![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 [‎349r] (717/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0717.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 [‎349r] (717/1291)")
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 [349r] (717/1291)
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.
i
By Hbout o. 30 , >v m zho iaat of oui’ guosts, tho invaluablo Mr
Samara, ./ho manfully act /d as aidoddo-camp and "aon of tho houa )•'
nad go no , and wo woro aolo to sit dof/n and havo a comfortabl' cup
0ura3ivos * (I tor SOt to montion that, failing ic >a
f naa nad Httio tiny moulda of jolly sorvod round with whippod '
croam, /aavod up for many days, and thoso woro particularly an pro-
ctatod by tno Porpiana; thoy woro vory good too - though I say it!)
I don t tnink wo aro wrong in thinking that tho wbio thing
was a roal succose, though ind >«d this was .ov >ry bit as much du^
oo ono good humour and good mannas of ail tho guosts as to our
omi oitoros. In fact as you kmow vory woll, no offorts will
mako a thing ro unioss tho. guosts play up, just as nothing will
mako an oxclusivoly English party go. Porsians, howovor, aro
nou un..iko Scotch or Irish in roady humour and good-will, nnd
^ Bn Slish P jopio horo aro vory largely liko oursolvos not
jcngiisrx puro. Io must brj most amusing for tho more or loss
pormanont rosidonts of a place liko this to compare how tho
diiforont no- ana sho-consuls manage tho same sort of occasions
and ,ho same sort of circumstances in tho solf-aamo rooms vhore
.consul after consul with his pomp abode his hour or two and wont
his way. At least wo nad the comfort of hearing several of them
say be oronana that thoy thought it was oxtr^m^iy sporting of ur
b .° I l ' y ' na mn 80 bj -S H 8h0w so soon after our arrival. And "
wnau ^vor criticisms they may b > passing today they cannot say thro
as any sxioruago of victuals or drinks or smokos I But the plea-
y0 ^ iidn ’ t **<*■ “ if woody .88 biing unktod-
-y ct i.icl at all. The servants wre splendid, and greatly
pleased at it all, especially as tho Bakhtiaris who cuno in atten
dance on one Governor had never seen anything like it and fell o,
,n> provisions like, as Ja'far expressed it, "a herd of hungry cows"
n 1 Wiah 1 couid hHV0 -ow Mrs. Haig ran her
timofl h-M, a - L at ° ry , 1 h ° Hrd in B ' A - was trus they must some-
°V a oaci * «hs giving a large tea-party
oi e^oodV n ‘ SilJ ,r tii> 000k for 8®« ah about it and tto
bo a" x H - ? >P :’ ar ? Ss8 0n ' 1 80iltiu ’y sood-cako. Thin may
bo a libel, but I shouldn’t think from the state of her house t' at
tiQns 8 and UJ ;vidv^ b 3 ; >n ivw. The Nawao's reputed oxciaoa-
no worsl ‘r*. ° am prise make me think that at any rato one did
- ^nan usual. The greatest compliment of all, however, I
? ! "f. 13 moa!; fitting, from niy' husband; it was to the eff ect
tna, ail my arrangements were quite as good as his own used to bo
in ms bachelor days l So, I am well content.
/Lt /e c^ajet
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 [349r] (717/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x00009f> [accessed 26 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x00009f
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_100179946970.0x00009f">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 [‎349r] (717/1291)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100179946970.0x00009f"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0717.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