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30 December 1905 — Delhi | |
Saturday. 30th [December 1905]. We went off in the morning thro’ some of the slums of the town to see the Black Mosque wh seemed to me more curious than interesting. We went to one of the big shops on the Chowd to see the Delhi embroideries– Just within the street door were seated crosslegged on the floor some men embroidering a court train which the Princess of Wales had ordered for the Queen. White set with gold flowers. it was stretched on 2 enormous wooden frames. I did not admire it. The pattern had been Europeanised & spoilt. We went to an upper chamber & sat in chairs while the stout owner of the shop a stout man in Oriental loose garments & with a persuasive smile had embroideries, shawls & silks unfolded before us “You no buy—you only see” was his constant refrain but he succeeded in making us buy a couple of soft Indian shawls & a few trifles before we left. In the afternoon Nela & I went off by train to Panipat leaving the maid under the care of Mrs Holtz the landlady of the Hotel Cecil. We went to stay with Mr & Mrs Howell, our friends of Abbottabad & Lahore. They are stationed for the moment at Panipat & we found them settled in a big old bungalow wh they said had been built by John Lawrence—it was roomy & pleasant & sufficiently well furnished. Mr Howell met us at the station & drove us to the bungalow in the only carriage in the place wh had been lent him by a native gentleman. There seem to be no other English in the place. The country is flat & sandy but watered by a fine canal. It is the place where great battles have been fought in former times. | |
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