![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 [‎273r] (556/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0556.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 [‎273r] (556/1291)")
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 [273r] (556/1291)
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.
29 - 10 - 1911
We had a nice little dinner last nigiit witd just Mr. M&o-
pderson ana Miss Killien. They were asked for 8 o f o. and at some
minutes oefore 7, wnile Lock ana I were still at our desks, he
writing and I typing, in rusnes Macpfc. ratter oreattless. We
tnougtt he was coming on some urgent ousiness, for te turns up
at the queerest tours wten his preoxous ooats are in trouole, and
ttere was a moment or two’s pause ai’tsr greetings till te stould
explain. Tten we all burst out laugting as we realised that te
tad come to dinner ! His last clock taa stopped in the course
of the day and te thought he was late. He was very much astamd
of himsel^/q^ut we didn't mind and settled him with papers and
smokes while we went off to our batns l The cook distinguished
himself oy really delicious meringues. Look said he felt quite
rewarded for the admirable 'a^tienoy with which he had eaten several
earlier efforts of vayying degrees of toughness. That is the
shady side oi "teaching a cook"; if a thing is a failure the first
time you have to have it over ana over again, at very short inter
vals^ till he gets it right. It is, however, quite wc£th the
trouole and a great many dishes ne hdts off the first shot - but
ndt those requiring refineme-nt. I see an awful vista oefore us
while he is learning to make pastry l
After dinner we played Spinner, having had to exhaust a good
deal of our scanty small-talk on the premature Vacph.
This mail is bringing Dr. Iverson (now Mrs. Bennett) up with
her husoand to stay for^while; and next mail orings a whole herd
of Missionaries from Muscat, Basra, Bushirs and Kuaait for their
Annual Meeting. There will oe thirty here in all for a fortnight,
and I am trying to devise some sort of entertainment to include
the lot, and show our goodwill; it would th^n sufiice to have some
of the chief of the strangers to ^ea dinner. We cannot manage
more than ten to dinner at a time, ana three dinners of ten in one
fortnight is too awful to comtemplate. I
I maae my first effort at cookery demonstration to the cook
the other day; he had never seen cakes cooked on a griddle and was
awfully sceptical, so he spoiled my first oatoh of scones. The
next lot I mixed and cooked myself and they were a great improve
ment though still a long way oif the home article. I hope to
hit it off oetter next time. You can’t think how the strangeness
of your implements makes you feel awkward. Picture yourself
mixing your cake in the oottom of a saucepan while the cook oeats
an egg with a knife, anf finally rolling the dough out with an
empty oottle. It is obviously a great mistake to multiply
utensils and
of cowls and
'Ajt
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
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 [273r] (556/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946968.0x00002d> [accessed 10 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946968.0x00002d
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946968.0x00002d">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 [‎273r] (556/1291)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946968.0x00002d"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0556.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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