![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 [‎598v] (1218/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_1218.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 [‎598v] (1218/1291)")
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 [598v] (1218/1291)
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.
KERMAN,
6 . 8 . 14.
j Is Post day once ramre and we are still In Kerman
"but we are perceptibly nearer leaving It and In fact have
great hopes of getting off/to morrow ot at latest on Sat.
Our mules are engaged the bulk; of our kit packed, the servants
supplied with all they can require — and a great many things
no sane person would require — for three weeks on the road.
It has been a struggle to cut down all they wanted to bring.
Each one so to speak wanted hls own rocking horse and If we
had carried all the Primus stoves with their oil supply,
all the samovars with their charcoal supply, all the brass peg
sties and mortars weighing about i a ton, that were represented
as absolutely indispensable, we should have wanted a caravan
of about 200 mules. A g it is we hope to manage with about
20 .
But here I am chattering about these things, and all the
while the only thing we can really think much about Is the
war. The first we heard was that Austria was at grips with
S e rvla which did not distress us unduly, tho we suspected
that some of the rest would be drawn into it; but we did hope
that financial and other considerations would deter the
present conflagration. Then came the news that Prance was
determined if poggible to preserve her neutrality on the
ground that Russia was the aggressor and not Germany; at the •
same time that Italy was determined to preserve hers at all
costs on the ground that Germany was the aggressor and not
Russia — which is all as it should be ! Meantime everybody
was of course mobilised. The we heard that the Bermans
had crossed the Belgian and french frontiers, and we silently
prayed a mighty prayer that' England might act and act quickly.
We dreaded possible shilly shallylng, unfaithfulness to our
•allies, and perhaps dawdling until we should find Hull bom
barded. It was an intense relief therefore to hear, tho
the news is not yet confirmed, that apparently only an few
hours after the German’ caressing of the Fr. frontier our
fleet was bombarding Bremerhaven and Kuxhaven, and that the
German fleet was pinned in the Kiel canal. It seems almost
too good to be true. As far as we have news Germany seems
wantonly to have thrown the gauntlet to Prance when she might
have hoped to confine the war to herself and Russia. If
this proves correct, she is now as all thro the last 20 years
the aggressor and thoroughly deserves a sound thrashing, wh.
one only hopes she may get. If she did cross the frontier
without first having her ships ready to meet ours in the
North Sea it looks like a case of
quern Deus vult perdere prius dementat.
fie now hear rumours of a naval engagement in wh. the
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.
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- 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 [598v] (1218/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946972.0x000048> [accessed 27 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