![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 [‎459v] (940/1291)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000323.0x0002bc/Mss Eur D922_1_0940.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 [‎459v] (940/1291)")
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 [459v] (940/1291)
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.
Sooa £f'cor I arrivod Lock Sud Mr. Wright turnod up
from thoir fostivitios £ud wo h£d s ploasant ctife t la thoir
vo r sad ah. boforo it wao timo to go &ad drtiss. Thoy gro
oxtromoly aic> pooplo both of thorn. Tho drossing was rgt-
hor g paiaful proctios; you kiiow how ono aovor oaa find th»i
things to hsud in such oircumstanoos. Howovor, wo woro
riigdy fet last and mountod our doukoys sga in for tho Raafla-ub
houso, oaly a fow miuutos away. Wo worn surprisod and d lig—
htod to find tho wholo gsrdoa boautifully lit up with huadrods
of ohineso laatoras. Thn big voraadah was wholly carpotod
with boautiful csrpote (who should bo abh* to g-t hold of
hoaps of carpi as for aa occasioa if uo t thoy ?) aad outsido it
tho opoa spaco with a largo aad shallow taak ia tho contro
lookod fairy-lik(5 ia tho maiiy colourod li^ts tho wator outlined
with rows of la las. Diaaor was laid outsido at sovral
small tablos. With aico oarpots uadorfoot and th(! pr tty
ligl-its feud th< lovoly soft cool sir it was quit(» a delightful
oxporiomco. Tho bachelors had everything most boautifully
arranged and although all tho servants wore pressed into
the service from various other peoples* houses and there
w ire of us at ta clo all the arrangements wont off splendidly
We drew lots for partners, which prevented any heart-burning
or any questions of precedence. As Chance was evidently
slightly controlled so that Mr. Tanner foil to my lot and
Mrs. Wright to Look’s, thn pa\la was excellent I
During dinner a native band played at intervals and at
some distance and the drums and zither sounded very wellj
after dinner th re was a native punch and judy show — a
most comical porfornjaco. The figures played on the ground,
above them a sort of curtaa hung, to hide their strings out you
could see the giwas (native shoes) and the head dross of the
manipulator aoove and below. The figures themselves wore
rudely cut out of card beard and aid not produce any very life
like effect. It was a sort of scene oi some court ceremony.
First servants cane ia to sweep the room then one after another
grandees came ia and moved auout and ranged themselves against
the wall. At last sa-vots placed a sort of chair and a whole
procession of misshapen camels came in heralding tho shah
himsi|of. He flopped on to his throne and then some gums
arrived and a criminal was duly clown from ono with a tremen
dous explosion I All the while the music wont on and ono
of the performers recitod tho whole tale in a loud and wholly
unintelligible recitative. It was most amusi.jg for the first
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 [459v] (940/1291), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur D922/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100179946971.0x0000ae> [accessed 21 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