![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 [‎354r] (727/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0727.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 [‎354r] (727/1291)")
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 [354r] (727/1291)
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.
H. B. M
Consiiiato,
R M A N
15 '
K E
5 - 3 - 1913 .
It 1 b atflully jo&ly to havo oomo to a placo whoro th )ro
is 50 timos as much to write about, but it noula bo jollier still
ii, in som.) way thoro wore also 50 times as much l eisure to writ )
in; tut, as you can guess, there isn't — perversity of things
human again. I hav >nt y3t arrivod. at telling you anything
about our household staff which I expect will interest Moth >r
and Mama, if not the male parents.
Of cours) Ja’fa.r remains our head boy. But for how long
how long ?? Wo knew ail along that he wasn't a total abstainer
one could see it In his face; tut ail the time we wr\jo in Bahr )in
h) never once acceded in the small )St way, nor betray >d ty
shortness of temper or sulkiness with us or with th t other s )r-
vants that he was "nibbling". The return to Persia has.however
apparently been too much for him; ft >rman oven for Persia is a
peculiarly opium-smoking drink-taking spot; ard. wo have had him
d )ad drunk three tim >s, j-nd what to my mind is much grav >r than
fen actual outbur t on the occasion of som ) festivity wo notice
him just a little i>ss quick ard intelligent just a litti ) mor > ie
dined uo bo forgetful fell th > time — which n^ans, I f )ar that
h> is at it steadily every day. w> are doing all we can, and
pOooioiy wh >n th ) novelty of Doing with his own countrymm again
ho,s pass^jd oil, h) will seriously puli hima.>if togither. But
somehow one's faith has gone; it will never be glad oonfidint
morning fe.gain * Und >r Ja'far the other table-boy is Ghulfejn
Husain, the tail smiling youth who took my fancy the first day
by showing me to th > cow-house.- He is quit.) a good servant,
«:.nd if ever Ja'far has to go, will at least tide me over som.)
Lime. Th) little Goanese cook you know all about. He r u.ilv
isn' o at all bad, fend though fe.pt to grow careless about the dull
disn js of every day, never fails to rise to an occasion and is
willing to tak ) infinite pains ov>r some stupid hors d'oeuvre
or savoury (my heart never really goes out to silly frilly things
i) .ke tnose, cut for dinnor|paftios one must produce them: fend
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 [354r] (727/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x00009e> [accessed 6 February 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