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29 November 1905 — Peshawar | |
Wednesday. 29th [November 1905]. We reached Lahore at midday & found a carriage awaiting us at the station which conveyed us to the civil camp. Our kind friends the Dep. Comr of Abbottabad had most kindly provided us with accommodations there in the camp arranged by Capt. Coldstream on the Mian Mir road. We had 2 very good tents in a long row of them—a road for carriages was laid with rushes & marked out with inverted water jars daubed with white wash. Henry Alderson had met us at the station & brought us an invitation to lunch with a Mr Barrett who is Henry’s superior officer so as soon as we had tidied ourselves we set off for his bungalow—where we met Henry’s wife & a Genl & Mrs Pollock who were staying with him. The Genl is an agreeable man & told me he had been in the last China war. That his experience of the allied armies was that there were only 3 who were under proper discipline, the American, Japanese & British. The Germans he said were no use—looted & behaved very badly, the Russians were brutes & wild beasts & the French very disorderly. Mr Barrett took us after lunch to see the Camp of the Marajah of Patiala & the splendid tent he has prepared for the visit to be paid him by the Prince of Wales– This tent was at the end of a row of tents on each side. In the middle was a garden laid out with fountains & flowers & what appeared to be borders of green grass—but wh proved to be a crop of mustard & cress! It was exceedingly clever to have thus obtained the effect. Grass will not grow in this country & mustard & cress comes up in a few days. This garden which had every appearance of being permanent is only temporary & has been made in a fortnight. In the middle of it was a small house all overlaid with silver plaques & we were told that it had been specially made by the late Marajah for our King to sleep in when he was in India as P. of Wales. Tea was served to us in the garden & the Maharajah’s band played the while. We were allowed to inspect the great tent wh had marvellous carpets & embroideries laid down. The tent poles were overlaid with embossed silver work. The thrones of the Prince & Marajah were also resplendent of the same work– A row of silver chairs were on each side in wh are to sit the Mahajah’s officers & the Prince’s suite– These chairs have been specially made for the occasion– We had to drive some way to get to our camp & were not sorry to get there & rest. We walked to the mess tent along a rush road by many tents. Met the Howells at dinner & sat near them. Food indifferent. | |
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