Rifle and Spear with the Rajpoots: being the narrative of a winter's travel and sport in Northern India ... Illustrated from photographs and sketches by the author, etc

Front matter

RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJ FOOTS: BEING THE NARRATIVE OF A WINTER'S TEAVEL AND SPORT IN NORTHERN INDIA. RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS: BEING THE NARRATIVE OF A WINTER'S TRAVEL AND SPORT IN NORTHERN INDIA, BY MRS. ALAN GARDNER. ILLUSTRATED FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND SKETCHES BY THE AUTHOR AND TWO DRAWINGS BY F. H. T0WNSEND. LONDON : CHATTO AND WINDUS, 1895. All flights Reserved. Richard Clay and Sons, Limited, LONDON AND BUNOAY. TO IHy bear Jfatber, TO WHOM THE LETTERS WERE WRITTEN, THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

Preface

. This volume is an almost verbatim reprint of letters written hurriedly by the roadside. It contains neither guide-book descriptions, nor attempts at scenery word painting, and is simply a plain and unvarnished account of our rough but very pleasant experience of Indian Camp Life. The narrative is, I fear, equally rugged, but both notes and sketches were at least taken on the spot, and I think would lose what realism they may possess, if polished up and elaborated at home. N. G. -_ Old Burlington Street, W. June, 1895. PAGE CONTENTS.

Chapter 1

En route — Sports on board — " Dear old tunes " — Church at a canter — Music at sea — Bombay Harbour — Kurrachee — Government House — An Indian AVhiteley — An aristocratic butler — Santan's yage d'amour — Lahore — An Ali Baba coachman — " Sudden death "........... 1 CHAPTER IT. Murree — Backsheesh and " Bahut achha Sahib" — Jibbingstaee horses — A dangerous road — Domel — A queer village — A spider-haunted bungalow — Rampur en. fete — Waiting for the Maharaja — Hindoo and English peasant lads : a contrast — The Forty Thieves — Baramula boatmen — Letters of (doubtful) recommendation — Cookery under difficulties — A lively night — A scratch crew — Srinagar — Married quarters — A race of amphibians — Bahar Shah — A big " Liberty " room — A papier-mache grandfather . . . . . ... . . .17

Chapter III

The Apple-tree Canal — The Dahl Lake — Luncheon at the Nasim Bagh — Shalimar Bagh — An "abode of love" — The Emperor Jehangir and Queen Niir Mahal — A word-picture by Moore — A sturdy beggar — The start for Islamabad — Floating tradesmen — The Noble Presence — A " man of the world " — In a dandy chair — "Where is Mahdoo the good boatman'!" — Camping out — Stalking the barasingh — The Maharaja's preserve — Kashmir Valley — Bagging a bear — A dirty town — The Temple of the Sun — Kashmiri shikaris — Khadra the dandy — An unlucky coolie ........... 38

Chapter IV

At the foot of the pass — A bear and a blizzard — A perilous path — An eclipse of the moon — Novel effect — A Hindoo explanation — Eccentricities of an ayah's packing — A day's sport above Singpur — A colony of monkeys — Our first rope bridge — An artful dog — Kishtiwar — An idol's lullaby — The Tehsildar — A desolate missionary — A fight for a fowl — Chuprassie v. coolie — Lord Lytton on the native chicken . . . . . .67 CONTENTS. XII

Chapter V. Page

Camping on the roof — The humours of spear-grass — Native faith in the " sahib " — Missionaries and medicine — Field mice at Baler — A mantelpiece and a precipice — A miller's wife ct la Drury Lane pantomime — The evil eye — A crazy bridge — The Chamba valleys — Laziness as a fine art — Looking for tahir — The advantages of roof-life — Starting for the Pass — A letter from the Maharaja of Chamba — Manjere . . . . . .91

Chapter VI

Chamba — The Maharaja's guest-house — The old English Residency — Through the bazaar — A visit to the Maharaja and his brother, Bhurie Singh — A Durbar Hall and a silver chair — Round the Palace — The Ranee — "Dustoor" — Tennis with the Raja — A leopard hunt — A model town — Serenading a leopard — A real Indian dinner — Shooting gooral — The old palace — A grotesque escort — The Raja's aunt — The ayah as interpreter — Flights of fancy — Wasted eloquence . . . . . . .113

Chapter VII

Duck-shooting with the Maharaja — The " lone widower " — A happy valley — En route for Pathankot — " Hubble-bubble toil and trouble " — The baboo station-master — An Indian " Joe Miller " — The baboo and the tiger — Lahore — The Fort — Jumma Musjid — Runjeet Singh's bedroom — The "Lion of the Punjab" — The armoury — Rud jeet Singh's tomb — Pind-dadan-khan — The Tehsildar's English — Enterprising mosquitoes — The oorial — Down a salt-mine — A transformation scene — On the road to Kalar Kahar — Lost! . . . . . . . .111

Chapter VIII

Kalar Kahar — A pretty bungalowT — A lake adventure — Stalking the oorial — Halal — A Mahometan armoury — Santan and the ayah — Maira — A bargain in mutton — An oorial on " sentry go" — The "patient" camel — We reach Pail — A deluge in a hill tent — A native house — A plague of hornets — All hands to the " pumps " — A native village — The polite Lumbardar — The Indian washerman . , . . . . . . .160

Chapter IX

A Punjabi shikari — Mahomet's strategy — Nurpoor — The Salt Revenue officer — A salt neighbourhood — After the oorial — Loading the camels — A farcical comedy in three acts — The ayah's courage of despair — A " bobbery " beast — Lilla railway station — " Merry Christmas, sare " — Platelayer sahib — The fatted calf — A funny railway story of a mid-day pill — Lahore — The Maharaja of Kapurthala — Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick — The Lahore "week" — Polo — The Maharaja of Putiala's team — Our camel carriage — Hunting the boar — Coursing with cheetahs — Amritza — The Golden Temple — A native carpet factory — Delhi —The fort — The Pearl Mosque— The Jumma Musjid . .182 CONTENTS. XIII

Chapter X. Page

Dholpur — Visit to the Maharaja — The Raja of Feridkot — Hospitality in the East — The Maharaja as a sportsman — Dholpur the Leicestershire of India — A day's shooting — A pig-sticking experience — The Maharaja's stable and kennels — The old palace and city — A tye-khana — Black buck — The Maharaja's new house — Argot of the " Pink 'un " — The old fort — Agra jail — A model prison — The Secundra Bagh — The Taj — A dream that might become a nightmare — A dear little room — Jehangir's palace — Aligarh and its associations — A native dog-fancier — En route to Muttra — An antelope's sagacity — Duck's liver — A slight misunderstanding — After antelope — The black buck — The richest man in India ......:. 207

CHAPTER XL

The city of Muttra — Seth's palace — Life sacred to a Brahman — The troublesome monkeys — Pilgrims and their strange vows — The sanctity of Bindhaban — The sacred tanks of Govindhan — A Hindoo Venice — Deeg — The Maharaja of Bhurtpore — A group of palaces — Early Hindoo cum-Italian Renaissance-cum-Tottenham Court Road — In search of chinkara — Baroda — Colonel Fraser, the Political Resident — The Residency — The Ulwar tragedy — Major Ram Chunder hanged — An Indian version of Henry II. and Thomas a Becket — The Maharaja Jey Singh — Animal duels — The elephant stables — A savage brute — Tackling a panther — In search of the sambhur — The Maharaja's mothers — Performing horses — The old palace — Curious old arms — Show and squalor .......... 229

Chapter XII

A panther ride — A visit to the Ranees — Suttee — Colonel Fraser' s inspection tour — His camp — Neilghai — A panther — A pretty camp — Sketching a "rut" — Jey Singh's anxiety about an elephant — The rains — A demoralised camp — Hunting cheetahs and lynxes — Good-bye to the little Raja — En route for Jeypore — A Prime Minister en deshabille — A model town — Jeypore metal workers — The manufacture of " old " arms — Zafir — A simple old Brahman — A most superior person — Brahman hospitality — The palace — The public gardens — The museum — The old palaces at Amber — Arry on an elephant — Pig-sticking in excelsis .......... 250

Chapter XIII

At a nautch dance — The Nonconformist Conscience — An embarrassing native custom — The bag of rupees — Indian railway accommodation — Arrival at Rajghur — Groundbait for tigers — In an elephant camp — Decorated elephants — A tiger drive — Hermiron Singh — The little Raja and his playfellows — Snake-charming and hypnotism — Charming the foxes — News of a panther — An amusing adventure — A sounder of wild boars — To Deoli in a dak ghari — The Raja of Boondi's horoscope — His political CONTENTS. XIV PAGE economy theories — A fossil State — Arrival at Kotah — The town, the Residency, and the Maharaja's palace — Bagging an alligator — Oriental poetry and a contrast — A tragic story — A sambhur drive — Colonel Wyllie's camp— The Maharaja of Kotah . . 273

Chapter XIV

Shooting with the Maharaja — A curious shot — Boondi palace — The Raja's own room — The Raja's camp — At Deoli — The ayah is robbed — A mongoose story — Spearing crocodiles — By "shigram" to Nusserabad — Chittore, the " invincible city " — The Tower of Victory — Oodeypore — Colonel Miles — The Residency — The Oodeypore princes — Descendants of the Sun — The present Maharaja — In the old palace — The armoury — The new palace — A lovely scene ......... 297

Chapter XV

Pig-sticking with the Maharaja — The clannishness of the Rajpoots — A story of an Oodeypore prince — Struggles for precedence — A visit to the jail — Afternoon tea with General Nixon — His daughter's native dresses — The Maharaja's farewell dinner to us — Salvationists in India — Ajmere — En route for Jodhpore — A station made out of an old tomb — Sir Pertab Singh — Jodhpore — Pig-sticking with Major Beatson — The Maharaja's zenana — The old palace — Some splendid jewels — A fetish — The Raja's silver bed — A Jodhpore nautch — Sons of the Moon — Pig-sticking with the Archduke of Austria — Calling back a train ........... 316

CHAPTER XV

s. Arrival at Baroda — With Colonel Biddulph at the Residency — The late Guicowar's crime — Baroda sights — A cosmopolitan style of architecture — Quaint effect — With Lord Harris at Bombay — A charming place — Homeward-bound — M. le Capitaine and the Greeks — The "Barndoor Polka" — The ship's engines break down — Arrival at Aden — Colonial Britishers — Marseilles — Calais — And home ......... ILLUSTRATIONS. Nora Gardner Frontispiece. PAGF. Jungle Grass 1 Rampdr 23 The Maharaja's Houseboat 28 Boats at Baramula 30 Srinagar 35 " The Bear was a Large Male " 54 Bear Shot in Kotah 55 A Coolie 67 " Brown Mountains Backed by Dazzling AVhite Snow Peaks " . . 72 At Singpur 74 Singpur 78 Our First Rope-bridge 80 Kishtiwar Children 84 Our Camp at Singpur 92 Camp on the Roof 95 "The River Winds Through a Rocky Canon" 101 "We Find we have Chosen an Icy Cold Corner" 104 Al Fresco Cookery 107 At the Foot of the Padri Pass 108 "A Small Black Valley Whitened in Places with Snow" ... 110 Bhandul Ill A Quaint Old Wooden Bridge at Chamba 114 The Residency, Chamba 117 His Highness the Maharaja of Chamba 121 The Mian Sahib Bhurie Singh ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Head of Gooral or Himalayan Chamois 133 The Old Palace, Chamba 139 The Jumma Musjid, Lahore 149 Kalar Kahar 157 Some of our Camels 165 Going to the AVell 179 "Our Camp is Near a Large Well" 180 Head of Oorial Shot at Nurpoor 183 At Nurpoor 186 A Native Water-wheel 195 His Highness the Maharaja of Kapurthala 197 " We Went in State to the Races in a Great Camel Carriage." . 201 Their Highnesses the Maharaja of Putiala, the Maharaja of Kapurthala, and the Maharaja Rana of Dholpur 209 Dholpur 211 Old Gate and Garden, Dholpur 213 Ancient Fort, Dholpur 215 Aligarh 220 A Camel Cart 222 Head of Black Buck 226 Head of Chinkara, or Ravine Deer 234 " The Panther With One Bound Sprang on the Horse's Shoulder " 241 Colonel Fraser's Camp 254 A Bullock Rut 257 A State Elephant • 266 " Alan Raced after us, and the Boar, turning slightly as He Came Up, Received a Spear full behind his Shoulder." . . . 269 A Native Musician 273 "Just Beyond our Camp the Hills Open Out and Form a Wide Cultivated Valley" 284 Kotah 288 At Kotah 293 Colonel Wyllie's Camp 294 His Highness the Maharaja of Oodeypore 308 The Palace on Oodeypore Lake

Chapter I

En route — Sports on board— " Dear old tunes" — Church ata canter — Music at sea — Bombay Harbour — Kurrachee — Government House — An Indian Whiteley — An aristocratic butler — Santan's gage d' amour — Lahore — An Ali Baba coachman—" Sudden death." We left Brindisi for Bom bay by the P. ancl 0. mail steamer, our intention being not to land at Bombay, but to go on by steamer to Kurrachee, and thence to Kashmir, via Lahore and the Indus Valley railroad. The sea voyage will be a JUNGLE GKASS. little longer, but we shall escape at least two days' Indian railway travelling, which at this time of year is very hot and dusty. If it is worse than the Italian railway journev to Brindisi, it must be bad indeed. The Mediterranean is lovely, as it usually is towards the end of September ; calm and sunny, with hardly a breath of air, yet not too hot ; simply perfect weather to lounge in a deck-chair and— do nothing.

We have not very many fellow-passengers, as it is early for globe-trotters and return Indians. There are two lots of girls with anxious mothers, taking them out, I cannot help thinking, as a last chance for husbands. They are frightfully energetic and tear about all clay, getting up concerts, dances and all the other amusements without which life at sea would be so very pleasant. They are all tall, all thin, and all rather jaded, and they all sing and play. Unfortunately there are three pianos and a harmonium on board, and two or more of them are usually going cheerily one against another from morning till night. There are two " grass " widows on board, several " grass" widowers, and the usual other unconsidered items. Tuesday, September 20th, 1892. — Most of us awoke this morning with a sea coming in at our ports, and, staggering on deck, found that a breeze had sprung up and that we were rolling and pitching merrily.

This caused a good many gaps at breakfast, the grass widows and I being the only representatives of our sex. It had been arranged to have some "sports" this morning, but the "Honorary Secretary" was missing, and, on a careful search being made, was found lying on the floor of his cabin in a " SPORTS " UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 3 deplorable condition of collapse. As he had the lists in his pocket, and was lying on them, ancl, in answer to alter nate entreaties and threats only implored "to be left to die in peace," the sports were put off till the afternoon, when we expected to be under the shelter of the land. Even then we rolled a bit, and the winner of a skipping race left with suspicious haste and the significant remark : "I am going to bed as quickly as I can." Towards evening it became cpiite smooth again, and after dinner a dance took place, although the thermometer registered about 100° F. The two maternal veterans brought their daughters up to time, whilst they themselves took it in turn to play, observing, as a precautionary measure to disarm possible criticism, that they did not " approve " of modern dance music, but stuck to the " dear old tunes."

We certainly had the venerable Mabel Valse thrice ; but we danced merrily to all hours. Varied by a coaling episode at Port Said, aud the damp heat of the Red Sea, this was the fashion in which with a persistence worthy of a better cause we daily toiled at our amusements. Monday, September 26th. — We shall be at Aden to night, and, I hope, soon out of this heat, which is cpiite awful. The captain says that August and September are the hottest months in the Red Sea, and I have never ex perienced more disagreeable heat, so clamp that the decks at night look as though a heavy shower had just fallen B Church yesterday was suffocating, the temperature of the sea itself being 95° F. I think no one regretted, as they perhaps should, the absence of a clergyman, ancl that the captain therefore read us the abbreviated service.

He took it at a hard canter. In the evening I attended the second saloon service, where an Irish missionary preached an excellent extempore sermon. Afterwards Lady M. A. ancl I found a draughty corner on the spar-deck, and really seemed to get a little air, till the Rome, homeward bound, passed us, when a rush was made to our retreat and all hope of further coolness and peace fled. A banjo has been added to our miseries ! People who sing and play in the Red Sea should have a padded chamber kept for them ! I am not sure that capital punishment would be too severe for some of the offenders. It was too late to see anything when we arrived at Aden, but by six o'clock on Tuesday morning every one was on deck, for the heat was awful, all port holes being closed owing to the native boys who were swimming and diving on all sides, and to whom " mine " ancl " thine " are synonymous terms.

The deck was crowded with varied specimens of Easterns : Arab, Somali, and Parsee, who brought ostrich feathers, African skins and horns, and a dozen other com modities, and gave one little peace until they sold them. Close to us, standing out of the water, were the masts of a French steamer which had been run into and sunk there, A CONCERT AT SEA. 5 and, by a curious coincidence, before we weighed anchor, the boat that did the mischief came into harbour. We were soon off again, and as we steamed away from land the wind freshened, and there was more motion than some of us cpiite liked. In the evening there was a concert, but our musical talent on board is not great, as it consists chiefly of very young girls with untaught school-room voices, and elderly dames with the remains of what might, in prehistoric times, have been good.

An Irish lady with a sweet voice aud a delicious brogue was the one exception. Poor thing ! she suffered terribly from mal de mer, and had to run below between each song. Of course, the irony of Fate gave her the only two encores of the evening. A Parsee gentle man sang " Queen of my Heart " with much feeling, but the boys rather spoilt the effect, as theyT persisted in treating the last line of each verse as a chorus. The phosphorescence in the water to-night wTas lovely ; the sea one blaze of light, dotted with innumerable sparks of fire wildly chasing each other to and fro. Our poet remarked that it resembled " golden moths entangled in a silver net." Wednesday. — A decided swell prevailed, ancl those who appeared at breakfast had an air of pardonable pride about them. I took refuge in chess, ancl I believe that it was only racking my brain over a tough problem that prevented me from joining the sufferers, several of whom lay about the deck, pictures of unmitigated woe.

For the first day since we left, the pianos had a holiday, and we were even able to walk about, for " Sports " and deck cricket were at a standstill. Even the kodaks ceased from troubling, and the banjos were at rest, so an illwind blew some of us good. Sunday, October 2nd. — It is pouring with rain, and every one is wildly undoing rolls of umbrellas and water proofs. By the time they are disinterred the rain is over, ancl the heat stifling. Alan says that with the exception of a few showers about Christmas time, this is the last rain we shall have until we return to Europe.1 At 2 p.m. we anchored in Bombay harbour. Even before the anchor was down, hundreds of coolies swarmed on board, ancl tore the luggage from meek, unoffending people, screaming and shouting wildly in unknown tongues the while.

Never in my life have I witnessed such a scene of confusion. The British-India boat by which we proceed to Kurrachee was already starting, and we had barely time to get ourselves and about a ton of luggage on board, the boxes positively having to be hauled up the ship's side as she slowly steamed her way out of harbour. Mr. Rustomjee, a very wealthy Parsee merchant to whom we had an 1 Our experience, alas ! did not bear this out, hardly a week passing without rain. But then of course it was, as usual, an "exceptional season." IN BOMBA Y HARBOUR. 7 introduction, came off in his steam launch to meet us, and had it not been for his assistance I think we should have been left behind; some of our luggage was! Mr. Rustomjee has one of the finest houses in Bombay, at Malabar Point. and he very kindly tried to persuade us to stay with him for a few days.

But we felt that we must get on to Kashmir before the winter sets in. Mr. Rustomjee's principal place of business is at Kurrachee, and is managed by two of his sons, who reside there, and he has promised to telegraph to them to meet us on arrival. Alan has already sent on a letter of introduction to Sir Charles Forbes's Kurrachee manager, ancl Lord Harris very kindly wrote to the Commissioner in Sindb, so that we shall be well taken care of. BJ.LS. " Karagola," Monday, October 3rd.— This is a nice clean-looking, white painted little boat, that is to say little when compared with a P. and 0. liner, but very comfortable if she would not roll so horribly even in a perfectly smooth sea. We have re-named her the Caracola. She carries many native deck passengers, who sleep, eat, and live amiclship, divided off from the poop by a canvas screen.

They are inoffensive, as they never appear to be awake, but loll about all day, with their eyes closed, on bright-coloured cotton cpiilts. Government House, Tuesday, October 4th. — We arrived in Kurrachee harbour this afternoon, and were met by Mr. Hoare, and Mr. Rustomjee's son, who very kindly asked us to be his guests ; but we had already accepted an invitation to stop with Mr. James, the Commissioner. The towm of Kurrachee is six miles from the landing-place, and is divided from the sea by long mud flats. Directly Alan had passed his numerous guns through the Customs, we drove straight to Government House, which is charmingly situated in a large semi-tropical garden. WThat a comfort it was to get into a cool house and a bath ! All around the country is dried uj. and brown. The houses are scattered widely apart, and are dreary-looking, ancl the ground parched and cracked by the baking sun.

We found a tennis-party in progress, but I was too tired and dusty to face it, and went to my room at once and had real tea, an unspeakable blessing after the mixture on board ship, which one might be pardoned for picturing as made in London and carefully kept stewing during the voyao-e. After dinner we explored the garden, which has a beautiful green lawn, the only one in the town. Two bheesties (water-carriers), I am told, walk up ancl clown all clay watering it. The flowers and foliage are wonderful, and the cocoa-nut palms covered with fruit. The moon was nearly full, and almost bright enough to read by. It was too nice after the heat of the day. The house itself always keeps comparatively cool, the living rooms, being, indeed, only the kernel GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KURRACHEE. 9 of the building, as round the outside runs a huge verandah, and inside again a very wide corridor, which opens with great arches into the rooms, all of which run right through, with doors communicating, so that you get a good draught.

With the help of numerous punkahs vigorously pulled to ancl fro, it is not so bad so long as you sit still. Our rooms on the first floor had a beautiful view over the garden, but the long stone passages, and great open verandah, look rather creepy at night, neither did I care for the door and staircase leading from my room on to the large flat roof. My room has six doors, but it is far too hot to bear them shut, and they are only screened by reed curtains. The rooms themselves, sitting-room, bed-rooms, ancl two bath-rooms, are big enough to hide a regiment of sepoys, ancl, never being very brave at night, I came to the con clusion that Indian life has its drawbacks. At six o'clock the next morning we were aroused ancl chota haziri (little breakfast), consisting of tea ancl toast ancl various fruits, brought in whilst I was dressing.

By seven I was ready to drive round the town with Mr. James, and we visited the College, Public Gardens, &c. There is rather a good Zoo., and most of the tamer animals are not penned up but wander about in seeming liberty. There are several varieties of wild sheep, and queer goats with huge corkscrew horns. They have been trying for some time to get a wife for one of the latter, and last week they sold a tiger (which I presume was too common), and got one, but alas ! she did not meet with Mr. Goat's approval, so he gently walked up to her and ran her through with his horns : a more summary method than either breach of promise or divorce. Thursday, October 6th.— We went after breakfast to see Mr. Rttstomjee's warehouses. It was a most interesting experience. They extend for a long wajT, with a tram-line running through them, and we went round on a tramcar.

Mr. Rustomjee is the greatest merchant in the place and apparently the "universal provider." He supplies every thing, from iron rails to marrons glaces, from the latest fashion in tea-owns down to white mice. In one room thousands of various samples are laid out for the up-country shopkeepers' inspection, but there seem to be very few native productions. I admired some Oriental-looking cotton stuff sold for two annas a yard (about twopence), and lamented that such things could not be bought at such prices in England. It was rather a shock when Mr. Rustomjee quietly said: "Oh! these all come from Manchester!" The Army and Navy Stores have opened a branch here, but Mr. Rustomjee says it will probably not pay, as the English shopmen have to be fed, lodged, and paid high wages, whilst the native shopkeepers are content to earn a few pence a day, sleep on the ground and feed on a handful of rice or chttpatties.

Leaving the warehouses, we passed a yard stored with bales of old English newspapers that are SANTAN'S " GAGE D' AMOUR." 11 exported at five rupees a cwt., and sold here to the shops and natives. The business offices are on the first floor. It looked very odd to see rows of black clerks all dressed in white, writing in a nearly dark room. This morning an ayah was found for me, and she has been all day having what they call a ''high old time" amongst my clothes, packing up and getting out warm clothes for Kashmir and the Hills. Alan has also got a Portuguese servant who is called indifferently "Butler" or "Boy," although he is, gray-headed, and a scion of the noble Portuguese family of the Da Sottzas. We always call him " Santan," his Christian name, for he really has been baptised, and is " same religion and gets drunk like Massa."

Thursday. — We left Kurrachee by the 9.30 p.m. train for Lahore, nearly a two clays' railway journey. A very nice carriage with two compartments and a bath room was reserved for us, and, as you carry your bedding about every where in India, the servants soon made things comfortable for the night. A large party came to see us off, but nothing like the number who came to bid adieu to my woman and Alan's man, the latter being particularly popular. We think Santan gave Alan's cherished white umbrella as a gage d'amour to some one, as it has vanished and he mourns much for its loss, although he cannot use it in the train, ancl won't want it shooting, but it makes his lists wrong and that vexes him. The next day was fearfully hot and dusty. Luckily we had been advised to bring two huge blocks of ice with us, and stood them in the middle of the carriage in Alan's indiarubber bath.