rrf g = ZJ\ I § "ii iU(L -n I— » ^y: \Mm\ms//. o \WfUNIVER%, ^lOSANCElfj-^ o 3 " -< o ^^^UIBRARYQr , A^^l•llBRAIi ^.yojiivD'jo^^ %oi\m ,OfCALIFO% ^.OFCAllF NlUBRARYQr ^^IIIBRARYQa^ \V\EUNIVER% ^OJUVDJO"?^ "^.tfOJIlVDjO^ - ^lOSANCElfx^ o 3 "^aaAiNoawv^ ^lOSANCElfj*^ ^IIIBRARYO^ 55SHIBRAR .;^:OFCAlIFOi?yfe .^OFCAtlP :lOSANC[lfj>: •o ^/^a3AINfl3\\V ^t-llBRARYQ^ ^^t-llBRARYO^, ^OJIIVJJO'*^ ^OJIlVOJO'i^ ^OffAllF0% ,^OfCALIF0% %Aijvaani^ '^6'Aaviian-^'^ ^^C\L IIBRARY^/V ^ILIBRARY6?/C^ u3 ^clOSANCElfj> r^ Cc >'^Aavaaii-^'^ %avaaiii'^ &A«Vil8lll^ :5 ,mmf\ V c:^ J A^*^" 2^ OUE VICEKEGAL LIFE IN INDIA SELECTIONS FROM MY JOURNAL 1884-1888 BY THE MARCHIONESS OF DUFFERIN & AVA IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. FOURTH THOUSAND M'lTH PORTRAIT AND MAP LONDON JOHN MUREAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1890 All rights reserved PniXTKD BT SPOnjSWOODE AXD CO., KEW-STKIdri' SlifARK LONIXJX OUR VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA VOL. L PS V. THESE JOURNAL - LETTERS WERE ORIGINALLY ADDRESSED TO MY MOTHER : TO HER THEREFORE I DEDICATE THIS SELECTION FROM THEM HABRIOT DUFFEBIN £ AVA Claxdbboyb Auguit 31, 18ti» CONTENTS OF THE F I E S T V L U lil E CHAPTER I AKRIVAL IN INDIA December 2, 1S84, to January 29, 1885 PAGE Aden —Landing at Bombay — Parell — Hospital for Sick Animals Arrival at Calcutta — Government House — The Staff — The Ser- vants—First Levee— Durbar for Maharajahs of Jodhpore and Bhurtpore and Kajah of Faridkot — The Drawing-room — Christ- mas Day — Kaces— Empress Day — Barrackpore — Breakfast on the Balcony— The Clewer Sisters — My Aviary— The Duke and Duchess of Connaught — Botanical Gardens— Paper Chase Review — StateBall—Chandemagore— Zoological Gardens— Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg- Schwerin— Don Carlos— Native Schools — New Tennis Court— The Bheestie— Lord W. Beresford at the Races— Native Jewels ....... 1 CHAPTER H FIRST SEASON IN CALCUTTA January 31 to March iS, 1S85 Arrival of Admiral Sir W. Hewitt and Sir James Fergusson — Flower Show -Dinner at Fort William— Costumes of Hindu School Children— H.M.S. Eunjalus— Presentation of Colours to the King's Regiment— Entertainment at Rai Juggodanuud Mookcr. VOL. I. a [8j OUR VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA PAGE jee's House — Gaiden Party at Government House — Chinsurah — Tlie Council Chamber — Inspection of the Presidency Volun- teers — The Surnomoyec Hostel — The Economic Museum —School Feast at Barrackpore — The Weather — A ' Dolly ' . . -49 CHAPTER ITI EA\YAL riXDI DUEBAK AND VISIT TO LAHORE March 23 to April 20, 18S5 Departure from Calcutta — Allahabad — Arrival at liawal Pindi— The Viceroy's Camp — Durbar for the Punjab Chiefs — Our extra Staff — The Weather— Arrival of the Amir — Parade — Dinner to . the Amir — Eeview — Garden Party in Camp — The Durbar — De- parture of the Amir — Breaking up of the Camp — Attock Bridge — Descent of the Indus — Lahore — Government House- -Maharajah of Kashmir— Shalimar Gardens — City of Lahore — Tomb of Eunjeet Singh--Amritsar — The Golden Temple — Pinjore — Ascent to Simla - Our Summer Residence . . . . .88 CHAPTER IV SIMLA DURING THE RAINS April 22 to October 19, 1SS5 The Duke and Duchess of Connaught— Observatory Hill — Jakko - Dust-storm — Hail-storm — Begum ' — Annandale — The Little Eains — Eipon Hospital — Gymkhana — Sipi Fair— The Theatre — The Queen's Birthday — The Queen's Ball — Earthquake — Lec- tures on Nursing — Simla Sky Eaces — The Eajah of Eutlam — A Mule Battery — Garden Fete — The Countess of Dufferin's Fund for supplying Female Medical Aid to the Women of India — The Great Eains (Monsoon) — Daily Eoutine — Two Sermons — Butter- flies — The Viceroy studies Persian — The Viceregal Tennis Court — Hindustani Lessons— A Native Play — Mushobra — The Mon- soon breaks — Fern-hunting — Camp at Dhamin — Shoot — Mr. and Mrs. Grant Duff— Durbar — Naldera— Farewell Dinner to Sir Donald Stewart — Tara Devi ....... CONTENTS OF VOLUME I [9J CHAPTER V AUTUMN TOUK, 1 885 : NAHUN, DELHI, KAJPUTAXA, CENTRAL INDIA, AGRA, AND LUCKNOW October 20 to December 16, 1SS5 PACK ^Yal• declared with Burma — Dagshai— Rajah of Nahun— Our Tents — Nahuu — lUuminations — Lord W.Beresford returns — Our lirst Tiger Shoot — Dehra Dun — Saharanpore — Delhi — Ludlow Castle —The Fort— Jumma Masjid— The Tombs- The Kutub— The Ridge — Ulwar — The Maharajah — The Palace — A Day in the Jungle — Ajmere — The Mayo College — Drive to Udaipur — Recep- tion — The Children of the Sun— The Lake— Bhil Dance — The Palace — Illuminations — Chittore — Indore — The Residency — Maharajah Holkar — Black Buck shooting— Jodhpore — The Ma- harajah — His Highness's Heir— The Camp — Pig sticking — The Palace — Durbar — Banquet — Jej'pore — Reception — Durbar — The City — Elephant Fight — Hunting Leopard — The Palace and Ban- quet — Bhurtpore — The Residency — Duck shooting — Illumina- tions— Deeg — Futtehpore Sikri — Agra — The Taj — Visits — The Female Medical Schools — Successes in Burmah — Gwg,lior — Ma- harajah Scindia — The Fort — Durbar — Dholpore— Procession — Lucknow — The Residency — General Wilson and the Old Baillie Guard — The Imambarah — The Viceroy's Fever — Return to Calcutta 192 CHAPTER VI CALCUTTA, 1885 1886 December 17, 1SS5, to February 2, 18S6 Government House — Christmas Day — Lord Herbrand Russell's Hounds —The Income Tax — Lev6e — Presentation of Colours to 18th Bengal Infantry — King of Oude's Gardens — Viceroy attends Review at Delhi — Shooting in the Sunderbunds — Public Meeting to Inaugurate tlie Fund — The Foreign Otlicers — The Widow of the late Prime Minister of Xepaul 275 [lOj OUn VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA CHAPTER VII BUKMAH AND MADRAS February 3 to March 8, 1886 VXGT. H.M.I.JI.S. Clivc— The Kiver — KeceiJtion at Eangoon — The Eesi- dencj- — The Golden Pagoda — Pohngees — Prome —Our Eiver Steamer — The Irrawaddy — Minhla — Pagan — General Pren- dergast — Mingyan — Ava— Mandalay — The City — The Walls — The Queen's Monastery — The Bishop — The Pagoda of 1,100 Shrines — Mengdoon — -Levee — Burmese Play — Tea Party in the Palace — The French Nuns — Soopaya Lat — Departure from Man- dalay — On a Sand-bank — Eangoon— Football — The Karens — Ball— Sight-seeing — Madras Harbour — A Catamaran — Mosquito Fleet — Government House — Ball — Visits — Departure from Madras — Eeturn to Calcutta 292 OUE VICEEEGAL LIFE IN INDIA CHAPTER I ARKIVAL IN INDIA December 2, 1884, to January 29, 1885 Aden : Tuesday, December 2nd, 1 884. — We have had a •delightful day, and, although I feel rather tn-ed, I will try to give you some account of it now, for, should the weather be bad to-morrow, I might be unable to write. To-day it has been perfect, bright and warm enough, but with a fresh wind, so that the much-abused Aden was at its best, and we have come away with the highest opinion of its charms. Directly after breakfast we came on deck to admire the beautiful rocks that are known by the name of Little Aden. They are islands, barren-looking, but carved by volcanic convulsions into the most wonderful shapes ; they rise straight out of the green sea into high needles, or curve away from the sandy shore so as to form caves and bays ; their colouring is varied and beautiful, purple and red, with a greenish tinge sometimes, which does no! VOL. I. E 2 OUR VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i appear to be the result of vegetation. This place does not look fit for human habitation, but there are wild Arabs upon it, and it is used by Aden itself as a sort of convict settlement. Aden has the beauty of form and colour. It is abso- lutely barren, but nothing could be more lovely than it looked to-day as we approached it. As soon as we hove in sight, the Viceroy's flag was hauled up for the first time, the Captain ' breaking ' it himself ; and as we anchored, the thirty-one guns, which are now D.'s due, were fired from the various batteries ashore. Our ship was soon surrounded by funny little brown boys, in small dug-out canoes of the same colour as them- selves. These little creatures paddle about in the most fearless way ; they come quite up to the still moving steamer, first one side, then the other, call to the passengers, ' Have a dive,' ' Give a dive,' bail out the water with their hands as they speak, jump in headlong after any coin that is thrown them, and catch it long before it reaches the bottom. Many of them dye thek hair yellow, which has a curious efiect, and a little rag round their waists is all their clothing, so I wonder where they keep the money they pick up^certainly not in the boat, which is often upset. One of the boys had his leg taken off some time ago by a Eock cod, but he still phes his trade, and is said not so much to feel the loss of his leg as the mgratitude of the cod, who had often met him under water, and who ought to have had a friendly feeling for him. The Eesident, General Blair, Mrs. and Miss Blaiiv 1 884 ADEN 3 and a number of officers came on board, and we soon went ashore with them. We passed two of om- men- of-war and a Frenchman, all dressed with flags, and on the English ships the men manned the yards — always a pretty sight. We landed under an awning orna- mented with flags and with green reeds which had been brought thirty miles on camels for the purpose. Here we found the dignitaries of the place, soldiers, natives, and guards of honour — one was formed by the English regiment here (the 40th). Next to them were the 'Aden Troop,' most picturesque-looking men, mounted on white horses, wearing red turbans and white uniforms. When D. drove away they rode by him with drawn swords. There were also some native infantry troops at the landing-place. Here we separated. D. started on a long drive to see the Tanks and the place generally, and we ladies went at once to the Eesi- dent's house. It is a charming one, but what volumes it speaks for the climate ! It is literally a roof supported by pillars, with wooden latticework between them, even the bedrooms being on the horse-box principle, with the air blowing about, around, above and below, in every direction. Certainly in a hot climate you must give up your prejudice against draughts. To-day it was delightful in this summer-house, the room looking like a gigantic balcony ; but there are drawbacks to this open-air existence, for sometimes there are sand-storms, and the sand blows in and covers up everything in the most hopeless way. It is almost impossible to make any plant grow even indoors, for, as you may perceive from my description of the house, ]i 2 4 OUB VIGEBEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i there is very little difference between indoors and out-of- doors, and the hot wind reaches everywhere.^ When the gentlemen came back we were given a big lunch, for about thirty people ; and after it D. had a little business to do, and it was five before we came on board our ship again. Then we said good-night to the Blairs, who had been most kind to us, and stood on deck to see all those splendid rocks and serrated peaks against the setting sun. I must not forget to say that there was another native regiment up at the Eesidency, whose band plaj'ed during lunch. They were the 4th Bombay Rifles and were dressed like our Eifle regiments, but wore black turbans. Bombay: December Stli. — I wish it were possible for me to give you even a faint idea of the splendour of the landing at Bombay, but it was such a magnificent sight that it seems almost useless to try to describe it. I believe that we shall never, even in India, see anything to compare with it again, so I must do the best I can in the way of putting my irnpressions upon paper. The Tasmania anchored at 1 1 a.m. ; but as we were not to land till 4.30, we remained quietly watching the depar- ture of the other passengers and admiring the splendid harbour in which we found ourselves. It was extremely amusing to see the crowds of boats alongside, full of various coloured people on various business ; of expec- tant husbands come out to meet the ' grass widows ' who have travelled with us, messengers with letters for persons on board, natives vainly trying to get up the sides, the i884 ABBIVAL AT BOMBAY 5 police, in bright yellow caps, trying to keep order ; noise and bustle everywhere ! Sir James Fergusson came on board to see us and to let us know all the arrangements made. There was one very sad thing to mar the day. Mr. Balfour got a telegram telling him of his mother's death. He seemed to be devoted to her, and is very unhappy, so it is very hard upon him to be amongst comparative strangers, and in the midst of so much gaiety. After lunch we rested a little, and then, arraying our- selves in our best, awaited the arrival of the Admiral, Sir W. Hewett, and Captain Eitchie (Secretary to the Bombay Government), who came to fetch us off. As we left the ship the Lascars manned the yards, and a roaring salute from the three men-of-war began to thunder forth. Everything looked beautiful in the bright sunshine — the ships dressed and the yards manned, the white smoke curl- ing about them, the quantities of yachts, boats, and other vessels, and then the brilliantly clothed natives squatting on the quay. The steps down to the water were covered with scarlet cloth, and at the top of them we found the prominent personages who had come to meet the new Viceroy, they also adding to the mass of colour with their uniforms. Turning to the right, the scarlet cloth was laid down for a couple of hundred yards, with an arch at each end, and tropical plants on either side showed off their green leaves against the carpet and the scarlet balustrade behind them ; when we had advanced a few steps down this path we stopped to have the address read and answered. Sir J. Fergusson stood behind D. and T close to him 6 OUB riCEBEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i the Staff at one side. The address was read by a Parsee, and there was a group of natives round him. TMicn this was over, D. and I and Sir James walked through the second arch and got into the carriages. My heart leapt into my mouth for a moment when I saw the four horses in combination with the crowds and the noise, but I will tell you now that I soon got over my nervousness and was not the least frightened during the drive. Some of the A.D.C.s went first in a sort of wagonette, then Nelly, Rachel, and I, with Captain Dean ; Sir James Fergusson's Military Secre- tary went next, and then followed the two Governors. Between and about the carriages were mounted native soldiers. And now comes the difficult moment to describe, but I must appeal to your imagination to fill in the details of the scene.// Fancy a drive of five miles through a town : in the first part some very fine buildings and large houses, occasionally an open space or a short bit of avenue with fine trees, and then a long bazaar, or native town, with curious old houses and strange balconies ; and then fill the whole — the streets, the windows, the rows and rows of balconies, the trees, the tops of carriages — with a teeming crowd, almost every individual of which is a study in himself: natives of every shape and colour, dresses of the most brilliant hues, httle children clothed in the whole rainbow, and with a large nose-ring added to that ; children clothed in nothing at all, and parents with the nearest approach to nothing at all that I ever saw before ; one window filled with ladies draped in brilliant stuffs, and a little further on four or five naked i884 BOMBAY— PABELL 7 bodies decorating another window ; and when you can't imagine any more, add the five miles of cheering and the ever-recurring bands sending forth ' God save the Queen,' the handkerchiefs waving, and all the inci- dents of a crowd — in fact, put life into the masses of colour your imagination has brought before you, and say if it was not an exciting scene I'y" The Government House was once a Jesuit monastery ; it is very pretty and curious — large rooms, wide stair- eases, but, oh dear ! it's very cold ! Now I really did expect to be warm at Bombay, but the temperature actually is cool. In England it would be nice and pleasant, but there you don't live in a room in which the walls are cut up into arches opening on to large corridors where all the windows are wide open ; and you would sooner die than sit in (not one, but) twenty draughts at a time ; and you don't dine in a room which seems to have no side-wall at all ; and you don't expect to find that your bedroom has four very large windows and three doors, all wide open at once ; but that is what you do find here./" When we reached Parell we were received by Miss Fergusson and by Mrs. Dean, the wife of the Military Secretary. After some tea (very nearly in the open air and certainly in many draughts) we went out to look at the garden. It is left as the monks laid it out, and is very pretty; there are some palms that I never saw before, the top of the straight bare stem being like a large flat fan. "Wliilc we were walking through the garden the electric light illuminated it. I then went up to my airy bedroom, and found three new ayahs arrived 8 OUB VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i from Calcutta — one for Kaclicl, and one for each of our maids. I was amused to see the gently movmg ayah following the active Blackwell ahout like a shadow, and I began to hope my Hindustani would make great progress, but the ayah is banished, at any rate from my room, while the girls will get on fast with their languages. There were twenty at dinner, mostly Staff. I sat between Sir James and General Hardinge. When I told the latter who Eachel was, he told me a funny story about her grandmother, the ' Queen of Beauty ' (Duchess of Somerset) . She had a little Japanese dog, and she went one day with it to the Zoo ; the man at the door stopped her, saying, ' No dogs allowed in,' at which she looked at him scornfully, and said in tragic tones, ' Man, it is not a dog, it's a bird ! ' Tuesday, gth. — At 9.30 there were prayers, and then we breakfasted in the verandah dining-room, which in the morning was delightful, and after that we were photographed in a group. The number of frightful caricatures of us which is being called into existence is fearful, for we never move anywhere that we don't see a photographer pointing at us from the top of a carriage, or from some unexpected vantage-ground. We next visited all the horses, and then came in to write letters till lunch. I was warm and comfortable all the day, and felt no draughts. At four His Excellency laid a foundation-stone, and in the evening Sir James had a great dinner and a party for us, and we all put on our very best — I my Order and diamonds and Nelly hers. 1 884 BOMBAY 9 and D. his uniform, &c. I like Sir James very much, and found the dinner very pleasant. The reception was a little fatiguing ; 600 people came, and we stood on a golden carpet and shook hands with all the ladies and bowed to all the gentlemen. There were many natives, and their dresses are very handsome. The Parsee ladies look very nice, and wear most beautiful colours. I stayed for about half-an-hour after the presenta- tions were over, and then slipped away, as we have an early function to-morrow. Wednesday, loth. — I must close this letter before lunch to-day, but I shall have time to tell you of our doings this morning. D. was to open a Hospital for Sick Animals at 8,30 a.bi., and as I heard many native ladies would be there, I settled to go too. When we arrived at the place we found an enormous awning spread, under which all the people were sitting, and as there were flags and colours about it, and rows of Parsee ladies and native men seated under it, it all looked very gay and charming in the sunny fresh morning. A little history of the charity was read first. It is a branch of a * Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Organisa- tion,' the idea being that instead of fining a poor man for ill-treating his bullocks, and thus almost necessitating his working them still harder, it would be better to provide a place where the unfortunate animals could be cured ; and, aided by some rich citizens, this Hospital and a Veterinary College have been started. After the usual speeches we were conducted to one of the ' Hospital 10 OUR VICEEEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i wards,' and there we sa\Y a curious Brahmin ceremonial : eggs and cocoanuts were broken on the floor, and the posts and hntels of the doors were smeared with egg, oil, and some other stuff. Then great trays of flowers were brought, and the chief man — the host in fact — taking a large wreath or necklace of jessamine and roses, put it over His Excellency's head, handed him a bouquet, and sprinkled it with rosewater ; he adorned me in the same way, then Sir James, and then Nelly, who wished to sink into the ground on the spot, and then the host himself was thus decorated. Eachel too had her neck- lace and bouquet. The wreaths are beautifully made, and are better described as ropes of flowers ; each flower is tied separately to the next one, and a few silver threads are mixed. They are really very pretty ; the bouquets are a stiff shape with some tinsel in the centre. You may imagine how odd the gentlemen looked in their frock coats and garlands of flowers. I have told you about the early part of this day, and must now tell you how hard we worked during the after- noon. We were to lunch with General Hardinge at Malabar Point, which really belongs to the Governor of Bombay, and which is the most lovely place ! It is a promontory, with the sea on one side and a bay on the other. The sitting-rooms are very pretty, divided from each other by enormous carved open-work doors <{ The living rooms are all about the garden in different bungalows. Sir James Fergusson drove me in a mail phaeton, the rest of the party following with carriages and four. After lunch we visited a large boys' school, Miss 1 884 BOMBAY TO CALCUTTA 11 Pecbey's dispensary, a Parsee girls' school, and the School of Art. Then I was tired out and went home, while D. went to see a market. The only one of these institutions which I will stop to tell you about is the girls' school. The Parsee young ladies wear such very pretty colours, while the little girls are all dressed like boys, with coloured jackets and trousers and round hats. The pupils sang, and a tiny little creature came for- ward and recited in very broken English, with lots of gesticulation, a little j)oem about a rabbit. I think it was a conversation between a rabbit and a sportsman ; at any rate it was a charming little performance. Everywhere we were decorated with garlands of flowers, and sometimes had bracelets as well. In the evening there was a big dinner and a ball. Friday, 12th. — We had to leave very early on Thursday morning, the train starting at eight. We found our carriages most comfortable, indeed the whole train was ours. We had a sitting-room, my bedroom, bath-room, and beds for two maids in one carriage. D. had a bedroom and a place for his servant in another. There was a large dining-room in a third, and the Staff and all the servants had carriages provided for them. Our beds were very comfortable, and our food good. The scenery the first day, when we were going over the Ghauts, was very fine, curious- shaped basaltic hills, with odd little pinnacles, or domes, or excrescences of some sort on the top of each ; the rest of the way it was not remarkable. Last night was cold, and this morning very much so, winter dresses and shawls required. D. was not very 12 OUR VIGEBEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch.j well in the day, and was quite ill in the night, when his temperature rose to 102. Sattmldi/, 13///. — He seemed very unfit this morning for all he was to go through ; however, as four o'clock approached he got up and prepared for his entry into Calcutta. There was a magnificent array of uniforms at the station, fine turns-out of carriage and horses, and guards and outriders, and the whole way to the house was crowded with people, who received us with cheers. We crossed a hridge over the Hooghly and drove through part of the town, looking with the greatest interest at all we could see of this place, which is to he our home for the present. When we arrived at Government House we found a large guard of honour drawn up before it, and the flight of steps leading to the door was covered with gentlemen in uniform and natives in gay dresses. Lord Eipon received us most cordially, and presented all the Council to the new Excellency. Lady Eipon met us in the Throne-room, and we all went to the Council Chamber to hear D. sworn in. It is not an imposing ceremony. Several gentlemen stood round a table while the Warrant was read, then they sat down while D. signed it, et voila tout. We went to have some tea, and after it D. was fetched to go and seat himself on the throne to hear the address read — such a funny little throne with no back. He replied, and all was over. I believe this throne was once Tippoo Sahib's howdah. For the rest of the 1 884 CALCUTTA 13 time we spent together Lady Eipon and I never knew who was the lady of the house, and we could not catch each other's eye, we were both so afraid of appearing to take upon ourselves ! She was a great comfort to me and so kind in helping me with information. In the evening Lord Eipon sent D. the insignia of the Star of India to wear at the big official dinner of lOO people. Everyone asked was expected to come, and some native gentlemen who cannot eat with us sat in another room till dinner was over. Monday, i5//<.— We went early this morning to see the Eipons off. We are quite sorry to lose them, and feel rather lonely now. Yesterday we went to the Cathedral ; it is rather like a railway station, the punkah rods representing the iron framework of that sort of building ; the walls are quite white, while the windows are a bluish colour, which makes everyone look pale. In deference to the hot climate the service was short. Tuesday, i6ih, to Sunday, 21st. — Both my time and my thoughts have been so entirely occupied with fur- nishing that I have little else to tell you of. We are performing wonders in the way of settling down, and I have arranged myself a very pretty drawing-room, with another room next door, which can be thrown open if there are people to dinner. I was very unhappy yesterday about the house, which I should then have described as gigantic, with 710 room ip it. I thought my rooms intolerably uncomfort- 11 OUE VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA cii. i able (I should have to enter into too many details to explain why), but I have had an idea which I have this moment carried out, and now I feel that there is hope left. I have thrown all conservative principles to the winds, have abandoned the rooms used by all previous Viceroys, and have moved into the visitors' wing. So that I have now a lovely boudoir looking on to the garden, instead of a dull room upstairs, without a balcony or a view, and a nice room next to it for the girls, who would otherwise have sat in their bedrooms. I am close to my own staircase, and nothing can be nicer. Having thus packed myself and my belongings into one of the elephant's paws (or wings) of this house, we are really comfortable. I will now tell you how I spend the day, and then you will learn casually about some of my arrangements. D. gets up pretty earlj^ to work, and I am generally read}' at 8.30. We breakfast at nine o'clock on the bal- cony outside my pink drawing-room — we four (family) together. D. stays and walks about for a little, while the green parrots and the crows look down upon us from the capitals of the pillars which support the roof of the verandah. At ten o'clock Lord William Beresford has an interview with His Excellency, and then comes on to me. I always write down the things I want to ask him about, and as he settles everything the list is very curious and miscellaneous. Each A.D.C. has his own department. Major Cooper is ' Household,' and he and I see to everything, and make ourselves generally fussy and useful. Captain Harbord has the kitchen and the cook to see i884 GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CALCUTTA 15 after. Captain Balfour is a musician, so he manages the band, and I have asked him to make it play every night from eight till nine while we are at dinner. Captain Burn does the invitations. Lord William has the stables, and all the A.D.C.s are under him, and every detail is brought before him. From the highest military affairs in the land to a mosquito inside my Excellency's curtain or a bolt on my door, all is the business of this invalu- able person, and he does all equally well. He jots every- thing down in his book, or on his shirt-sleeve, and never rests till the order is carried out. He has the stables very well arranged, and the ' turns out ' are very hand- some. The carriages are plain, without gilding or orna- ment, but we nearly always drive with four horses, postillions, footmen, outriders, and escort, all in scarlet and gold liveries. //The principal servants in the house also wear scarlet and gold. The ' khidmatgars,' or men who wait at table, have long red cloth tunics, white trousers, bare feet, white or red and gold sashes wound round their waists, and white turbans. The smarter ones have gold embroidered breastplates, and the lower ones have a D. and coronet embroidered on their chests. We each have a 'jemadar,' or body servant, who attends to us at other times. Mine stands outside my door and sees to all I want, goes in my carriage with me, and never leaves me till I am safe inside my room. I daren't move a chair unless I am quite sure the door is well shut, else he would be upon me, and I am sure he would even arrange my ^lapcrs and my photographs for me. Nelly and Rachel also have their jemadars, and all 16 OUE VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i the houseniiiiils (and tluy are legion) are men with long red tunics, turbans, and gold braid — oh, so smart ! — while every now and then in one's best drawing-room, or in one's most private aj^artments, a creature very lightly clad in a dingy white cotton rag makes his ap- pearance, and seems to feel as much at home there as his smarter brethren do. He is probably a gardener, and he most likely presents you with a bouquet of violets ! Then we each have a magnificent sentry in the passage near our bedrooms — they are very tall men, in handsome uniforms ; and then there are heaps of servants, ' some in rags, and some in tags, and some in no clothes at all.' One * caste ' arranges the flowers, another cleans the plate, a third puts candles into the candlesticks, but a fourth lights them ; one fills a jug of water, while it requires either a higher or a lower man to pour it out. The man who cleans your boots would not condescend to hand j^ou a cup of tea, and the person who makes your bed would be dishonoured were he to take any other part in doing your room. The consequence is that, instead of one neat housemaid at work, when you go up to ' my lady's chamber ' you find seven or eight men in various stages of dress, each putting a hand to some little thing which has to be done ; and you may imagine the energetic Blackwell's feelings, and how her ayah tells her that ' she much too strong, strong as four Hindustani women.' I have wandered away from ' my day ' to give you an account of the household. As I said before, I have been attending to our comforts, and my room really is pretty now. The furniture is pink silk, and I have made the room look ' homey ' with little tables, screens, plants. i884 CALCUTTA— THE FIRST LEVEE 17 photographs. The gii'ls have a very nice httle boudoir next door, and I also have a second small drawing-room, Tvhich I open into mine with three big doors when we have any dinner party. These rooms are, to a certain extent, my creation, for there was no private house before, and after dinner the party sat in the long, dreary throne- room. This I have converted into our usual dining room ; it has carpets and curtains, and is decidedly pre- ferable to a barren marble hall, where we should shiver. We still lunch in that cold place, but it is very nice in the middle of the day. Off my room there is a dehghtful balcony, fi-equented by wild parrots and crows, and soon to be inhabited by all sorts of captive creatures. I am going to have an aviary made, and I aheady have several birds. All these arrangements fill my morning, and at two we lunch. We sit at round tables, and are usually fourteen in number. When I drive, I go out at 3.30, and so get a little sunshine, but the fashion here is for no one to venture out until it is damp and dark, which it is after five o'clock. We have some difficulty in finding an object for our drive. Sometimes we go to the Zoo, and sometimes there is a game of polo going on, which we sit and watch. We dine at eight, and the Staff comes and spends the evening with us, or does not come, as it chooses. On Saturday, 20th, His Excellency had his first levee. It was very large, and though the people passed at the rate of twenty-five a minute, which was quicker than usual, it took twenty minutes longer than any levee for the last ten years. D. liked the end of it very much, when the native VOIi. I. c 18 OUR VICEREGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i officers were presented. He says they are very fine men, and that they came forward in a smiHng, frank way ; they sahito and present the hilt of their swords, which the Yicero}' touches, and then they pass on. I think there were about i ,800 men at this levee. His Excellency was very smart ! He wore his Lord- Lieutenant's uniform, with four stars and the Indian Empire (a sort of medal like a flat rose) on his coat, and the diamond medallion of the Star of India hanging from his throat, with the grand cordon of that Order. It is a very pale blue, with a white border. The medallion is a portrait of the Queen on a cameo surrounded by diamonds. We got our first mail from home on Friday, the 19th ; a very great pleasure. On Sunday we went to our parish church in the morning and to the cathedral in the evening, and Prince Oscar of Sweden with his Commodore and an A.D.C. lunched with us. I cut my fingers very badly, taking a knife out of a sheath, and am bandaged up by the doctor. I fear I shall not be able to wear a glove at my drawing-room. I am not to wear a train, lest I should encourage extra- vagance, and so a smart one I had brought from England has to be packed away ! Monday, 22nd. — I paid my visit to the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor, Mrs. Eivers Thompson. They have a very pretty place just out of Calcutta, with a capital house and one of the largest lawns in India. 1 884 A DURBAR AT CALCUTTA 19 Lawns are precious things in hot countries. They have an artificial river in their grounds ; so have we, ours having been made by Lord Lytton. Their river is rather larger than ours, and they had a predecessor who was interested in plants, so I think they have more to show in that respect than we have. They gave. us tea on the balcony, and we saw the younger girls of the family, and had altogether a pleasant little visit. J Tuesday, 2 yd. — We spent this day in a very official manner. The Vicero3^,was to hold a durbar in the afternoon ; that is, in plain English, he was to receive three Eajahs, who pay their mornmg visits in state, every particular of the reception being carefully arranged beforehand. General Wilkinson and two of his Staff were to be present, so they lunched with us, and then the Marble Hall was prepared for the arrival of the first Kajah, His Highness the Maharajah of Jodhpore, whose rank required that ' the Military Secretary, the Under- Secretary in the Foreign Department, and an A.D.C. to the Viceroy' should drive to his residence to fetch him. Scarlet cloth was laid down for him ; a guard of honour was at the door ; a band played on the steps, and between each pillar down the hall stood a gigan- tic trooper of the body-guard, in his scarlet uniform, holding a lance in his hand. As the Maharajah arrived a salute of twenty-one guns was fired from the < Fort. We ladies were hidden behind a screen that we might look on. A still grander throne than usual was placed for the c 2 20 OUll VICEEEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i Viceroy — it was a silver one, with large gold lions for arms; an attendant with a white yak's tail in his hand stood b}^ lest a fly should trouble His Excellency's com- posure ; a gold embroidered carpet was laid before the dais, and chairs were arranged on either side of it. Some attendants held bunches of peacock feathers set in gold, and others had very big gilt maces in their hands. General Wilkinson and the Staff, and one native A.D.C., who wore a large turban and a broad band of red on his forehead, sat on the left of the throne. When the Maharajah reached the door, the Viceroy got up and walked to the middle of the room to meet him, shook hands with him, and motioned him to a chair on his right, while his followers took lower places on the same side. The Maharajah's dress was green and gold ; he spoke through an mterpreter, and the dialogue with him went on pretty well. No one else attempts to speak. 'After a short conversation,' say the regulations, 'the Maharajah's attendants are presented to the Viceroy, and each one holds out to him one gold mohur,' which he touches, thus pohtely expressing ' You may keep it though you are so anxious to give it to me.' Then there was another short conversation before the leave- taking. At a signal the Viceroy's attendants brought in two silver vessels ; one contained attar of roses, the other some very sticky leaves wrapped up in silver and gold paper. I believe that when carefully unwrapped a small piece of betel-nut is found in each. The Vice- roy puts a small spoonful of attar of roses on the Maha- rajah's hand, and gives him a sticky thing to take away with him, and they sit down again, while the Under- i884 A DUBBAR AT CALCUTTA 21 Secretary in the Foreign Department does the same for His Highness's attendants, and then they make a final move. The Viceroy again takes a few steps to conduct the Maharajah to the middle of the room, bows to his followers, and they depart with the ' same ceremonies as those observed on His Highness's arrival.' / For the second one, ' the Maharajah of Bhm'tpur, G.C.S.I.' two A.D.C.s went, seventeen guns were fired, and His Excellency stood at the foot of the dais to receive His Highness, who had to offer ' loi gold mohurs ' to be touched. His Highness the Kajah of Faridkot was fetched by two A.D.C.s. His Excellency remained on the dais to receive him. The salute was only eleven guns, and he only presented eleven gold mohurs to * be touched and / remitted.' All the other ceremonies were the same. I have not told you much about the dresses, as we sat behind the native guests and could not see them well. It was very curious and interesting to see this once in a way. I don't suppose we shall want to look on often. His Excellency went and unbent himself over a game of tennis, but I rested all the afternoon with the pro- spect of several hundred curtseys to be made in the evening. We dined alone and dressed afterwards for the drawing-room. When all was ready, a procession came to fetch us, and preceded us into the throne-room. D. and I stood on the dais, and we found in the room the gentlemen who have the entree ; their ladies passed VOL. I. *c 3 22 OUR VICEBEGAL LIFE IN INDIA ch. i us first, and also remained in the room till the drawing- room was over. I told you I was not allowed to wear my train, but I found numbers of ladies had them on, to say nothing of lappets and feathers ! Most of the ladies were very smart, and I think everything went off as well as possible. I got rather hot with the exercise of making so many curtseys, but otherwise I did not feel the fatigue much. When it was over, the procession formed again and we went upstairs. This was the first time we had seen the large reception rooms peopled. They were quite full, and looked very nice. There was a buft'et with light refreshments at one side of the ball-room, and the band played there too. We walked about for some time, making new acquaint- ances and speaking to some of the people we have already met, and then when I began to feel very tired we went away. Wednesday, 24th. — Prince Karl, of Sweden, arrived from Delhi this morning to join his brother. Prince Oscar, who is in a man-of-war here. The one stays in the house, and the other came to meet him at breakfast. Prince Charles is very nice-looking and extremely tall. We shall not see much of our guests, for thej have to keep Christmas on the Swedish ship, and it takes two whole afternoons and evenings to do that properly. The Calcutta races began to-day. We went to see them privately, but next Thursday week we go in state. The course is very pretty, and the stand is nicely arranged with plants and flowers. The races only go on between the hours of four and six. There will be polo and racing i884 BABBACKPOBE 23 lor alternate clays all the week. The ladies were very smartly dressed, and it was a gay and pretty sight. Thursday, 2Sth. — We should have spent a very pleasant Christmas Day indeed but for the absence of the children, who have hitherto always helped to make it ' merry ; ' and I think that all the little presents they had pro- vided for us, and which, according to their directions, were laid out for us this morning, only served to mark the blank. The missing of them was an under-current running through the day. But it is of our doings, and not of our repinings, I must tell you. Lord William Beresford had suggested that we should go and see Barrackpore in the afternoon, and as we were very glad to find some way of spending our Christmas with an appearance of gaiety we arranged to do so. We started in the steam launch as soon after church as possible, and enjoyed the trip up the river very much. With Barrackpore we were quite delighted. I suppose you know that it is a place the Viceroy has about twelve miles from Calcutta. It is situated on the river, and is (juite like an English park, with beautiful single trees of different kinds, and it is all so pretty and so completely in the country that I long to go and stay there. It reminds me of the Duke of Westminster's place on the Thames, Cliveden, and we happened to have two of his sons with us, who thought so too. On landing, there is a short walk arched over by bamboos ; then comes a pretty garden with a little fountain in it, and quantities of large blue convolvulus creeping over everything; then, to the right, lawn and shrubs, palms, and strange plants, '1\ OVl! VICEREGAL LIFh] IN INDIA v\\. \ :iii(l a