Emily Eden

“ It is so difficult to get it well executed, and it wants the finish of English and French jewellery. Turquoises are cheap, and most unset stones are cheaper than in England, and I think for ladies who have plenty of trinkets, some Indian jewellery is a very good addition, but it would not answer for people with a small stock. The gold is so excessively pure, that it is an excellent investment, and you can sell your bracelet or comb, when tired of it, for almost its original cost; still you get much less show for the money than with a larger supply of trinkets in English jeweller’s gold. ”

“ I told Major —— to give the two little boys who wait on Fanny and me gold lace to their turbans and sashes, which is the great aim in life of the under-servants, and as these little boys always stand behind us at dinner, they have a claim to be as smart as the others. But when the liveries were made my little boy, who is the youngest and a good little child in general, had chosen to stay away for a week, thereby losing his lessons as well as staying at home without leave ”

“ And then the natives have not learnt that new knack of making a necklace turn by manifold clasps into a brooch and sevigné and bracelets, which is useful in a small way. —— has written to me for a comb, which is exactly the very thing the natives can do in perfection; but then I must catch a jeweller, and he is brought to Government House, and our sircar buys the turquoises, and weighs the gold, and sits by and targes the man at his work, and, as it is a simple, plain, straightforward comb, it will be very well done and worth its weight in gold ”