British Residency, Lucknow
Lucknow Station, Feb’y 23rd/98, 8:30 a.m. Ash Wednesday.
After tiffin, 2 p.m., yesterday we got a gharry & set off to view. Interest centers around the “Residency”. This is where the British residents were entrenched & the rebels stormed for over 5 months. (Preserve the Illustrated London News 1857/8.) All the former buildings which originally were the King’s palace are in ruins, & every wall is peppered with shot & shell, quite exciting to look upon. The great Banqueting Hall is where the women & children were placed & where, – wasn’t it Jessie Brown’s[1] dream or presentment[2] that the song is taken from? – well it was in this very hall & I lingered here imagining (were the incident now) hearing the pipers with Sir Colin Campbell‘s relief forces coming down the Cawnpore road, which leads into one of the gates of the residency. Also, every where within the residency are spots of intense interest: memorial slabs & erections recording where such an one, Lawrence Inglis & others, fell during the siege, & the church yard attacked where thrilling records are inscribed on monuments.
[2:44]
I felt very deeply interested here & will peruse our old Illustrateds with increased intensity. What terrible sufferings & cruel anxieties must have been experienced by the Europeans, & certainly we’ve paid dearly for our possessions here. I had hoped to see Havelock‘s tomb[3] & monument but he was buried at Alambagh & I note in Whittaker (as I consult it daily), it is just 40 years gone the 21st inst. since the battle of Alambagh, but Sir Henry died at Lucknow in 1857, Nov. 24, & it was too far, 5 miles, to drive in the time at disposal. We visited the museum, a fine collection of Indian relics. Also the King’s picture gallery, adjoining which is his palace of residence, King of Oudh, beautiful grounds here, & close by is a very high square tower,[4] clock high up & observatory above. Caine notes this. We then visited the most beautiful of palaces belonging to the King. The gardens are ornamental, frequently illuminated. The receiptacles [sic] for lights are permanent. The halls are enormous & lighted with beautiful chandlier (chrystal [sic]) & candles. Here to[o] is a mosque & enormous tank, & I counted this as a great sight. We also visited another palace, the Emambarah of Nawab Asafud-dowlah Bahadur,[5] & the dimensions of this place was surprising & all in perfect repair with its mosque also. Oh, the departed glory that’s apparent everywhere. Each succeeding ruler had established for [2:45] his own gratification, a new palace [&?] in his ambition to surpass, if possible, that of his predecessors. The public gardens are pretty & well kept, & the suburban part of the city are very pretty. Roads very good & well kept, & all evidences the power of the seat of government here. The “Silver” city we also visited. This is a street where silver work is executed & we were worried by natives to view, “just look, no need to buy”. I ought to have said that at the palaces, the court yards were very large & some of the most lovely green lawns I ever saw, closely cropped & like velvet. I was much pleased with Lucknow. We returned through a public garden to our hotel & after dinner, retired & enjoyed a much needed rest. We breakfasted this morning at 7:30 & got to the station to leave at 8:40, & now we are on the way to Benares, where we are due at 8:18pm, a long journey. We are due at Fyzabad junction at 1 & here we tiffin, guard always enquires from where we start if we wish tiffin, & they wire in advance free of charge (John Tate[6], Mary’s brother, was stationed at Fyzabad some time). The country from Lucknow so far is very pretty & well cultivated, large tracts of wheat & barley, quite ripe & golden to the guinea, & waving gracefully. It does not grow so high as in England & thin. Trees are very plentiful & beautiful, & hedges by the railway only are dense cactus.
[2:46]
It was very cool when we started but now, 10 to 12, it is hot, tho’ there’s a fine balmy breeze. We passed many fields of what looked like white poppies, possibly it was opium. At Lucknow the flowers were very pretty roses in full bloom but not so sweet scented as I expected. Mignonette was delightful & its fragrance so refreshing.
I write a bit at every stopping station so this may be somewhat interjected, however, I will look it over before cutting out. The natives en route similar to what I’ve already described, & mud hut settlements here & there at short stages, & such huts, all mud dry as powder & I suppose when these moulder away they shift to new erections, as we pass many that are desolated. Yes, it’s opium. We have just passed a lot of fields close up to the railway cactus hedge & the pop[p]y heads are very beautiful: pure white & all open wide to the sun. While leaving Lucknow we saw many Europeans taking their morning exercise: horse riding, carriage riding, & cycling, this during the cool of the morning. All private houses are called bungaloes & the ground compounds, or a little settlement is a compound.
I did so much regret yesterday at Lucknow I had no films left for exposure, as there was certainly something worth having. Photos were on sale at the hotel veranda but I was too weary to bother looking at them.[7]
[2:47]
If possible I will get this off before we reach Benares as I should not like to miss the mail leaving Bombay this weekend. I see women amongst the wheat & barley picking out the runch[8] & weeds which top the grain, so they are preparing to harvest.
1:15 p.m. Had tiffin at Fyzabad refreshment room & there I learned if posted at Benares, tomorrow will be ample time for outgoing mail. It is now 3 p.m. local time. You will have remarked during the past few days I have omitted giving your time. I had forgotten to wind my gold watch up one night & so I got out of correct touch, & as the times here abouts are so variable, railway has a time it uses which does not accord with sun time, so I shall wait till I get to Calcutta & there set my watch correct with London. The silver watch goes very well. We have been detained here at a siding awaiting a train. It is only single line here.
Not many palm trees are to be seen en route but in the cities, & public & palace gardens they are very beautiful & well cared for.
Not one hill or elevation have I seen today. It’s as flat as between H’pool & London, & but for the trees & vegetation would be very monotonous. The only elephant I’ve seen in the fields was near Fyzabad. A man was herding & on its neck standing in water. No game of any kind. Plenty birds, crows [2:48] as numerous as sparrows are with us. Beautiful peacocks at Lucknow in the cemetery & palace gardens & they are pretty.
Benares, Wed. night, Feb’y 23/98.
Arrived here at Hotel de Paris at 8:35 after a long but not wearysome journey. It was very hot during midday hours & rather exhausting in the train. Night is the comfortable time to travel in India, hence the provision made by railway coys. After a cup of refreshing tea, & toast with it, I went out on to the verandah & had not been out one minute when to my surprise & delight the bagpipes struck up “My Boy Tommy”. Immediately opposite this hotel is the officers’ mess. The regiment is the 42 Black Watch. On enquiry I find I can post up to 5 p.m. tomorrow for outgoing mail. I may get time tomorrow to say a few words, but if not am quite prepared with this good batch. We have arranged to breakfast at 7 in the morning so that we may get out, & boat down & up the river to see the sight of India, the bathing ghats, & as this the first of 3 days Mahomedan holidays[9] I expect it will be very throng with devotees, bathing in the sacred Gangees; “refer to ency: Benârês”.
(Before I forget, Willie must tell Mr. Gordon when he sees him how extremely kind his son had been to me at Bombay & that I felt quite at home with him & his many kind friends who shewed me much attention).
I hope to be in Calcutta either by Saturday or Sunday morning arriving there between 5 & 6.
Albion is anxious to be at Howrah[10] station to meet me but I fear I will be too early for him as his ship will be a long way from that point. I shall write [2:49] him finally from here tomorrow.
I wrote this day’s itinerary in the train at stopping stations & fear it is not as consecutive as it should be, leaving off & picking up the thread so often I found the plan unsatisfactory. Still I am sure you will intelligently follow it. All travellers seem to be in a fix about getting away from Calcutta. All berths booked ahead for long. I hope I may be fortunate & get one in the P&O “Massilia” sailing for Colombo on 20th. Bombay being plague stricken, people shun it, & besides all boats leaving there are quarantined at homeward ports. I think the BI[11] strike is settled or thereabouts & if so, these steamers may relieve the pressure.
No photos by this mail. I will see at Calcutta about either posting them or having them developed there.
It has just struck 10 & “Tattoo”[12] is now sounding.
Willie will please to send up to Mr. Adamson[13] a large tin of pine apple on the first Saturday after receiving this for their Sunday’s dessert, with his father’s special compliments from Benârês.
Speaking of the Mahomedan holidays, hundreds we saw en route today, all clean white clothing on & each a small white scull [sic] cap, on their way to their several mosques to worship. We saw yesterday in the mosques we visited at Lucknow that preparations were being made. Now I finish for tonight. Goodnight & kiss my Comely for me, & tell him as this is a special place for sacred monkeys I expect to see a lot tomorrow.
I had almost forgot to tell you, I enquired of the hotel manager here if Cook’s “personally” conducted tour party had passed through yet. They had, a fortnight ago, & I saw the Revd. H. Miller’s name recorded. There were 13 all together. You’ll remember the letter I got from him, before he set off, from Hammersmith.
[2:50]
[1] Name heavily altered with insertions and deletions. Note inserted on facing page: “Jessie McPherson: correctly Jessie Brown, vide Ill. London News vol. 2, 1867.”
[2]At Lucknow, a garrison of 1700 British troops was besieged by 10,000 mutineers. After a siege of twelve weeks, British troops led by Gen Sir Henry Havelock forced an entrance and the town was held until relieved three weeks later by the arrival of the 93rd Highlanders led by Sir Colin Campbell. Jessie Brown, the wife of a corporal, had expected to die along with the other women. They were all weary from the long siege and Jessie was having periods of delusion. She suddenly began to shout “Dinna ye hear it? Dinna ye hear it? Ay. I’m no dreaming: it’s the slogan o’ the Highlanders!” And, sure enough, in the distance “That shrill, penetrating, ceaseless sound, which rose above all other sounds..the blast of the Scottish bagpipes.” They were playing “the well-known strain that moves every Scot to tears, ‘Should auld acquaintance be forgot.’” The inhabitants of Lucknow were saved!
[3] Gen Sir Henry Havelock (1795-1857). During the Indian Mutiny, Havelock recaptured (July, 1857) Cawnpore (Kanpur) from the rebels, but he was too late to save the British population from massacre. In Sept., 1857, he relieved Lucknow from siege, but he and his forces were then caught in the renewed siege. He died a few days after the relief of the city in November.
[4] Inserted on facing page: “Square tower. I have photo”.
[5] Asaf-ud-Daula (1748-97) was Nawab of Oudh. He moved his capital from Faizabad to Lucknow and built a large Muslim shrine known as the Bara Imambara.
[6] William’s brother-in-Law
[7] Inserted on facing page: “Lucknow”.
[8] Eurasian weed having yellow or mauve or white flowers and pod-like fruits.
[9] Eid al Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting
[10] Howrah is Calcutta’s twin city. It is situated on the right bank of Hooghly.
[11] British Indian Steam Navigation Company
[12] An early version of Taps, the call was sounded an hour before the final call of the day.
[13] Minister at West Hartlepool, Park Road Presbyterian Church.