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 [‎623v] (1268/1291)

3
neither human beings nor human habitation, but Just every here
and. there a low wooden door gave entrance to the gardens that
lurlted behind the Jealous walls. We penetrated along till we
must have been not many hundreds of yards distant fr. our own
garden as the cr&w flies, but not being carows and finding our
selves in a narrow blind alley we had to harK back and found a sort
of cross lane that brought us to our own first road again. it
was a most amusing sort of maze. Little lanes running off he b
and there and everywhere, and mostly ending up in a low shut door.
1 daresay it would have been possible to gain entrance to the gardes
and get straight home through several of them, but we had no servant
^Ith us and did not care to risk irate owners or a sudden plunge
into some one's anderun enclosure ^harem). There exists nothing
mor inhospitable that an oriental town or village with its for
bidding walls. When we got back we had been walking tand leaping'
for nearly two hours-- our first longlsh walk for ages -- and our
leaping muscles were quite weary.
Last Sat. we went into Kerman, as L. had some important mtervl
ews to get through. As the business was chiefly the G.G. s we
gratefully accepted his offer of a carriage. It was a delightful
drive in the cool of the a.m. and the plunge^ thro’ wandering
streams only added to the fun l since it wssn t our carriage !).
Mr. Fowle seemed quite glad to see us, and Ly was able to get
things into ord r a good deal and not feel that unmanageable arrears
are accumulating. If all goes well and no crisis breaks out
kwhat does a crisis do ? I admit it doesn't break out ; but it can
only supervene on something that has preceded it; and when it
spontaneously generates itself there ought to be some neat word,
arises is possible but feeble} suggestions gratefully accepted f)
a weekly visit to town ought to keep things going. If so wo
shall stay here as long as we decently can. In the uncertainty
of our being able to get off on leave, it is Just as well to taka
the little change while we can.
i
We are however on the verge of several crises, and so snatch
a fearful Joyfrom day to day. First the Genda mes, there is of
course no Persian money to oay them withJ our last £ 59,000 was a
merely temporary sop and is just exhausted. ^ ”0 shall hardly be
anxious to pour any more good money into the Swedish selve, and yet
still less can we spare Br. officers to take over and run the Job.
If the G.s are Just allowed to disband and spread over the country
with their rifles etc. they will simply be a new type of brigand
the more dangerous for their smattering df drill and European method
When Glim, in a pet some time ago threatened that all the offlc®
were going to resign at-^ano go, not finding it consonant with their
dignity to carry on when^money^was so precarious, Lock said their^
action must of course rest with their own consciences and sense of
duty, but that he fcooed they would at least parade their men
quietly and collect rifles etc. before disbanding them. This
would of course be the only rational course and as our experiences
in the Mutiny showed, It could easily have been carried through
with firmness if done quietly and unexpectedly. Glim, had
however the brilliant Inspiration of discussing the question with
the native officers nd the men themselves, so th t if now he ever
wants to do it, they will of ourse simply refuse to pile arms ll
^ruly there is ho fathoming the abysmal fatuity of a