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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 [322r] (661/1291)
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.
To accompany half a dozen small photographs
29.3.14.
Am sending a few photographs and a very rough sketch map.
This latter is entirely and absolutely devoid of proportions
and all pretence at accuracy, but it gives you roughly what
the lie of the land fe els like . I dare not show it to Lock
who would certainly ask why on earth I did not get out the map
and trace it for you. This why is more than I can answer;
except that the one thing would have felt an awful fag and the
other was rather a joke. This comes I think of being a woman
Leaving the g rden we walk ( as per the dotted line) down a
narrow lane between high mud walls and out across the desert.
From I looking back you see Photo A. (the arrow shows the direction
of the camera).
A. The group of gardens of which the Consulate garden is one
(two pinpricks show you, if you hold it up to the light roughly the
limits of ours). The little hill crowned by the ruins of the
Qala i Dukhtar (the "Girl’s Fort") is about 120 feet above the plain
On the very left y u c^n'see the beginning of the hill on which
stands the more imposing Qala i Ardashir (about 350feet). In far
distance the range of blue hills that unfortunately in the strong
afternoon sun blend into the sky -- in the photo, not in real life.
The foreground is t^e bare desert over which we have come.
From seme point Photo B.
B. Shows you the type of hill which shuts in our plain on the
East and S.S. This ridge which runs right round what I have called
Bays 1 , 2 ,& C is 1500 feet above the level of our garden, higher
thaA Bray Head and quite close. It is a beautiful dark brown
just like the photo. The funny little brown ruins dlbttea about
are probably old tombs. High up on the face of one of the
cliffs (lust under my pinnrlck) is a sort of niche or very shallow
cave which is now treated as a kind of shrine. On Fridays and
holidays people go out and picnic near while the Here- energetic ones
climb right un, a stif^ enough scramble. On Thursday evening
you often see a light twinkling up there (Their Friday begins of
course • t sunset on our Thur sd ay night). The dark splashes in the
foreground are fields of young corn and make a welcome patch of greefc
Of course not a blade of natural grass nor a trace of any vegetation
on the desert or on the mountain sides.
From same point Photo C.
C. On the right the range of low whitish hills very shiny and
highly polished which stratchss off to the right and ends in the
2 forts. On the left the end of he B range. If you put B & 0
side by side, B at your left and C at ycur right hand with
aboutlj" space between them, you have a fairly complete panorama
of the view on our right as we^ walk out. The octagonal tower is
a very picturesque item, built of rough stones lossely but very
neatly fitted into each other and held together by quantites of
cement. This gives the walls the ator of a patchwork quilt. The
dome is built of bricks; layer after layer, round and round each lay®
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
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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 [322r] (661/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946969.0x000064> [accessed 29 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