Letters from India Volume II/To the Countess of Buckinghamshire 5

by Emily Eden

TO THE COUNTESS OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

Calcutta, May 28, 1840.

My dearest Sister,—I am rather unhappy you should have been pulled down by that horrid influenza. I hope, however, we may soon hear that you are looking younger and better than ever. I must trouble you not to alter, because I am just having you made up on a very pretty pattern. That little picture Wilson did of you for me has always been so much admired, and it strikes me as the most exact likeness I ever saw; but India disagrees with it; it has had a liver complaint, and the background all turned yellow during the rains at Simla; then the white ants chose to eat holes in it, one month that I left it at Barrackpore and that it was not attended to. Altogether my dear little picture was not the lovely girl it had been. We had often observed in our drives to Ballygange (Ballygange is our Eltham or Lewisham) a little native straw hut, a wigwamy looking thing, with a few cocoa-trees, and over the door a board with ‘Peer Bux, miniature painter,’ written on it, and George and I used to wonder what Peer Bux’s notions of miniatures could be in that little windowless hut. It was close by the bodyguard barracks, and since we came back one of the officers of the bodyguard went in and sat to Peer Bux, who made out a very good likeness of him—rather stiff, but beautifully finished—and now he has done another of Captain Hill, which, with a few suggestions of perspective, &c., is so good that I thought he might be allowed to make a copy of you on ivory; so yesterday he carried you off, and I don’t know how you feel, but you are now residing in Peer Bux’s wigwam, and he is making some slight alteration in your cap and sleeves and reducing you to three inches by two. Is it painful? If he should send you back with a deep brown complexion, black hair, and a quantity of bangles on your arms, you must excuse his native prejudices; but I shall be horribly disappointed if he does not make an excellent miniature from that picture, and I am very fond of it, sister, for your dear sake.

We have given our Queen’s birthday ball with the greatest success. The whole society met, all in their best dresses and best humour, and St. Cloud turned out a magnificent supper, and we had the singers to follow up the toasts, and altogether it pleased everybody, which is a mercy, considering it is not easy, particularly in the hot weather. Our fireworks for the wedding come off on Wednesday next, but whether they will go off is quite another thing. There is a violent storm about every other night this year, delightful to the gasping inhabitants, but not precisely the thing for either fireworks or illuminations; and, as it never gives more than half-an-hour’s notice, there is no resource. I hope it may succeed for the sake of poor Colonel Powney, who manages the concern, and who has never recovered a total failure of a great rejoicing in the time of Lord W. Bentinck, when, after four months’ preparation and an expense of 5,000l., the damp turned all his fireworks into smoke. Lord W. Bentinck’s family were smoked out of Government House, and the guests were wandering about on the plain all night, unable to find a road home. Ours is on a smaller scale, but will be very pretty if the weather is agreeable, and a great many natives have already arrived from a great distance for the show. It is the only rejoicing they like.

We have had no tidings of —— since he left.

Wednesday, 3rd

This is the eventful day of the fireworks; there has been no storm the two last evenings, which may be good or bad, but it is hardly possible to count on three fine evenings running. However, the natives say that George’s kismet, or luck, is sure to prevail, and that his star will give him good weather. They have the greatest admiration for luck, and I hope their faith may not be washed out to-night. The whole of Government House is to be illuminated, which is a novelty, and after twelve o’clock, should a storm come on, the whole thing is spoiled, as the preparations are too large to be removed.

These fêtes are very little personal trouble. We are uncommonly lucky in our present set of gentlemen.

God bless you, dearest sister!

Yours most affectionately,

E. E.

P. S.—This came in while I was writing to you, and would amuse you if you could see ‘my son,’ a very astucious looking native who supplies me with silk and ribbons. I have recommended him to other ladies, and all natives say to people they look up to ‘you are my father and mother.’ But, except a note recommending particular silks to ladies who want them, we never give recommendations, as they make frightful use of any letter from Government House.

‘Honoured Lady,—I most respectfully beg to inform your Ladyship’s honour that I want a recommendation to the new Deputy Commissary General, Major Parsons, for my subsistence in the district of Cawnpore as commissariat officer, and I hope you will excuse me all the trouble I requested your Ladyship. You are my honour’s mother; also rainy season commences; therefore I am preparing, and settling the old agents, if your honour soon give me a letter to Major Parsons, who lately arrived from Assam.

‘I remain, honoured Lady, your most humble Servant,

‘Mumoulott Puhung.’