تقرير عن رحلة في كشمير كتبه ديفيد لوكهارت روبرتسون لوريمر ورسائل من إميلي أوفرند لوريمر إلى والديها تم إرسالها من البحرين وكرمان [ظ‎‎٥‎٦‎٩] (١٢٩١/١١٦٠)

KERMAN ,
13 - 5 - 14.
LX.
C 4 ^
Once more post day come round and nothing written. This
week's post turned up on Tues. bringing letters of March 31 and
thereabouts, and the very welcome news that after much delay
our letters of early February had come to hand. Lock has &ust
completed for this post a long despatch to Teheran (12 typed
foolscap pages) about the state of the posts. He has been
collecting complaints and statistics and has made out a very
strong case for some reforms. Whereas in 1873-4 the post used
to reach Kerman from Teheran In 7 or 8 days with relays of horses
etc. It now seldom takes under a month — so entirely has our
Tiew "Constitution" wrecked whatever the country had of efficiency.
If his modest suggsetions are carried out we ought eventually to
get the post up and down to B»A. in about 10 days and so timed as
not habitually Just to miss the outgoing mall from B.A. We should
also have a competent sorter here to issue the arriving letters
At present no one in the postoffice can read English characters.
So the post is acrried bodily round to the nearest European place 0
sorted there roughly, then hawked from one house to another,
everyone helping himself to whatever he fancies J So far there
has never been a suggestion of foul play, but Just think of the
possibilities for an unscrupulous person. And with'Bruggmen 7
about one can no longer trust that every white man Is a gentleman.
This week has been chiefly distinguished by the arrival of
several caravans bringing stuff ordered as long as 7 an 8
months ago. Our chief acquisitions are four strong small deal
tables, a second typewriter of the 4rva4 travelling kind, a set
of tea and coffee cups wine glasses etc. and a certain amount of
needed provisions including oatmeal and the like and Hf 7-lb.
tins of white flour. This win enable me to weather the King's
birthday and its attendant ceremonies with credit, I hope.
Of course the new goods brought as usual as certain amount of
heartbreak. The little typewriter had been packed with no
waterproof paper or cloth round its neat leather case; it had of
course got rained on, or tumbled into a river, and the case Is
all mouldy and permanently spoiled In appearance. Happily not
more than a littF^. damp had penetrated inside, and no real damage was
done. In Its case the machine had been laid perfectly naked,
without even a shred of tissue paper to prevent jarring or a end of
string to prevent the type moving. The poor little keys were allf;
standing up jammed andjtangled. Again happll* there were not serto
usly bent and a little care and patience restored them. A dosen
or more of my cups were smashed to eggshells, again due to careless
packing. This means letters of complaint, claims for the re
placement of the cups, and much delay before they arrive. I am
weary of writing and claiming from the stores. So far all we
have extracted from them is a new hot water bottle for a bad one
sent l w* may get the cups just before we leave.