![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 [‎549v] (1120/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_1120.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 [‎549v] (1120/1291)")
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 [549v] (1120/1291)
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.
3 .
[•JftI •
Onr Gend-me friends n^ve returned from their Phortl-'e i^S)
exnpdltlon in somewhat chastened spirits, and have learned -
KS°?un of Me ta.K; one ^ ne was
?no 9 e 7 fo? ""or «*e = gained «e Br'uchls". Thlo ovoKed
n conteintuoue smile, "'Thy give me 100 Oendarmes and one
maxim and I should march through Baluchistan ^
rnis snlrlt of entirely under-rating the foe and the
difficulties of the country might lv ve been the undoing of
them. It ras the secret of their marching Oxf ' + -t-* °^l/
120 men of vrhom only 60 or real fighters r 'ithout giving
notive to anyone either the Acting Governor or Loch, nor . >
ashing a ha’oorth of advice^' They thought one -.s oala
turn rnd run at the name of Gendarme as isolated mail hands
of rohhers in the : T orth had sometimes done, and they no douht
nictureJL themselves returning mithin a day or tro covered
rlth cheap glory. This also explains t..e neglect to send
out surrniles or re-inforcements on their heels. lc if re
has returned admitting th- t it was the purest Inch that he and
his o-allants were not surrounded and annihilated, and that
he would not guarantee himself to Keep the 3 .A. roaa via
Jiruft safe with less than 2500 men. spoke in a slightly
hurt and indignant way of the organisation o: the B.s and .. e
fact th°t they had sentinels and w fore-posts" and made nlgnt
attacks and drew off fire hy sham camp-fires and hats mounted
on sticks stuck up behind walls. All matters about which
the babies In arms of Kerman could have informed them haa they
condescenpd to ask anyone. As might have been expected
20 of their new Kerman recruits bolted, not as you might
Imagine from funic, for &e ^• had had the r it oO Keep t^em in
the rear, but because being told off to hold the horees -hey
could not resist the opportunity to steal them ! It is all
really rather entertaining. You will have_seen the sad news
of Major Ohlson’s death in action near Kazerun. They carried
thelr'point and took the town but lost 50 killed as well as
the Major. He appears to have been quite one of their pest
soldiers, had fought as a private on our side all through the
Boer war — apparently Just for the practice and fun oi -ae
thing— so he must have had some idea of real fighting ad real
life and will corrsepondingly be a heavy loss to the^ force.
His having been killed seemed to strike de M. as rather unfair
too this isn't what we came to Persia for" * The dears .
Little do they yet know of the risks of frontier war. ^ To
do them justice they are olicky enough. If good old Glim
had used his three months up here, he might have got some ideas
on the subject from Lock's personal experiences, ut that
would be too much to exnect.
The Swedish "nursing sister" turns out to be the doctor s
wife and will be a most useful member of the community as she
can ex officio nurse them all when they get ill.
• •
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 [549v] (1120/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x000016> [accessed 23 June 2026]
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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