Emily Eden

“ I believe this whole country and our being here, and everything about it, is a dream. When we got out of the town the road was straight and shady, and a few scattered savages at the doors of their little clay huts, with their boys climbing up the cocoa-trees, were the only human creatures we met. ”

“ George went to the opening of some medical college. It is the oddest thing, and shows what he was predestined for: but he never feels tired, and does not mind the heat, and the mosquitoes don’t bite him, and he goes on working away, filling all the hours fuller than they can hold, and sleeps like a top at night. It is curious!
To-night there was the concert, at which the natives came, besides all the same society that was at the ball. Fanny said there was nothing very splendid about the rajahs. ”

“ It shows how this climate subdues one to all its ridiculous habits, for I should have been ashamed to be carried upstairs in England, and never hesitated about it here. There are always two men with a sort of sedan at the bottom of my stairs in case they are wanted, and my attentive jemadar (how you all live without a jemadar I cannot guess, I think I always must have had one) had them ready at the carriage-door, in consideration of my weak state of health. For the first time since we came, there were only four at dinner—George and Fanny, and Captains Byrne and Macgregor. ”

“ Pelham arrived to luncheon on his way to Benares—a hurried journey he is making while the ‘Jupiter’ is refitting, and which all old Indians look upon as madness at this time of the year. He is very delicate, and it will be lucky if he has no illness on the road. Captain Grey is in despair at hearing that the regiment he is to take from Ceylon, and which he thought would consist of 250 men, is 400 strong. Altogether the officers and their families amount to forty-six people without counting their servants. ”

“ There is a large class here, who say the natives are now sufficiently well-informed to feel the degradation very sensibly, and who wish the natives to adopt European manners as much as possible. George has taken up that opinion, and the charm of being allowed to come before the Governor-General in shoes brought an immense concourse together—such quantities of new stiff European shoes, and many of the men seemed to find it difficult to walk in them. ”

“ We have no trouble with our visitors here. They come to breakfast and go back immediately to their bungalows utterly exhausted, poor things! with the trouble of eating their bread and butter. The breakfasts in India are excellent—fish, curries, omelettes, preserves, fruits, &c. After luncheon we assemble in my room for a little while.
George and I took a drive to Futtyghur, through some pretty lanes. Fanny and —— went on one of the elephants, and the rest of the society had the other elephants and their own carriages. We had six officers at dinner from Barrackpore. ”

“ We had a rest from twelve o’clock till dinner-time and dressed after dinner for the ball. We had the floor chalked with Sir Charles Metcalfe’s arms. There was a sitting-down supper for 650 people, and about 1,000 came to the ball. We went in after they were all assembled, and then the dancing began directly. I never saw such a ball-room as that at Government House, and the banqueting-rooms below are just as fine. The ladies were all well dressed, but there is very little beauty amongst them; still, what they want in looks they make up in activity. I suppose it was a gay ball ”

“ Had afterwards an hour’s talk with Captain Champneys on the same subject of furnishing, and about our servants’ liveries, and I think I shall have things smartened up in a little while. The furniture here is worse than that of any London hotel; but everything in India is so perishable that one year of neglect may reduce a house to the worst state.
Fanny rode to-day, and —— lent his horse to his friend Mr. Lay, and took a drive with me. The visitors, between boats, elephants, carriages, palanquins, all took care of themselves ”

“ The Hindoo College examination, immediately after breakfast, in the Marble Hall at Government House—prizes for the boys; and then they recited English poems, and acted scenes out of Shakespeare. There are forty-five of them, some of the very highest caste, and every respectable native in Calcutta comes to the show. The great shoe question makes a great heart-burning in society. Sir C. Metcalfe never allowed the natives to come with their shoes on. ”

“ Our new coach has come into play and looks very handsome. (Some of the servants are sneezing so while I write. I hate that pretension of catching cold in this climate.) A quiet day—we gave up our evening airing in consideration of the day; but I think that is a good habit we must give up, as it is difficult to live here without that hour of air, and there is no other means of getting out. George tried to walk with us to the stables ”

“ Wilson, in her widow’s dress, with her plain, intelligent countenance, without the greatest respect. She has collected 160 of these children; many of them lost their parents in the famine some years ago; many are deserted children. ”