August 1. Tuesday
The Monsoon very much belated and not of much use now, has arrived at last. Very heavy storm all last night, and cloudy to-day. Buvkins went perfectly mad from the thunder and rushed about with her kitten in her mouth trying to hide it. Susan gets nicer every day and Daisie gets stronger - she was sitting up yesterday for the first time, in the long deck chair. I hope in about a week's time they will let her walk a little. Galfrid keeps very well.August 2nd
Rain last night and to-day again quite the gentle drip, drip, drip of the monsoon as compared with the rushing, roaring thunderstorms that preceded it. Terrible domestic tragedies. A huge wild Tom cat leaped into Buvkin's basket in the middle of the night and killed her kitten - I heard a row and ran in, the big cat jumped out and I found the kitten very neatly killed with its throat bitten through. I vowed vengeance, but did not expect so good an opportunity as the beast gave me. Later in the night Daisie called out that the cat had jumped into her room through the clerestorey window. It ran into Miss Key' s room and there I shot it with my Browning. It was a very fine old Tom - I hate killing things, but glad I killed that beast as it had been a nuisance to us for a long time past.August 5th
Rattray asked me to dine at the Club and I rather looked forward to it. I would not have gone if I had known he was trying to be gay - Rattray of all people! seeking a second wife. I suppose, in this miserable way - and had asked two ladies to dinner. Instead of listening to the string band of the 9th Lancers, I had to waste my time trying to be funny - awful! There was to be a dance. but a gunner, Major Reed, died during dinner in hospital and so they had it off very rightly. The women were furious and wanted to have Gen. Young's blood. It is certainly a trait of women that have intense feelings for those very close to them, even the point of tears and hysterics, but they are quite callous as regards the world in general.August 13th
Daisie and I went to Communion and she was churched. It is a terrible bad year for India. The rains are over and we have had no rains. This past week clouds have floated over daily and sprinkled every now and then, just a few drops of rain and then passed on to disappoint more unfortunate starving cultivators. Truly India is an accursed country - rightly cursed, I suppose, for her vileness.August 17th
Went to Roman Catholic Bazaar and of course met our parson. Becker, on the way home. He was very indignant. No rain. Fearfully dry, dusty and unpleasant. I hate India more every day and every day my prospect of ever going home grows dimmer. I must continue to soldier till I am told to go, and that will not happen till I do something they don't like. Let us hope that will be soon! [pencilled note: Eventually Baku 1918]August 19th
In 4 more days I commence my 28th year of service and 1884 does not really seem at all a long time ago.I was Chairman of the Temperance Meeting of Native Christians got up by a good but feckless enthusiast, Miss Finch-White - rather a quaint evening.
August 21st
Susanna Margaret was christened this afternoon, her godfather is Captain Salusbury of the 26th Punjabis, her godmothers Mrs. Watts and Mrs. Shearer. Only Mrs. Watts of these was present, Salusbury being in Kohat and Mrs. Shearer at home in Glasgow. Miss Key also came, Capt. Watts, Miss Day. Mrs. Tighe and the 2 nurses. Baby was very quiet - but she does not thrive on any of her foods and Daisie is very anxious about her.August 24th
Baby very bad all night and no sleep for any of us - Daisie had to nurse her all the time. She has now tried ordinary cows' milk, Albulactin, Benger. Mellin. Allenbury's, and this morning has sent for Ideal Milk, Nestlés, and the Milkmaid Brand: it is probably, as much the continual change as anything else, that is upsetting the poor infant!Yesterday we had tea with the Beckers and I met Miss Dallas whom I knew here as the "Subalterns' Joy", 25 years ago, when I was a subaltern in the Royal Sussex at Topa. She is still gay and sparkling.
September 1st
Chairman again for Miss Finch-White at her Temperance Meeting. Feckless as ever. One of the native supporters was very drunk and objectionable.September 3rd
We are a wretched community. Baby is never thriving, Daisie has a bad cold and cough. I go down to Jhelum to-morrow. Daisie and I went to early service.September 7th
It is awful dropping down from the hills to this climate - really life is not worth living and I absolutely refuse to do any more hot weathers in India. In 24 hours I was covered with prickly heat - and now I walk about the house and gasp like a fish all the time. Never again, thank you - India is a very beastly country.September 16th
Selwyn, the parson, came to stay with me to take the Sunday Services. Beastly hot and sticky and prickly heat bad. Have been writing poetry to Daisie. It is absurd after 15 years of married life and at my age to feel like a callow sweetheart, but that is just what I do feel like towards my perfect wife.September 24th
Left Jhelum 12, noon, arr. Pindi 3.40, left in tonga, 4 p.m. arrived Forest Dell 10.30 found Daisie had a nice little supper for me and I enjoyed At having missed lunch and dinner. All looking very well and Daisie sweeter and prettier than ever.September 30th
Another month finished. On Thursday Daisie and I walked to Chungla Gully. Left Murree 9.10 a.m., arrived Dak Bungalow 12.45, a good 10 miles walk with a drop of 2000 feet and a climb of about 4000. Quite cold and we were glad of a fire. Stayed there all Friday and walked round our old haunts, the flowers were very pretty. To-day we walked home leaving 9.30 and arriving 12.50. Found all well, Miss Key helped Rose to look after Susanna in our absence.October 5th
Left Murree in tongas 9 a.m., arrived Pindi station 2.20 p.m., left 3.20 p.m., arrived Jhelum 6.10 p.m., hot and dusty. Glad to be home. Susanna behaved very well. She had one feed by the roadside while we stopped the tonga for a quarter of an hour. Galfrid cheerful, but covered with flea-bites. Rose gasping like a fish at the heat, though this is the cold weather. It is nice to be back in the bungalow again. I am commanding the Brigade as usual and see nothing of the regiment.The Keys were very nice to us and took a lot of trouble to send us off comfortably, and truly that Miss Key should have been fated to be Daisie's Nurse was a great blessing. They love each other in a most frantic manner and Miss Key nearly wept when Daisie left. A little envious, she would love to have children of her own.
October 11th
I still command the Brigade and see nothing of the regiment except endless interviews with the Native Officers. I had up all the Mahomedans yesterday in the garden and explained to them with a map, all about the war between Turkey and Italy - they don't seem very excited about it. Susanna is well and jolly.October 24th
I still command the Brigade, but do Regt. Battalion Drills too, as I so seldom see the regiment these days. We have 32 ladies in Jhelum. It still keeps hot for the time of year, though nights are cool, everything very dusty and dried up.I am thinking of sending both Leo and Galfrid to Cranbrook School in Kent - it seems good and cheap. Daisie keeps well, but Susan has suffered a good deal from her vaccination with fever and sleepless nights.
Becker was to have taken over the Chaplaincy on Nov. 1st., but stands fast now and I still continue as Chaplain. Our services are well attended and as I am responsible for the accounts, I am glad to say the offertories are good.
October 25th
My liver still worries me, the pain has been incessant now for a year. I want to reach the age of 55 when Leo will be 18 and my Insurance Policies will drop in, but if I were to die to-morrow I should die completely happy. People would say how sad to die at 46! But I am 92, the 14 years I have lived with Daisie have been worth a man's life time for each year. I have had as much happiness in those 14 years, thanks to my sweet wife, as 14 men have in a whole life-time, so if I had to go I could hardly complain.October 27th
Sir James Wilcocks comes next week to inspect the Brigade under my command. We have had clouds and wind for 24 hours with a good shower of rain but not enough.November 1st
The Inspection passed off very wel1 - Had a nice field Day and Sir James very amiable. He dined in Mess in the evening and said he had never had a better dinner.November 5th
Mrs. Saxton experimenting on the Organ, we have now 7 Organists of sorts. We wore warm mess kit for the first time on Nov. 1st., and go into serge for parade on Nov. 6th. Go into camp, Nov. 14th to Dec. 2nd., 11 miles the other side of the river S.E. on the Bhimber road near the Poonch border. All well in the family. Galfrid as he grows up gets very troublesome, which is not his fault, he requires more scope and needs to be at school. Finished the Musketry Course Officers. Daisie and I are both first class shots, I am 4th and she is 6th on the list, but there is only 1 point between us. I am best of 2.95's and she is best of 2.94's.November 10th
My birthday and Wedding Day yesterday. Fourteen happy years with Daisie completed. Had to give Galfrid his first proper whacking, 6 with a cane. He roared like a bull, but has a fine character - he is quite unconquerable. As soon as it was over he asked me to read him the Bab Ballads, and he never sulked or bore a grudge. To-day he had to have bread and water for lunch, and was more cheerful than ever.We go into camp on 14th, but I shall not go out till 20th.
November 17th
The regiment marched out into camp at Besa, 11 miles the other side of the river, for training on Tuesday, and I go out to them on Monday. The new padre, Becker, whom we knew in Murree, arrived yesterday.November 25th
Been in camp at Besa for a week. Galloped in to-day in a little over an hour in time for tea. Could get faster, but there are 3 big sandy nullahs where one has to walk ones horse. Then Choir Practice, then to the melancholy Club. But such a joy to see Daisie looking well and fit, and Galfrid and Susanna - truly I have much to be thankful for. I return to camp to-morrow for another week. Field firing and Battalion training.December 2nd
In finally from camp. Ripping weather out there and hard frosts at night. The General stayed a week to inspect us and things went well. about most things.[End Vol 7. Begin Vol 8]
December 10th
We left on Monday last for a week's holiday Mangla Head Works on the Upper Jhelum Canal, with the Wadleys who are stationed there.Started at 9 a.m. in 5 carriages - a fine procession. Got into a brake-van of the Canal Works train on the other side of the Jhelum Bridge at 10 a.m., and reached Mangla 27 miles, at 3 p.m., after various hindrances with a broken-down engine and a hot axle. Our party consisted of Daisie. myself, Rose, Galfrid and Susanna (who does a lot of travelling for her age) Babs, the nursery dog, and Buvkins, the cat. We only wanted a cockatoo to complete the party. At Mang1a we stayed in the palatial rest-house and returned by boat on Saturday. It took us 5 hours coming down the river, starting at 10 a.m. and arriving at 3 p.m. At Mangla we amused ourselves all day watching the little trains carrying away the earth from the huge excavations, and other engineering excitements.
The King's tour in India has, so far, gone well, but it is cloudy now and looks like rain. We are to have great Durbar festivities here. Sports to-morrow and Tuesday, a torchlight tattoo to-morrow, a big parade Thursday, with Proclamation, and fireworks in the city and a Dance at the Club.
December 12th
The Coronation festivities are over and they went off very well. We saw the city illuminations from a boat on the river and they were excellent. The King's Proclamation is quite an exciting one. The change of Capital from Calcutta to Delhi is excellent.December 21st
Our old pensioners are beginning to return from the Durbar. They cannot find words to express their admiration of everything. It really seems to have been splendid and I'm sorry we were not there.December 27th
Bob is staying Xmas with us. He is commanding a Horse Artillery Battery at Umballa, having only just arrived from South Africa. Wattie was also to have come for Xmas, but could not get away. Dr. Stein also just arrived from his two years' work at Oxford and in the British Museum, stayed 24 hours with us and was very interesting.As, in addition to our guests and the usual occupations of Xmas, we were running the Church Choir etc., and had to put in 3 services on Sunday and 2 on Xmas Day, we were very hurried and bustled.
On Tuesday we rode out to show Bob the Canal Works and to-day we are to go to Show him Rotas Fort which is an interesting old place about 9 miles off. After Xmas one certainly feels thankful it is all over.
December 29th
Bob left this morning. Our ride to Rotas and back was pleasant, but 18 miles was rather long for Daisie after not riding much for some time. But she was fit and jolly and was dancing at the Club with her brother in the evening. Bob looks well, but very peaky and dyspeptic. It is quite time he married and I'm sure he thinks so too.December 31st
So ends another happy year. Dunlop and Rome dined with us, but we did not sit up to see the New Year in as that is a ceremony that in no wise interests either of us. We did see it in accidentally, however, as Susanna decided to start howling from 11.30 to 12.30.Good-bye Old Year!