth
relapse, and has now been 4 months in bed. I greatly fear
that even if he does ultimately get better, he will have knocked
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 [573v] (1168/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946967.0x00008f> [accessed 7 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
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- Creative Commons Attribution Licence