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GIFT  OF 


LADY   LOGIN'S    RECOLLECTIONS 


\ 


LADY    LOGIN 


LADY    LOGIN'S 
RECOLLECTIONS 

1          COURT  LIFE  AND  CAMP  LIFE 

1820 — 1904 


BY 

E.    DALHOUSIE    LOGIN 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS 


LONDON 
SMITH,  ELDER  &  CO.,  15  WATERLOO  PLACE 

1916 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.     EARLY  LIFE  IN  STRATHBRAAN  i 

II.     LEAVING  HOME       .          .         .         .         .  31 

III.  THE  COURT  OF  OUDE      .....  39 

IV.  NATIVE  SERVANTS  AND  CAMP  LIFE.         .         .  49 
V.     THE  LAWRENCES    ......  63 

VI.     LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR         .  72 

VII.       FUTTEHGHUR               ......  85 

VIII.     THE   MAHARAJAH'S    BAPTISM    AND   LORD    DAL- 

HOUSIE    .......  94 

IX.     THE  COURT  OF  ST.  JAMES       .          .          .          .113 

X.     THE     MUTINY  —  CORRESPONDENCE     WITH     SIR 

CHARLES  PHIPPS       .         .         .         .  135 

XI.     THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA         .         .  148 

XII.     THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA — continued  168 

XIII.  ITALY  AND  MR.  JOHN  BRIGHT          .          .          .  195 

XIV.  THE  MAHARANEE  JINDA  KOUR         .         .         .  206 
XV.     SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH          .....  225 

XVI.     THE    MAHARAJAH'S    MARRIAGE    AND    CONTRO- 
VERSY WITH  THE  INDIAN  GOVERNMENT      .  237 

XVII.     LATER  YEARS  AND  DEATH  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH 

DULEEP  SINGH          .....  256 

XVIII.     FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE          .  273 

XIX.     OLD  FELIXSTOWE  DAYS           .         .         .         .  301 

XX.     LATER  YEARS  IN  KENT           ....  323 

INDEX    .         .         .         .         .         .          .         .  341 

^50007 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

LADY  LOGIN         .         .         .  .         .         .Frontispiece 

From  a  Miniature  by  Fisher,  1850. 


FACING   PAGE 


SIR  HENRY  MONTGOMERY  LAWRENCE,  K.C.B.       .          .       64 
LORD  LAWRENCE      .......        68 

H.R.H.  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES  (H.M.  KING  EDWARD  VII.)     118 

From  a  Photograph  taken  by  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh  at 
Roebampton. 

H.H.  THE  MAHARAJAH  DULEEP  SINGH          .          .          .126 
From  a  Picture  by  Winterbalter. 

T.R.H.  PRINCE  ALFRED   AND   PRINCE  ARTHUR  (GRAND- 
DUKE    OF   SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA    AND    DuKE    OF  CoN- 

NAUGHT)  IN  INDIAN  DRESS  ....      145 

Photographed  by  H.R.H.  "The  Prince  Consort. 

THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA  OF  COORG        .          .156 
From  a  Picture  by  Winterbalter. 

SIR  JOHN  SPENCER  LOGIN          .....     226 

GROUP    OF    THE    ROYAL    FAMILY    AT    OSBORNE    (WITH 

EXCEPTION  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES)  .         .         .     288 

Taken  under  direction  of  H.R.H.  the  Prince  Consort. 


FACSIMILE   OF  AUTOGRAPH   LETTER  FROM   H.M.  QUEEN 

VICTORIA  TO  LADY  LOGIN  .          .          .  .          .      i8c 


r 


LADY     LOGIN'S 
RECOLLECTIONS 

CHAPTER  I 

EARLY    LIFE    IN    STRATHBRAAN 

ALTHOUGH  few  of  those  who  saw  her  in  her  later 
years  could  fail  to  recognise  in  her  a  strong  personality, 
a  wonderfully  clear  judgment  and  a  keen  insight  into 
character,  coupled  with  immense  force  of  will  and 
vitality,  I  doubt  if  the  majority  of  her  acquaintances 
realised  the  strangely  varied  scenes  through  which 
my  mother  had  passed  in  the  course  of  a  long  life, 
and  how  closely,  on  occasion,  she  had  been  brought 
into  contact  with  the  men  and  women  who  made  the 
history  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

She  was  not  one  to  speak  of  these  things  in  general 
society,  and  knew,  as  do  the  wives  of  most  Indian 
officials,  how  to  keep  her  own  counsel,  and  that  of  those 
who  trusted  her  with  their  confidence.  And  often  she 
was  slow  to  realise  that  what,  at  the  time,  appeared  to 
her  just  a  natural  condition  of  affairs,  could  possibly 
present  itself  to  the  mind  of  a  younger  generation  as 
entirely  incredible  and  marvellous  ! 

In  an  ordinary  way,  therefore,  she  spoke  little  of  the 
events  of  her  earlier  life,  save  when  directly  questioned 
by  those  who  knew  her  history  ;  and  possibly  few  of  her 
neighbours  in  later  years,  who  saw  her  immersed  in 


LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

her  garden,  poultry-yard,  and  live-stock,  clad  in  the 
oldest  and  shabbiest  of  garments,  tending  her  bees, 
superintending  indoor  and  outdoor  work  in  the  fashion 
learnt  from  her  thrifty  and  capable  Highland  mother, 
and  with  her  own  hands  doing  odd  jobs  of  rough  car- 
pentry, ever  dreamt  that  in  other  days  she  had  been 
equally  at  home,  and  happy,  in  the  atmosphere  of 
courts,  and  the  daily  duties  of  official  life. 

But  her  children,  and  the  children  of  the  old  friends 
and  associates,  with  whom  she  still  kept  up  intercourse 
during  forty  years  of  widowhood  and  seclusion  in  the 
country,  loved  nothing  better  than  to  catch  her  in  the 
mood,  beguile  her  into  laying  aside,  for  a  moment,  the 
daily  paper  in  which  she  was  absorbed  (for  her  training 
and  early  association  with  the  political  service  had 
made  her  an  ardent  student  of  international  politics, 
and  a  careful  reader  of  the  debates  in  Parliament), 
and  induce  her  to  tell  stories  of  the  incidents  she  had 
taken  part  in,  and  of  the  people  she  had  met.  This  she 
would  do  with  a  raciness  and  verve  peculiarly  her  own, 
and  which,  alas  !  I  can  never  attempt  to  reproduce. 

We  would  ask  her  then  to  tell  us  of  the  old  days  in 
Strathbraan,  of  the  grandfather  and  grandmother  dead 
and  buried  before  any  of  us  saw  the  light — the  former 
a  foreigner  in  his  ways  and  language,  the  latter,  a  real 
Highland  chatelaine  of  the  old  school,  skilled  in  house- 
wifery and  physic — of  her  voyages  to  and  from  India, 
during  the  first  of  which  she  managed  to  set  foot  on  four 
continents,  and  wellnigh  sighted  the  coast  of  Australia 
into  the  bargain  !  of  adventures  by  field  and  flood  in 
India  in  the  old  camping  days,  and  of  intercourse 
with  native  courts  and  zenanas,  at  a  period  when  few 
European  ladies  had  the  chance  of  seeing  the  inside  of 
the  houses  of  rajahs,  nawabs  or  zemindars. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN  3 

I  have  tried  in  these  pages  to  relate  some  of  the 
stories  she  used  to  tell,  sitting  in  the  firelight  in  the 
gloaming,  or  in  the  evenings  after  dinner — some  of  the 
reminiscences  of  a  condition  of  life  no  longer  existent 
in  Scotland,  or  in  India  either  for  that  matter,  and  a  very 
few  of  the  multitudinous  anecdotes,  of  which  she  had 
a  store  concerning  celebrities  of  the  time  that  she  had 
met  ;  for  the  major  part,  unfortunately,  have  vanished, 
leaving  no  trace  in  my  memory.  But  of  the  residue 
which  remain,  and  which  I  noted  at  the  time  or  shortly 
afterwards,  I  set  down  what  I  can. 

So  you  want  to  know  about  our  life  at  Kinloch  in 
the  old  days  (she  would  say  to  us),  and  of  how  the  time 
passed  so  far  from  congenial  society  and  from  the 
amenities  of  life  and  society  in  the  towns  ? 

I  hear  you  even  now  speak  of  So-and-so  as  "  living 
in  the  depths  of  the  country,"  but,  good  people,  I  wonder 
what  you  would  say  to  living  seven  miles  from  your 
parish  kirk,  as  we  did  until  the  chapel-of-ease  at  Amulree 
was  built  ?  And  as  for  visitors  of  one's  own  class,  or 
relatives,  it  was  once  in  a  blue  moon  they  descended 
on  us,  generally  without  warning,  and  with  a  retinue 
of  servants,  expecting  to  be  entertained  for  the 
whole  day,  when  often  there  was  no  meat  in  the 
larder,  and  no  "  flesher "  handier  than  Dunkeld  or 
Aberfeldy  ! 

Then  the  snows  we  had  in  the  winter,  when  the  roads 
were  often  blocked  for  weeks  !  I  remember  my  sister 
Lome's  marriage  in  1831,  and  how  on  the  eve  of  the 
wedding-day  the  snow  came  down  !  By  the  morning 
the  roads  were  impassable,  and  still  the  snow  fell 
sullenly  in  huge  flakes  !  All  thought  of  a  marriage  on 
that  day  was  perforce  abandoned,  for  not  a  soul  ven- 
tured to  the  "  big  house  "  in  the  deep  snow,  even  from 


4  LADY   LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

so  near  as  Deanshaugh  and  Caplea,  the  tiny  "  touns  " 
a  quarter-of-a-mile  away. 

Nevertheless,  at  midday,  a  procession  of  seven  men 
slowly  approached,  literally  hauling  through  the  drifts 
the  parish  minister  from  Little  Dunkeld,  who,  good 
man  !  no  sooner  was  deposited  on  the  doormat,  than  he 
insisted  on  performing  the  rite  on  the  day  and  hour 
named,  in  the  drawing-room,  as  was  then  the  Presby- 
terian custom,  and  saw  no  reason  for  postponement  in 
the  enforced  absence  of  the  invited  guests  !  Thus  the 
bride  and  bridegroom  remained  with  us,  snowed  up, 
for  ten  days  longer,  until,  by  dint  of  keeping  gangs 
of  men  working  in  relays,  a  passage  was  cleared  through 
the  Sma'  Glen,  and,  with  infinite  labour  and  difficulty, 
they  were  got  through  in  a  chariot-and-four  to  Perth, 
by  the  Glen  Almond  road.  A  wretched  travesty  of 
a  wedding  indeed,  with  no  piper  to  greet  the  bride  ; 
the  only  music  the  twittering  of  a  robin,  driven  in  by  the 
storm.  So  loud  did  he  sing  that  he  drowned  all  sound 
of  the  minister's  voice  ! 

We  were  a  large  family  and  I  was  the  youngest,  as 
you  know.  My  grandfather,  Charles  Campbell,  was  said 
to  have  been  "  out  in  the  '45  ;  "  anyhow,  a  brother 
of  his  was  killed  at  Culloden — described  on  the  roll  of 
the  slain  as  "  Lieut.  John  Campbell  of  Kinloch,  with 
Grantully's  men  in  Roy  Stewart's  regiment  "  * — and  he 
himself  had  fled  to  foreign  parts,  where  he  married  a 
noble  Portuguese  lady,  niece  of  the  Bishop  of  Oporto. 
There  was  a  story  that  she  eloped  with  him  from  a 
convent,  and  that  they  were  banished  to  the  Brazils. 
At  all  events,  it  was  there  all  his  children  were  born  and 
brought  up,  and  my  father — who  went  by  the  nick- 

*  See  "  Chronicles  of  the  Families  of  Atholl  and  Tullibardine,"  by  John, 
Duke  of  Atholl  (privately  printed),  Vol.  III.,  p.  297. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN  5 

name  of  "  Don  Juan  "  in  Perthshire — spoke  in  broken 
English  to  the  day  of  his  death,  and  the  style  of  his  dress 
was  decidedly  foreign. 

When  he  first  married  he  used  to  wear  his  hair  in 
powder,  with  a  queue  and  bow  of  ribbons,  but  even  my 
elder  sisters  did  not  remember  seeing  him  dressed  in 
that  fashion.  My  recollection  of  him  is  with  his  hair 
unpowdered  but  long,  falling  over  the  high  collar  of  his 
coat,  which  was  of  claret  colour,  with  large  gilt  buttons, 
and  cut  away  into  swallow-tails.  At  the  back  of  the 
neck  a  bunch  of  black  ribbons  represented  where  the 
queue  had  been,  just  as  now  seen  in  the  gentlemen's 
court  dress.  A  large  soft  muslin  neck-kerchief,  beau- 
tifully folded  about  his  neck,  took  the  place  of  the  stock 
then  worn ;  a  profusion  of  the  most  delicate  lace  fell 
as  a  frill  down  the  front  of  his  shirt,  and  as  deep  ruffles 
over  his  wrists,  while  black  knee-breeches  and  silk 
stockings,  with  silver-buckled  shoes,  completed  an 
attire  remarkable  and  antiquated  even  at  that  period, 
and  which  made  him  singular  in  any  assemblage  of  his 
fellow-men.  It  certainly  imparted  to  him  a  peculiar 
air  of  refinement  and  aristocratic  dignity,  when  viewed 
alongside  the  other  country  gentlemen  of  his  time  and 
neighbourhood.  Out  of  doors  he  wore  generally  a  loose 
Spanish  cloak  with  silver  clasps.  This  added  to  his 
foreign  appearance,  for  it  was  never  fastened  round  his 
neck,  but  even  in  the  bitterest  wind  I  have  seen  him 
stand  for  hours,  watching  the  men  at  work,  his  cloak 
apparently  slipping  off,  but  with  one  end  gathered  up 
and  flung  in  a  peculiar  fashion  over  his  left  shoulder, 
so  as  to  leave  his  right  arm  free.  His  inseparable 
companion  outside  the  house  was  a  very  tall  walking- 
stick  or  staff,  of  uncommon  wood — probably  Brazilian 
—which  he  valued  highly  as  having  belonged  to  his 


6  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

favourite  brother,  Jose.  It  was  a  yellow  cane,  flecked 
with  tiny  white  specks,  and  was  surmounted  by  a  silver 
knob  bearing  the  boar's  head  "  erect,"  the  crest  of  the 
Kinloch  Campbells.  He  was  never  seen  without  this 
stick,  and  great  was  the  lamentation  when  he  lost  it  on 
a  journey  into  Argyllshire,  whither  he  had  gone  to  vote 
on  one  occasion  for  some  election  ;  for  he  regarded  him- 
self as  a  strong  Whig  and  voted  always  for  that  party, 
though  his  real  inclination  and  family  traditions  would 
have  proclaimed  him  an  out-and-out  Tory  ! 

My  father  was  a  splendid  horseman,  and  looked  a 
perfect  picture  mounted.  He  was  an  object  of  the  fer- 
vent admiration  of  all  the  bare-legged  laddies  of  the 
countryside  when  he  rode  forth  on  his  black  stallion, 
and  to  this  day  the  tradition  remains  amongst  the  old 
people  in  Dunkeld,  how  on  market  days,  when  the  folk 
stood  about  to  watch  the  country  gentlemen  ride  in  on 
their  business,  the  cry  of  "  Kinloch  is  coming  in  !  " 
brought  the  townspeople  to  their  doors,  and  all  the 
children  running  from  their  games,  to  see  the  slight,  dark- 
haired  man,  silent  and  sad-looking,  clad  in  his  strange, 
wide-skirted  riding-coat,  with  the  foreign  cloak,  and 
Hessian  boots  adorned  with  tassels,  and  the  heavy 
Spanish  spurs.  I  can  only  remember  one  old  gentleman 
whose  dress  at  all  resembled  my  father's,  and  he  was  one 
of  the  last  to  wear  powder. 

To  the  end,  my  father  spoke  very  broken  English. 
He  was  a  silent  man,  and  seldom  addressed  any  of  us. 
But  occasionally,  when  alone  with  us  younger  ones,  he 
would  break  through  this  habit,  and  tell  us  long  stories, 
sometimes  introducing  Portuguese  phrases  and  idioms, 
so  as  to  render  his  conversation  perfectly  unintelligible  ! 
Hardly  ever  did  he  mention  the  events  of  his  early  life, 
and  made  only  the  baldest  references  to  his  brothers. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN  7 

He  did  not  appear  to  have  cared  much  for  any  of  them, 
save  Jose,  the  eldest.  Gregorio  (Gregory),  he  would 
observe,  was  said  to  have  been  lost  at  sea,  but  his 
manner  and  expression  betokened  that  he,  for  one, 
doubted  the  fact  !  Of  his  sisters  he  never  spoke,  and 
seemed  to  hate  any  mention  of  their  names.  One  had 
married  and  died  before  he  left  home,  the  other  had 
taken  the  veil.  We  stood  in  too  great  awe  of  him  ever 
to  ask  any  questions  ! 

It  frightened  us  children  to  see  how  he  would  sit  for 
hours  staring  into  the  fire,  and  muttering  to  himself 
in  a  language  we  could  not  comprehend  ;  then,  suddenly 
becoming  aware  of  our  presence,  exclaim  :  "  Ah,  missie  ! 
You  there  all  the  time  ?  What  you  do  ?  "  But  as  often 
as  not  he  would  remain  utterly  oblivious  of  us  all,  and 
then  unexpectedly  rise,  and  in  dead  silence,  put  on  his 
hat  and  leave  the  house. 

Some  of  his  ideas  were  peculiarly  foreign,  and  he  had 
certain  strange  prejudices — or  so  they  appeared  to  us 
wild  Highlanders — on  the  deportment  and  up-bringing  of 
"  young  ladies."  Accustomed  to  see  "  senhoritas  " 
always  carefully  guarded,  and  never  suffered  to  go 
abroad  without  the  protection  of  a  mother  or  duenna, 
he  was  scandalised  at  the  liberty  accorded  to  unmarried 
girls  by  Scottish  and  English  custom.  Never  could  he 
become  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  his  daughters  being 
seen  outside  the  "  policies  "  unattended  !  We  knew 
well  that  punishment  and  disgrace  awaited  us,  if  caught 
by  "  himself  "  outside  the  bounds  of  the  garden  and 
grounds,  and  when  wandering,  according  to  our  wont, 
down  by  the  river  or  over  the  bare  hillsides  at  the  back 
of  Kinloch  House,  we  caught,  in  the  distance,  a  glimpse 
of  his  unmistakable  figure,  we  would  fly  at  breakneck 
speed,  reckless  of  obstacles,  for  the  shelter  of  our  school- 


8  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

room.  Well  and  good,  if  we  got  home  without  meeting 
him  !  But  if,  alas,  he  was  near  enough  to  recognise 
us  individually,  how  have  I  quaked  in  my  shoes  at  the 
sarcastic  expression  with  which,  at  our  next  meeting, 
he  would  remark  casually  to  our  mother  or  the  general 
company  :  "  I  have  seen  to-day  some  very  strange 
creatures  ! — wild  animals,  I  suppose,  of  some  descrip- 
tion ;  for  it  is  impossible  they  were  young  ladies  I  They 
were  rushing  about  through  the  heather  and  across  the 
bogs,  tearing  up  the  hillsides  and  bounding  over  the 
rocks,  exactly  like  a  flock  of  goats.  I  wonder  what  they 
could  be  ?  " 

On  one  occasion,  I  remember,  he  caught  us  red- 
handed,  and  we  were  summarily  condemned  to  confine- 
ment in  the  old  schoolroom,  with  a  task  to  learn,  for 
the  remainder  of  the  day  It  was  a  sultry  summer's 
afternoon,  and  I  never  hear  or  read  the  story  of  Ananias 
and  Sapphira — which,  goodness  only  knows  with  what 
recondite  connection  with  our  offence,  your  Aunt  Maria, 
our  elder  sister  (named  after  our  Portuguese  grand- 
mother "  Euphrosia  Maria  Ferreira  ")  had  set  us 
younger  ones  to  learn — without  its  bringing  back  to 
my  mind  that  hot,  stuffy  little  room,  and  our  impatient 
longing  to  be  outside  on  the  breezy  braes,  or  in  the 
garden  with  the  bees,  whom  we  could  hear  from  our 
prison  humming  with  sleepy  satisfaction  in  and  out 
of  the  roses  and  hollyhocks  !  We  well  knew  the  punish- 
ment was  never  inflicted  with  our  mother's  knowledge, 
and  were  quite  aware  that,  as  far  as  she  was  concerned, 
we  had  full  licence  to  roam  the  woods,  the  moors,  or  the 
mountain-sides,  to  our  hearts'  content.  Had  she  not 
herself  been  reared  amid  the  wild  glens  and  lochs  of 
Argyllshire  ? 

There  was  another  point  on  which  our  father — who 


EARLY  LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN  9 

otherwise  seldom  noticed  us  or  interfered  with  our  up- 
bringing— asserted  his  authority,  and  that,  strange  to 
say,  was  on  the  subject  of  ear-rings  !  "  O,  that's  not  so 
strange,"  I  hear  you  remark  at  once.  "  Many  men 
regard  them  as  remnants  of  barbarism."  He,  however, 
was  more  singular  in  his  views,  according  to  our  present 
ideas ;  for  in  his  opinion  they  were  the  distinction  of 
gentle  birth,  and  for  a  senborita  to  be  without  them  was 
lowering  herself  to  the  vulgar  herd.  "  In  my  country," 
he  would  say,  "  all  young  ladies  wear  ear-rings.  You 
look  like  little  ragged  children  that  run  in  the  streets  !  " 

So  convinced  was  he  of  the  supreme  necessity  of  his 
daughters  being  indued  with  these  appendages  as 
early  as  might  be,  that  when  my  sister  Maggie  was  only 
five  years  old,  and  I  but  three,  he  rode  off  by  himself 
to  Perth,  to  the  jewellers,  and  purchased  two  pairs  of 
golden  "  guards  "  set  each  with  a  single  small  pearl. 
These,  on  his  return,  were  with  much  solemnity  pro- 
duced, and  displayed  to  our  wondering  and  admiring 
eyes  in  their  neat  cardboard  boxes.  When  we  were  told 
that  these  should  be  our  very  own,  if  only  we  would 
be  brave  and  submit  to  have  our  ears  pierced,  the  bribe 
conquered  our  fears,  and  we  consented  ! 

Naturally,  I  remember  little  of  the  incident,  but 
Maggie  used  to  tell  — and  I  believe  repeated  the  story 
to  some  of  you  a  few  years  ago — how  we  two  little  ones 
were  packed  into  a  chaise  driven  by  the  man-servant, 
under  escort  of  our  father  on  horseback — for  he  took 
sole  charge  of  the  expedition,  since  our  mother,  though 
highly  disapproving,  offered  no  opposition  to  the  pro- 
ject. When  we  arrived  in  Perth  to  undergo  the  ordeal, 
Maggie,  so  she  herself  confessed,  basely  took  advantage 
of  my  tenderer  age  and  inexperience,  and  begged  that 
Mr.  Browne,  the  jeweller,  should  devote  his  attention 


io          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

first  to  me  !  She  said  that  I  climbed  upon  the  stool  of 
execution  with  great  equanimity,  having  little  idea  of 
what  was  in  store  for  me,  but  that  the  moment  the 
instrument  touched  me,  I  screamed  in  terror,  evidently 
believing  my  last  hour  was  come !  and  that  my  sobs 
and  cries  so  worked  on  her  fears,  that  it  was  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  that  she  was  persuaded  to  take  her 
turn.  However,  the  idea  that  she  ought  to  be  brave 
enough  to  undergo  what  one  so  much  younger  had 
already  endured,  at  length  prevailed  ;  but  even  the 
privilege  of  wearing  those  lovely  jewels  seemed  scarcely 
enough  recompense  for  the  agony  that  went  before,  and 
it  was  only  when  we  returned  home  and  beheld  the 
admiration  and  envy  in  our  elder  sisters'  eyes,  and  those 
of  our  companions,  that  we  felt  rewarded  for  our  pangs, 
and  gave  ourselves  the  airs  of  Spartans,  or  Indian  braves, 
who  had  successfully  passed  through  their  rites  of 
initiation  ! 

I  well  remember  your  Aunt  Maria  describing  to  me— 
for,  of  course,  I  was  too  young  to  have  seen  it  myself — the 
formal  state  that  used  to  be  kept  up  at  the  gillies'  or 
tenants'  dances,  when  my  mother  had  not  long  been 
married.  The  barn  down  near  the  mill  (that  gave  the 
Gaelic  name  of  "  Palliveolan  "  to  the  house)  was 
sumptuously  decorated  for  the  occasion,  according  to 
the  ideas  of  the  day.  At  the  upper  end  was  raised  a 
sort  of  platform  or  dais,  on  which  the  "  Bhantigearna  " 
(Lady,  par  excellence)  sat  enthroned,  surrounded  by 
her  daughters,  to  view  the  "  revels  of  the  retainers." 
The  fiddler — alone,  outside  that  select  circle,  was  allowed 
a  seat  on  this  exalted  plane. 

Maria  often  spoke  of  one  occasion  when  she,  a  mere 
child,  had  been,  as  a  great  honour,  allowed  a  place 
beside  her  mother,  in  order  to  see  the  performance  of  a 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          n 

noted  dancer,  who  had  come  across  the  hills  from  Perth, 
to  exhibit  to  the  laird  his  skill  and  agility  in  a  dance 
named  the  "  Chantreuse  "  (Shanlrews  ? ).  A  tall,  hand- 
some young  fellow  he  was,  dressed  in  nankeen  breeches 
and  waistcoat,  and  immensely  proud  of  a  green  cloth 
coat,  adorned  with  gilt  buttons  and  a  pair  of  swallow- 
tails reaching  nearly  to  his  heels  1  The  "  Chantreuse  " 
was  an  old  dance  of  foreign  (probably  French)  extrac- 
tion, and  this  was  the  only  occasion  on  which  Maria 
remembered  to  have  seen  it  danced  in  public. 

As  soon  as  the  performer  entered  the  room  by 
a  door  at  the  further  end,  his  comical  attire  was 
sufficient  to  attract  any  child's  attention.  But  when  he 
proceeded  forthwith  to  strike  an  attitude,  with  one  arm 
thrown  aloft  above  his  head,  while,  in  time  to  the 
music,  he  solemnly  pointed  his  toes,  now  right  now  left, 
his  coat  tails  touching  the  ground  with  each  step,  it 
proved  too  much  for  her  sense  of  the  ridiculous  !  In 
vain  she  struggled  to  keep  down  her  laughter  !  in  vain 
her  mother  frowned  and  shook  her  head  at  such  unlady- 
like behaviour  !  As  she  watched  the  performer  advance 
slowly  in  this  fashion  the  whole  length  of  the  room,  with 
a  face  of  imperturbable  gravity,  and  then  suddenly 
break  into  a  succession  of  leaps  and  bounds  from  one 
foot  to  the  other,  still  advancing  and  then  retreating, 
the  ludicrousness  of  the  whole  performance  was  too 
much  for  poor  Maria,  who,  half  hysterical  from  fright 
and  amusement  combined,  burst  into  peals  of  laughter 
and  was  ignominiously  swept  off  by  the  nurses. 

Whether  our  father  had  seen  the  "  Chantreuse  " 
danced  in  his  early  days,  I  know  not  ;  or  whether  it 
merely  reminded  him  of  Brazilian  dances  familiar  in 
his  youth,  I  cannot  say  ;  but,  anyhow,  from  that  day 
forward  he  showed  the  greatest  eagerness  for  his 


12          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

daughters  to  learn  it.  His  one  question  on  their  return 
from  a  dancing-class  was  invariably  :  "  Can  you  dance 
*  chantreuse,'  missie  ?  '3  He  even  took  us  younger 
ones  to  Perth  himself  in  order  to  personally  interview 
the  dancing  master,  Mr.  Low,*  on  the  subject.  As  far 
as  I  can  recollect,  we  were,  in  fact,  taught  this  dance 
but  were  too  shame-faced  ever  to  perform  it  for  our 
father's  benefit,  though  he  repeatedly  asked  us  to  do 
so  ;  and  still  receiving  a  negative  in  reply  to  his  stereo- 
typed demand,  he  would  retort  angrily  :  "  No  ?  You 
not  dance  '  chantreuse  '  ?  You  no  good  !  "  and  take  no 
further  notice  of  us  ! 

When  your  Uncle  Colin  was  quite  a  lad  (about 
sixteen  or  seventeen  years  of  age),  and  waiting  for  a 
commission  in  the  Honourable  East  India  Company's 
service — for,  like  a  true  Campbell,  his  soul  was  set  on 
soldiering  and  the  chance  of  real  fighting — he  fell  in, 
while  in  Edinburgh,  with  some  young  men  who  advised 
him,  if  he  wanted  to  get  his  hand  in,  to  volunteer  for 
the  British  Legion  then  being  raised  by  the  adherents  of 
Queen  Christina  of  Spain,  to  fight  Don  Carlos.  Recruit- 
ing for  this  was  going  on  actively  in  Scotland,  and  any 
gentleman  who  could  raise,  or  bring  in,  fifty  men  was 
promised  a  commission  in  the  Spanish  service.  Think 
of  that  boy's  dogged  determination !  On  his  own 
responsibility  he  went  about,  through  our  own  strath, 
and  down  to  Crieff,  to  Glasgow,  and  all  about  the  coun- 
try, enlisting  and  enrolling  men  until  he  made  up  the 
number  !  A  fine  set  of  rapscallions  some  of  them  were  ; 
but  many  of  them  were  our  own  lads  from  Kinloch. 

We  all  went  over  to  Crieff  to  see  Uncle  Colin  off  by 
the  coach.  (He  was  my  own  favourite  brother,  and 
nearest  to  me  in  age.)  He  picked  up  his  men  at  different 

*  Father  of  the  Misses  Low,  dancing  mistresses  to  Queen  Victoria. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          13 

stages  on  the  route,  and  we  heard  afterwards  that  they 
had  a  fearful  time  of  it  in  Glasgow,  where  they  were  to 
embark,  and  that  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
they  got  their  men  on  board  ! 

A  report  had  spread  like  wildfire  through  the  city 
that  the  lads  were  to  be  the  victims  of  a  Popish  plot  ; 
that  they  were  being  decoyed  from  their  country  and 
homes  under  false  pretences,  only  to  undergo  the  thumb- 
screw and  the  rack  of  the  Spanish  Inquisition  !  The 
Glasgow  mob  was  aroused,  and  swore  that  they  would 
prevent  the  embarcation  by  force  ;  and  it  was  only  by 
eluding  the  vigilance  of  the  bulk  of  the  populace,  and 
by  embarking  the  recruits  in  detachments  in  the  early 
dawn,  and  from  a  secluded  wharf,  that  the  scheme  was 
eventually  carried  out,  not,  however,  without  several 
nasty  skirmishes  with  scattered  bodies  of  the  roughs. 

This,  of  course,  we  did  not  learn  till  some  time  after- 
wards ;  but  even  had  it  been  foreseen,  our  leave  taking 
at  Crieff  could  scarcely  have  been  sadder  than  it  was, 
nor  the  apprehension  greater  with  which  we  saw 
Colin  set  out  on  an  enterprise  so  fraught  with  danger 
to  a  full-grown  man,  and  doubly  hazardous  for  one 
so  young. 

Yet  even  the  forebodings  with  which  we  saw  him 
depart  fell  short  of  the  reality  of  the  hardships  he  was  to 
undergo !  Fearful  were  the  privations  and  severe  the 
fighting  that  was  his  lot  with  the  Christines  troops  ; 
but  the  worst  part  of  his  sufferings  was  yet  to  come, 
when  the  intelligence  finally  reached  him  from  home 
that  he  had  been  gazetted  to  the  3rd  Madras  Cavalry, 
and  he,  with  two  companions,  determined  to  make 
his  own  way  to  the  sea-coast,  through  a  country  then 
entirely  surrounded  by  the  Car  lists  I  This  they  did  in 
the  disguise  of  muleteers,  after  innumerable  adventures 


i4  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  hair-breadth  escapes.  When  at  length  he  got 
home,  clad  still  in  his  sheepskin  coat  and  quaint  attire, 
it  was  strange  to  watch  the  conflicting  emotions  that 
crossed  his  father's  face,  on  seeing  him  in  this  guise, 
compounded  of  a  melancholy  gratification  at  beholding 
once  more  a  garb  so  associated  with  old  memories,  and 
of  shocked  indignation  that  a  son  of  bis  should  so  degrade 
his  birth,  as  to  appear  in  his  mother's  presence  in  the 
dress  of  an  arriero  ! 

During  the  first  years  of  their  married  life  my  father 
and  mother  had  always  been  accustomed  to  spend 
the  winter  months  in  Edinburgh,  where  their  marriage 
had  taken  place  in  1804,  in  a  house  which  they  rented 
there,  as  they  only  spent  the  summer  months  at  Kinloch. 
But  long  before  my  birth,  the  increasing  number  of 
their  children  obliged  them  to  give  up  making  such 
a  wearisome  and  costly  "  flitting  "  twice  in  the  twelve- 
month. They  contented  themselves,  therefore,  by 
taking  up  their  residence  for  half  the  year  in  the  county 
town  of  Perth,  where  my  father  possessed  a  house, 
whether  by  purchase  or  inheritance  I  could  not  tell  you.* 
Thus  I  and  my  sisters  were  enabled  to  have  masters, 
and  attend  classes,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year, 
for,  as  a  rule,  we  were  only  at  Kinloch  during  the  summer 
months. 

I,  myself,  was  born  in  the  town  house,  and  as  my 
arrival  was  before  the  expected  time,  it  occasioned  no 
little  consternation  and  anxiety !  My  poor  mother  was 
at  death's  door,  and  there  was  little  welcome  for  the 
unhappy  cause  of  all  the  turmoil,  who  was  really  not 
expected  to  survive,  and  had  been  put  down  on  a  bed, 
and  left  neglected  by  the  nurse,  while  she  attended  to 
her  patient.  I  was  rescued  from  under  a  heap  of  clothes 

*  Two  previous  lairds  of  Kinloch  are  mentioned  as  residing  at  Perth. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          15 

by  my  mother's  unmarried  sister,  then  staying  on  a 
visit.  This  lady,  finding  the  child  breathed,  with  great 
promptitude  hurried  in  search  of  a  minister,  and  had 
it  christened,  in  a  hasty  and  perfunctory  manner,  by 
some  stray  pastor,  so  that  it  was  never  entered  on  any 
register,  nor  have  I  ever  been  able  to  show  a  certificate 
of  birth,  or  know  for  certain  by  what  name  I  was 
actually  baptized  !  It  was  believed  that  my  preserver 
gave  me  her  own  name — spelt  variously  "  Nellena  " 
or  "  Nielina  "  in  the  family,  the  Campbells  of  Melfort 
in  Argyllshire — but  even  of  that  there  is  no  positive 
evidence,  as  my  aunt,  who  was  the  only  witness— 
the  minister  himself  was  lost  trace  of — was  herself  in 
too  excited  and  nervous  a  condition,  to  remember  with 
any  certainty,  her  chief  concern  being  that  I  should  not 
leave  the  world  unbaptized,  and  since  my  demise  was 
momentarily  expected,  it  seemed  a  matter  of  little 
importance  under  what  name  I  made  my  exit ! 

My  father  was  absent  at  the  time,  but  he  had  been  so 
frequently  baulked  in  his  desire  to  call  one  of  his  children 
after  his  beloved  brother,  that  he  had  positively  deter- 
mined that  this  eleventh  one  must  be  a  boy  and  bear  the 
name  of  "  Jose."  Great  was  his  wrath  and  disappoint- 
ment on  his  return  to  be  presented  with  an  eighth 
daughter,  and  told  that  "  it  was  supposed  "  that  Aunt 
Nellena  had  had  the  effrontery  to  give  the  child  her 
own  name  !  It  was  long  before  he  could  get  over  his 
vexation,  and  cease  from  constant  reference  to  it,  and 
to  the  fact  that  "  Jose  "  or  "  Josephine  "  was  equally 
a  girl's  name,  and  his  wishes  might  have  been  kept  in 
mind  !  To  the  end  of  his  life  he  refused  to  call  me  by 
my  (supposed)  baptismal  name,  and  I  think  it  was  the 
unquestioning  manner  in  which  I  accepted  the  name  of 
"  Josephine  "  as  my  proper  one,  that  made  him  adopt 


16          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

me  as  his  special  favourite.  When  he  heard  the  others 
calling  me  "  Lena  "  he  invariably  turned  round  on  me 
with  the  indignant  remonstrance  :  "  You  Miss  Jose- 
phine !  You  Miss  Jose  I  "  and  it  made  him  quite 
happy  to  find  that  when  asked  my  name,  I  promptly 
replied,  without  a  shade  of  hesitation  :  "  Josephine 
Campbell." 

My  father  and  his  brothers  and  sisters  were  all 
brought  up  as  strict  Roman  Catholics.  Indeed,  our 
Uncle  Gregorio,  and,  after  his  death  or  disappearance, 
my  father  himself,  had  been  sent  to  the  granduncle, 
the  Bishop  of  Oporto,  to  be  educated  for  the  Roman 
priesthood.  This  was  done  much  against  my  father's 
will,  and  in  the  end  he  prevailed  on  our  grandfather 
(who  had  meantime  returned  from  exile,  and  made  his 
submission  to  King  George's  Government),  to  allow  him 
to  join  the  army  instead.  For  some  reason  or  other  a 
commission  was  applied  for  in  a  Highland  regiment, 
and  though  not  a  syllable  could  be  extracted  from  him 
with  reference  to  the  two  or  three  years  he  served  in 
it — years  of  purgatory  they  must  have  proved  to  the 
shy,  foreign  lad,  thrust  into  companionship  strange  and 
unsympathetic,  even  if  not  absolutely  hostile — there 
was  one  single  point  connected  with  this  period,  on 
which  he  could  always  be  "  drawn "  by  malicious 
acquaintances  and  mischievous  juniors,  a  point  on 
which  he  quickly  waxed  vehement,  if  not  eloquent — 
and  that  was  his  undisguised  aversion  to  the  Highland 
dress  !  Think  of  the  horror  of  the  youth  who  had  never 
seen  or  heard  of  the  kilt,  on  being  informed  that  it  was 
henceforth  to  form  an  article  of  his  attire  !  How  every 
sentiment  of  modesty  was  up  in  arms  at  the  outrage  ! 
And  picture  his  joy  when,  on  receiving  his  father's  per- 
mission to  throw  up  his  commission,  he  felt  that  he. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          17 

was  quit  for  ever  of  this  source  of  humiliation  !  The 
expression  of  scandalised  horror  with  which  he  always 
alluded  to  the  garment  in  question,  and  the  reluctance 
with  which  he  acknowledged  that  he  had  ever  been 
brought  to  don  it,  never  failed  to  convulse  his  hearers 
with  merriment. 

The  only  other  subject  on  which  he  sometimes 
launched  into  speech,  was  on  the  iniquities  of  the  priests, 
to  whom  he  seemed  to  have  developed  a  very  violent 
aversion  during  his  time  of  training  in  the  seminary. 
After  his  father's  death  he  and  his  elder  brother  had 
turned  Protestant,  and  he  was  regular  in  his  attendance 
at  the  parish  kirk,  though  probably  totally  unable  to 
follow  the  minister's  discourse,  given  in  the  broadest 
Perthshire. 

One  festival  of  the  Church,  however,  then  much 
neglected  by  the  Presbyterians,  he  to  the  end  observed 
as  a  day  of  rejoicing  ;  and  much  to  the  amazement  of 
his  dependents,  who  thought  such  doings  a  reprehensible 
relic  of  Popish  up-bringing,  always  had  a  gathering  ,at 
the  "  big  hoose  "  on  Christmas  Day.  He  would  go 
round  himself  to  issue  the  invitations  on  these  occa- 
sions, and  make  them  all  promise  to  be  present,  repeat- 
ing impressively  :  "  Christmas  !  Christmas  !  Remem- 
ber— do  not  forget !  The  twenty-fifth  of  December ! 
Remember  !  " 

To  him,  with  his  old  associations,  the  royal  family 
of  Portugal  stood  on  a  far  higher  plane  than  that  of 
Great  Britain.  When  he  wished  to  compliment  any  one 
of  his  daughters  on  their  appearance  or  attire,  he  would 
exclaim  :  "  Here  comes  the  Queen  of  England  !  " 
But  should  another  appear  to  merit  still  higher  approba- 
tion, the  acme  of  approval  was  denoted  by  the  epithet  : 
:c  Here  comes  the  Queen  of  Portugal !  I  " 


i8          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

My  mother  having  been  unable  to  nurse  me  herself, 
I  alone,  of  all  my  brothers  and  sisters,  was  brought  up 
by  a  foster-mother,  one  of  the  Kinloch  women.  In 
consequence,  I  in  the  family  was  the  sole  proud  possessor 
of  a  foster-sister,  my  devoted  slave  and  adherent  as 
I  grew  up.  How  I  triumphed  over  my  sisters  on  this 
account,  and  revelled  in  the  exhibition  of  my  authority 
before  their  envious  gaze  !  Thinking  over  it  now,  I 
realise  what  cruel  little  tyrants  children  often  are  in 
their  dealings  with  one  another. 

I  can  remember  how,  on  summer  evenings,  Maggie 
and  I  would  go  down  by  the  burn,  where  we  could 
watch  the  children  going  home  from  school  along  the 
Aberfeldy  road  on  the  further  side,  and  I  would  signal 
Kirstie  Crichton  to  come  across  the  stepping-stones  and 
report  herself.  Whereupon,  if  not  satisfied  with  her 
progress  at  her  tasks  that  day,  or  should  she  otherwise 
fall  under  my  displeasure,  I  would  forthwith  proceed 
to  administer  severe  chastisement  on  the  spot,  or 
admonish  her  to  be  more  careful  for  the  future  1 

So  great  was  the  veneration  in  which  the  "  young 
leddies "  were  held,  that  I  positively  believe  that 
Kirstie  enjoyed  the  importance  of  her  close  connection 
with  "  Miss  Lena,"  even  though  it  was  made  to  entail 
such  painful  consequences  !  And  I  know  that  the  sight 
of  me,  her  junior  in  age,  enacting  the  part  of  "  dominie  " 
to  another  child,  so  roused  the  jealousy  of  my  sister 
Maggie,  that  she  bribed,  with  sweeties  and  bawbees,  a 
much  bigger  girl,  known  as  Bessie  "  Homish "  (her 
father  being  Thomas  Crichton),  to  allow  her  the  same 
privilege  in  watching  over  her  morals.  Thus  it  came 
about  that  the  edifying  spectacle  might  be  frequently 
beholden,  of  the  two  youngest  daughters  of  Kinloch 
engaged  in  belabouring  their  liege  subjects  ! 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          19 

The  catering  for  the  immense  household  needed  to  be 
on  a  large  scale,  for  the  farm-servants,',  both  men  and 
women,  lived  on  the  premises,  the  men  having  their 
sleeping-quarters  over  the  stables.  Farm  and  indoor 
servants  took  their  meals  together  in  the  outer  hall, 
near  the  kitchen,  and  there  were  always  a  few  hangers- 
on  or  outsiders  to  swell  the  total.  The  providing  for 
this  company  formed  an  important  part  of  the  cook's 
daily  duty,  and  the  careful  mistress  superintended  every 
detail  to  see  that  there  was  no  waste.  The  old  style  of 
Scottish  cookery  was  founded  on  the  French,  and  had 
many  points  of  resemblance.  Huge  joints  of  meat  were 
never  seen  on  the  hall-table  save  on  high  days  and  holi- 
days, but  every  morning  the  enormous  fot-au-feu  called 
the  "  kail-pot  "  was  placed  on  the  kitchen  fire,  and  into 
it  were  thrown  meat,  vegetables,  pease,  a  handful  of 
oatmeal,  and  any  scraps  of  bread  remaining  from  the 
family  table.  If  a  sheep  or  bullock  were  slaughtered, 
the  head,  heart  and  liver,  etc.,  would  be  added  ;  not  a 
scrap  would  be  lost,  though  great  care  was  always 
taken  that  any  intestinal  portions  were  left  unbroken 
and  hanging  over  the  edge  of  the  pot,  so  as  to  be  easily 
lifted  out  when  their  goodness  was  absorbed.  We 
mischievous  children,  who  were  perpetually  in  and  out 
of  the  kitchen,  led  the  cook  an  awful  life,  by  playing 
continual  pranks  with  the  kail-pot  whenever  her  back 
was  turned.  We  would  lift  the  lid  surreptitiously 
and  drop  in  all  sorts  of  unusual  culinary  additions, 
to  the  no  small  perturbation  of  that  much-harassed 
functionary ! 

This  broth  was  the  standing  dish  of  the  servants' 
dinner.  The  meat  was  either  served  in  it  or  removed 
and  given  separately.  In  the  centre  of  the  table  stood 
a  large  flat  basket,  piled  high  with  barley  bannocks,  for 


20  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

white  bread  was  never  seen  in  those  days  in  the  servants' 
hall.  These  bannocks,  ten  inches  in  diameter,  were  the 
test  of  a  woman's  value.  If  she  was  known  to  bake 
good  bannocks  there  was  little  fear  of  her  ever  wanting 
a  husband  1  And  the  men  were  connoisseurs  on  the 
subject,  and  not  easily  satisfied. 

Sometimes,  for  a  change,  potato  or  pease-meal  flour 
would  be  mixed  with  the  barley  meal ;  and,  for  a  treat, 
oat-cakes  were  given  now  and  again.  Oatmeal  porridge 
formed  the  staple  breakfast  and  supper,  the  women- 
servants  alone  being  allowed  tea  instead. 

The  laying-in  of  winter  stores  for  the  household 
exercised  the  forethought  and  powers  of  organisation 
of  the  lady  of  the  house,  as  much  as  those  of  an  officer 
in  the  commissariat  preparing  a  garrison  for  a  siege  ! 
The  factor  had  to  be  advised  of  the  exact  number  of  fat 
beasts  to  be  purchased  at  the  Dunkeld  Martinmas  fair, 
when  the  cattle  arrived  in  droves  from  Argyllshire.  Two 
or  three  were  the  usual  number,  and  these  were  salted 
down  and  pickled,  along  with  the  mutton-hams  for 
winter  use. 

The  annual  slaughter  of  these  beasts  was  quite  a 
marked  day  in  the  calendar  of  the  year  to  the  inmates 
of  Kinloch.  Then  began  the  regular  manufacture  of 
tallow  candles,  or  "  dips,"  for  the  winter,  a  long  and 
tedious  operation.  Each  woman  had  two  tubs  in  front 
of  her,  one  empty,  the  other  partly  filled  with  hot  water, 
on  which  floated  a  thick  layer  of  liquid  tallow.  Strands 
of  hemp  or  flax,  the  length  of  the  candle  required,  were 
hung  over  a  stick,  forming  a  loop  at  the  top  of  each, 
through  which  the  stick  passed.  About  ten  strings 
were  on  each  stick.  The  woman  dipped  the  strands  into 
the  tub  of  grease,  and  set  the  stick  across  the  empty 
tub,  to  dry  the  strings  and  drain  off  the  extra  grease. 


EARLY   LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          21 

She  repeated  the  process  with  another  stick.  By  the 
time  she  had  dipped  the  strings  on  about  eight  sticks,  the 
first  were  sufficiently  hardened  to  receive  a  fresh  coating. 
Thus  the  operation  was  continued  till  the  dips  were 
thick  enough.  This  was  the  usual  Highland  practice 
in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  relations  between  landlord  and  tenant  still  par- 
took of  the  old  feudal  character.  Only  part  of  the  rent 
was  paid  in  money,  for  it  was  far  easier  to  the  farmer 
to  pay  in  kind.  Money  payments  therefore  were  very 
small  indeed,  and  the  rents  were  made  up  to  their  value 
by  certain  seigneurial  rights.  For  instance,  each  tenant 
was  bound,  according  to  the  size  of  his  holding,  to  give 
so  many  days'  labour  on  the  laird's  land  in  "  hairst  " 
or  "  hayseln  "  (hay  or  corn  harvest),  providing  a  sub- 
stitute if  unable  to  come  himself.  His  wife  or  daughter 
besides  was  expected  to  do  so  many  days'  spinning  or 
carding  for  the  "  leddy."  Moreover,  each  crofter  and 
cottar  paid  as  their  due  annually,  in  lieu  of  a  portion  of 
the  rent,  a  certain  number  of  fowls,  termed  "  Kane- 
chickens,"  which  were  the  perquisite  of  the  laird's 
wife.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that  much  depended 
on  the  latter's  disposition,  and  her  consideration  for 
the  tenants,  whether  this  tax  was  irksome  or  otherwise, 
as  it  was  left  entirely  to  herself  when  to  exact  it  !  Some 
ladies,  who  had  little  thought  and  kindliness  for  their 
poorer  neighbours,  demanded  their  rights  when  fowls 
were  scarce,  and  commanded  a  higher  price  in  the 
market,  but  those  who,  like  my  mother,  acted  fairly  by 
all,  and  whose  sympathy  sprang  from  knowledge  of  their 
difficulties,  asked  only  for  the  tale  of  "  Kane-chickens  " 
when  they  could  best  be  spared.  The  duty  of  warning 
the  tenants  when  the  tribute  was  to  be  exacted,  was  the 
office  of  a  special  functionary — in  our  case,  old  Peter 


22  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Anderson  ;  and  occasionally  when,  on  an  emergency, 
he  was  bidden  to  collect  and  bring  them  in  himself, 
I  can  remember  seeing  him  returning  in  triumph,  like 
an  Indian  brave  decorated  with  the  scalps  of  his  enemies, 
hung  round  the  middle  with  the  bodies  of  the  dead 
ducks  and  fowls,  their  heads  passed  through  his  waist- 
belt  !  The  great  point  was  that  these  seigneurial  rights 
were  regarded  as  no  hardship  by  the  tenants,  to  whom 
it  was  infinitely  easier  to  pay  their  rents  in  this  manner 
than  in  the  form  of  hard  cash,  which  would  have  entailed 
the  cartage  of  their  produce  over  execrable  roads,  to 
Dunkeld,  Creiff  or  Aberfeldy. 

One  important  duty  of  the  "  Bhantigearna  "  *  (lady) 
was  the  supervision  of  the  "  spinning-women,"  who 
came  in  their  turn  to  render  their  tale  of  work,  and 
assembled  each  morning  at  the  "  bothy,"  a  building 
attached  to  every  large  Scottish  manor  or  homestead, 
where  the  farm-servants  were  lodged  and  usually  fed. 
At  Kinloch  this  consisted  chiefly  of  a  large  room, 
barely  furnished,  with  the  spinning-wheels  standing 
in  rows  the  whole  length  of  it,  the  "  lady's  "  chair  and 
wheel  in  the  post  of  honour  at  its  head. 

How  the  picture  comes  back  to  me  of  that  long,  low 
room,  filled  with  the  musical  hum  of  fifteen  or  sixteen 
wheels  all  going  at  once,  and  the  cheerful  sound  of  voices 
lowered  to  a  discreet  murmur  ;  for  was  not  the  lady  there 
herself,  spinning  busily,  and  setting  an  example  of 
industry  to  all,  while  ever  keeping  a  watchful  eye  upon 
the  work  and  behaviour  of  the  others  ?  Ever  and  anon 
she  would  leave  her  place,  and  pass  down  the  line  of 
spinning  wheels,  stopping  at  each  to  examine  the  thread, 
to  test  its  fineness  and  evenness,  and  to  see  that  there 
were  no  knots  or  faults.  She  herself  was  a  noted 

*  Pronounced  "  Vynegerna." 


EARLY  LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          23 

spinster  ;  none  other  could  produce  from  the  "  spool "  a 
thread  as  fine  as  gossamer,  yet  smooth  and  even  as 
a  silkworm's  web. 

The  fleeces  of  the  Highland  sheep  that  pastured  on  the 
Kinloch  moors  and  hills,  were  spun  into  wool  yarn, 
and  sent  to  the  Trochrie  weaver,  and  to  Aberfeldy,  to 
be  woven  into  plaids  and  homespuns  ;  but  the  staple 
yarn  was  the  flax,  grown  in  large  fields,  a  lovely  crop  in 
flower,  covering  the  hillside  above  the  house  with  its 
rich,  bright  blue,  like  a  wide  patch  of  summer  sky  held 
captive  between  the  shoulders  of  Meall  Mhor.  This 
flax  crop  was  an  important  item  in  the  revenues  of  the 
Kinloch  estate.  When  ready,  it  was  cut  in  bundles, 
and  after  the  seed  had  been  shaken  out,  it  was  taken 
down  to  the  Cochill  burn  below  the  house,  and  left  to 
steep  in  the  shallow  pools  by  the  mill,  that  seigneurial 
water-mill  which  gives  the  name  of  Pall-i-veoollan, 
or  "  Milltown,"  to  the  house  itself,  "  Bhantigearna 
Pall-i-veoollan  "  being  the  full  Gaelic  title  of  the  laird's 
lady. 

When  sufficiently  rotted  by  the  action  of  the  water, 
the  flax  was  removed,  and  beaten  with  heavy  clubs, 
to  separate  the  fibre.  Then  the  carding  and  the  winding 
on  the  spools  began,  ready  for  the  winter  spinning. 

As  the  shades  of  evening  fell,  and  the  work  of  the  farm 
perforce  ceased,  the  spinning-room  at  the  bcthy  had  an 
irresistible  attraction  for  the  "  lads,"  whether  "  hinds  " 
or  "  herds  "  ;  and  they  would  gather  bashfully  in  groups 
about  the  door,  watching  the  women  industriously  ply 
their  wheels  in  the  gloaming.  The  long,  low  room  was 
lighted  only  by  the  firelight,  whose  ruddy  glow  as  it 
flickered  and  fell  on  the  spinsters'  figures,  and  was 
caught  and  reflected  by  the  whirling  wheels  and 
rockers,  formed  a  scene  marvellously  picturesque  and 


24          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

harmonious.  A  favoured  few  of  the  lads,  as  a  very 
special  privilege,  were  permitted  by  the  "  lady "  to 
enter,  and  take  a  seat  at  the  further  end  of  the  room, 
where  a  lad  might  have  a  quiet  "  crack  "  with  the  lassie 
of  his  choice,  screened  by  the  shadows  cast  on  floor,  walls 
and  ceiling,  by  the  movement  of  the  spinsters'  hands 
and  feet  working  in  concert — the  one  on  the  treadle, 
the  other  with  a  constant  back-and-forward  motion  that 
twisted  the  thread  betwixt  finger  and  thumb.  But  all 
must  be  conducted  with  bated  breath  and  the  utmost 
decorum,  for  was  not  the  eye  of  the  "  leddy  "herself  ever 
upon  them,  or  that  of  her  confidential  maid,  a  very 
rigid  exactor  of  the  strictest  propriety  ? 

Strangely  enough  a  day  came — was  it  to  foster  the 
new  linen  trade  of  Ulster  ? — when  the  home  manufac- 
ture   of   linen    web    was    strictly    prohibited    by   law ! 
Then   the  fields  of  flowering  flax,  which  had  been  a 
feature  of  the  hillside  of  Meall  Mhor,  behind  Kinloch 
Lodge,  were  grown  in  sheltered  spots  screened  from  the 
view  of  passing  excisemen.     And  when  the  "  leddy  " 
spread  her  woven  clothes  to  bleach  in  the  full  sun,  the 
bairns  of  the  countryside  would  be  set  on  watch  and 
guard,  and  whenever  a  signal,  waved  from  Cablea,  the 
hill  facing  the  house  across  the  Cochill  burn,  warned 
the  household  that  scouts  had  sighted  the  "  gaugers  " 
on  the  Aberfeldy  road,  instantly  the  bleaching  greens 
were  black  with  human  ants,  every  man,  woman  and 
child  from  the  four  "  touns  "  (or  hamlets)  of  Cablea, 
Innercochill,  Milltown  and  Deanshaugh,  turned  out  to 
lend  a  hand,  for  fear  the  minions  of  the  law  should 
catch    their    beloved   "  Bhantigearna "    in   the   act    of 
defying  them!     Though  well  they  knew  she  still  span 
and  wove  her  linen  sheets  and  napery,  oft  though  they 
came  by  stealth,  having  word  of  the  bleaching,  never 


EARLY  LIFE   IN    STRATHBRAAN          25 

a  pocket-handkerchief  did  they  sight  in  the  policies, 
though  the  greens  and  braes  but  a  half-hour  syne  had 
been  white  as  if  covered  with  a  snowdrift ! 

From  going  in  and  out  so  much  amongst  our  own 
people,  we  were  closely  associated  with  their  daily 
lives,  and  the  feudal  feeling  was  strong  between  "  the 
family  "  and  those  of  the  tenants  who  had  held  their 
lands  for  generations.  Whenever  any  one  among  them 
died,  word  was  at  once  sent  to  the  "  hoose,"  and  some 
member  of  the  family  was  expected  to  come  as  soon  as 
possible,  as  a  token  of  respect.  If  any  of  us  children  were 
seen  passing,  we  would  be  sure  to  be  called  to  come  in 
and  "  view  the  body,"  and  terrified  as  we  might  be  at 
the  notion,  we  knew  it  would  be  the  occasion  of  dire 
offence  if  we  ever  omitted  this  duty.  Apart  from  the 
idea  that  it  showed  respect  to  the  dead,  and  sympathy 
with  the  relatives,  it  was  judged  a  sure  precursor  of 
ill-luck  to  ourselves  if  we  failed  to  do  so,  and  many  a 
time  have  I,  a  wee  bit  bairnie,  been  dragged  into  the 
chamber  of  death  by  an  officious  servant-maid  or 
cottar's  wife,  and,  terrified  out  of  my  wits  by  the  sight 
of  the  still,  stiff  form,  been  compelled  by  actual  force  to 
touch  it  with  my  trembling  finger,  to  ensure  that  it 
should  not  "  walk,"  and  haunt  me  all  my  life  after  ! 

The  sister  next  above  me  was  credited  with  second 
sight,  as  seventh  daughter  of  a  seventh  daughter  ;  but 
I  myself,  having  been  born  with  a  "  caul  "  (or  "  happy 
how  "),  was  held  in  special  veneration,  as  endowed  by 
Heaven  with  the  power  of  passing  on  to  others  the  gift 
of  good  luck  imparted  to  me  at  my  birth  !  They  be- 
lieved that  my  touch  had  healing  powers,  and  that  any 
prayer  or  charm  uttered  by  my  mouth  was  more 
effectual,  and  received  with  greater  favour  on  high, 
than  that  of  an  ordinary,  ungifted  mortal.  Specially 


26          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

was  this  the  case  with  any  "  beast "  bewitched  by 
malice,  or  "  overlooked  ':i  by  the  evil  eye  ;  for  our 
Strathbraan  folk  were  true  Celts  in  their  superstitions, 
and  firm  believers  in  kelpies,  brownies,  and  the  "  guid- 
people." 

So,  whenever  any  of  their  cattle  were  stricken  with 
a  disease  they  could  not  account  for,  I  would  be  sent 
for.  Many  a  time,  when  the  summons  was  urgent, 
have  I  been  roused  out  of  my  sleep  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  (unknown,  needless  to  say,  to  my  mother  and 
the  governess  !),  dressed  hurriedly  by  the  servants,  and 
carried,  rolled  in  a  plaid,  on  a  man's  shoulder,  over  the 
hill  to  some  farm  or  other,  where,  in  the  byre,  still 
dazed  with  sleep,  and  bewildered  by  the  lanterns 
flickering  against  the  darkness,  I  would  be  made  to 
stand  in  the  stall  by  the  side  of  a  sick  cow  or  calf,  and 
holding  the  creature  by  the  ear,  repeat  a  Gaelic  charm, 
of  whose  meaning  I  had  not  the  faintest  conception  ! 
Again,  I  would  be  in  request  by  those  starting  on  a 
journey,  or  projecting  some  new  venture  in  business, 
in  order  that  I  might  pronounce  over  them  some  magic 
formula  or  incantation,  prompted  by  one  of  the  by- 
standers, which,  uttered  by  me,  would  assuredly  bring 
success  to  the  undertaking  ! 

My  father's  shyness  and  taciturnity  made  him  go 
very  little  into  society,  and  as  my  mother  was  much 
engaged  looking  after  the  household,  and  managing 
the  estate,  we  girls  would  have  seen  little  outside  our 
own  strath,  were  it  not  that  the  old  Marquess  and 
Marchioness  of  Breadalbane  were  fond  of  having 
young  people  in  the  house,  and  as  the  Kinloch  and 
Breadalbane  properties  "  marched,"  and  the  families 
were  connected,  the  "  Kinloch  girls  "  would  be  sent 
for  when  there  was  a  large  house-party  to  entertain. 


EARLY  LIFE   IN   STRATHBRAAN          27 

Thus  we  met  many  noted  strangers  from  the  south  and 
elsewhere,  as  well  as  the  Tayside  gentry.  The  ways  of 
Scottish  society  were  still  much  as  described  by  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  and  as  it  was  not  yet  considered  a  disgrace 
for  a  gentleman  to  be  seen  intoxicated,  the  sole  dis- 
tinction observable  between  certain  old  topers  was 
that,  while  some  of  them  were  frequently  tipsy  after 
dinner,  one  or  two  were  never  seen  quite  sober  !  There 
were  many  honourable  exceptions  to  this  low  code  of 
manners  in  Highland  society,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  English 
guests  were  pleasanter  associates  for  girls  in  their  teens, 
though  often  ridiculed  for  their  simplicity  and  refined 
habits  by  their  Highland  acquaintances. 

The  old  Duchess  of  St.  Albans,  who  had  been  the 
widow  of  Mr.  Coutts  the  banker,  when  the  Duke,  much 
her  junior  in  age,  married  her,  was  one  of  the  habitual 
visitors  at  Taymouth.  My  first  view  of  her,  however, 
was  at  the  Crieff  Hotel,  on  her  way  through  to  Kenmore. 
It  was  on  the  occasion  when  we  saw  my  brother  Colin  off 
on  his  adventurous  campaign  with  the  Christines.  After 
the  coach  in  which  he  travelled  had  left  for  Glasgow, 
and  while  we  were  waiting  to  return  home,  the  Duchess 
and  her  retinue  arrived  in  eight  carriages  ;  for  though 
by  birth  of  no  family,  she  had  a  most  exalted  idea  of  her 
own  importance,  and  when  paying  a  series  of  short  visits 
to  country  houses,  was  so  convinced  of  the  savage  con- 
dition of  the  Highlands,  that  she  travelled  always  with 
her  own  chef  and.  patissier,  who  alone  were  permitted  to 
cook  her  meals  at  the  inns  she  stopped  at  on  the  road. 

I  shall  not  easily  forget  the  sight  of  the  disgorging 
of  the  Duchess's  own  chariot  when  it  pulled  up  at  the 
inn  door.  First  emerged  her  Grace  herself,  an  enor- 
mously fat  woman  ;  then  followed  her  three  nieces, 
daughters  of  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  whereof  the  youngest 


28          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  best-looking,  became  inheritress  of  her  wealth, 
and  Baroness  Burdett-Coutts.  These  young  ladies, 
evidently  in  mortal  terror  of  their  awful  relative — not 
without  reason  ! — followed  the  Duchess  in  single  file, 
dutifully  carrying  each  some  article  necessary  to  her 
Grace's  comfort,  reticule,  cushion,  wraps,  books,  foot- 
stool, and  bag  of  toilet  requisites,  the  Duchess's 
favourite  lapdog,  and  her  pet  parrot  in  its  cage  ! 
After  them  came  her  Grace's  private  physician,  who 
travelled  always  in  the  same  carriage  as  herself  so  as  to 
be  on  the  spot  ;  while  the  Duke  preferred  the  coachbox 
to  the  company  inside — and  no  wonder  ! 

All  the  time,  the  Duchess's  tongue  was  heard  going, 
scolding,  complaining,  abusing  everybody,  from  her 
husband  downwards,  in  unmeasured  terms.  The  unfor- 
tunate nieces  came  in  for  no  small  share  of  her  harangue, 
and  earned  painfully  any  share  of  her  fortune  she  may 
have  left  them  in  her  will,  for  she  swore  at  them  unceas- 
ingly, like  a  trooper,  or  a  Billingsgate  fishwife  ! 

What  a  bustle  and  confusion  the  whole  place  was 
thrown  into  !  Nothing  in  the  inn  was  good  enough 
for  the  Duchess  ;  she  must  have  her  own  footman  lay 
the  table,  with  her  own  glass,  silver  and  riapery  ;  her 
own  cooks  produce  a  dinner  ;  her  own  confectioner 
make  the  pies  and  pastry.  Her  appetite  for  dainties 
was  enormous,  and  after  her  departure — for  she  halted 
only  for  the  midday  meal — the  innkeeper's  daughters 
brought  us  children  in  the  remains  of  the  pies,  that  we 
might  taste  the  richness  of  the  crust  made  by  the 
Duchess's  baker. 

The  Duke  appeared  a  very  mild,  quiet  little  man, 
completely  lorded  over  and  swamped  by  the  personality 
of  his  overwhelming  spouse. 

The  old  Marchioness  of  Breadalbane  dearly  loved  to 


EARLY  LIFE   IN    STRATHBRAAN          29 

tell  a  good  story,  and  was  not  averse  to  doing  so  occa- 
sionally at  the  expense  of  her  English  guests. 

She  and  the  Marquess  had  a  large  party  of  sports- 
men once  staying  at  Taymouth  Castle  for  the  opening 
of  the  stag  season,  mostly  gentlemen  from  the  south, 
desperately  anxious  to  acquit  themselves  creditably 
in  what  was  then  a  more  unusual  form  of  sport,  and 
extremely  desirous  that  nothing  in  their  attire  or 
appearance,  should  betray  the  fact  that  they  were  tyros 
in  deer-stalking. 

The  Scotsmen  of  the  party,  naturally,  wore  the  High- 
land dress,  both  for  the  hills  and  (in  full  paraphernalia) 
in  the  evening,  and  the  effect  of  its  enhancement  of  a  fine 
masculine  figure  had  the  usual  consequence,  in  exciting 
the  jealous  admiration  of  their  English  associates,  who 
were  not  to  be  deterred  from  attempts  to  follow  their 
example.  The  results,  in  spite  of  the  Highland  dictates 
of  courtesy,  were  the  cause  of  considerable  amusement 
and  sarcastic  comment,  amongst  themselves,  to  the 
native-born  mountaineers,  especially  the  gillies.  In 
the  smoking-room,  too,  a  tender  solicitude  had  been 
manifested  for  the  pain  and  injury  caused  to  their  deli- 
cate white  skins  by  the  rude  abrasion  of  granite  rocks, 
and  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun  in  the  corries  !  The 
taunts  and  raillery,  it  would  seem,  had  hit  the  victims 
on  the  raw.  For  in  the  very  early  morning,  when  the 
first  glimmer  of  the  "  false  "  dawn  was  scarcely  showing 
in  the  east,  Lady  Breadalbane  was  roused  by  strange, 
stealthy  sounds  on  the  sweep  of  the  drive  at  the  entrance- 
door  of  the  Castle,  which,  as  is  the  case  in  all  Highland 
residences,  was  laid  with  a  surface  of  about  four  to 
six  inches  of  large,  round,  loose  shingle,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  remove  all  traces  of  mud  off  the  boots  of  the 
sportsmen  ere  they  enter  the  premises. 


30          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Thinking  that  the  hour  must  be  later  than  she 
imagined,  and  the  darkness  boded  a  wet  day  for  the 
hills,  the  Marchioness  drew  back  the  curtain,  and  peered 
forth.  An  inky  blackness  met  her  eyes,  with  a  faint 
white  light  breaking  on  the  horizon  where  perhaps  in 
an  hour's  time  the  sun  might  show  his  face.  And  still 
those  mysterious,  creepy  sounds  went  on  in  the  gloom 
below  I  Alarmed,  she  listened  for  a  few  moments  ;  then, 
as  her  eyes  grew  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  she  made 
out  strange  shadows  crawling  to  and  fro  on  the  white 
surface  of  the  stones.  Gradually  they  took  form  as  the 
light  strengthened,  and  just  as  she  felt  quite  positive 
that  the  prize  herd  of  black  cattle  must  have  got  loose 
from  its  paddock,  were  now  engaged  in  routing  the 
gravel  and  the  turf  with  muzzle  and  hooves,  and  would 
presently  attack  her  cherished  shrubs  and  gardens, 
and  had  laid  her  hand  on  the  bell  to  give  the  alarm, 
one  of  the  "  beasts  "  reared  itself  on  its  hind  legs,  stood 
erect,  and  marched  in  at  the  front  door  !  In  the  second 
"  quadruped  "  that  followed  suit  she  recognised  a 
human  form  ;  the  third  revealed  himself  as  the  Duke 

of  L in  an  extraordinary  garment,  and  one  by  one 

she  identified  her  English  guests  as  they  raised  them- 
selves from  their  hands  and  knees,  on  which  they  had 
been  grovelling  for  the  last  half-hour  amongst  the 
stones,  and  filed  slowly  back  into  the  house  before  her 
amazed  vision,  in  every  variety  of  deshabille,  but  with 
the  air  of  men  who  had  shown  their  contempt  of  per- 
sonal agony  and  discomfort,  and  could  now  exhibit  with 
triumph  their  scars  in  the  field  of  slaughter  !  Who  can 
deny  to  such  a  race  the  virtue  of  stoicism  and  the  proof 
of  pure  breeding  ? 


CHAPTER  II 

LEAVING    HOME 

I  HAVE  little  doubt  that  it  was  to  the  possession  of 
that  "  happy  how  "  that  our  Strathbraan  folk  attri- 
buted the  fact  that  I  was  preserved  from  a  watery 
grave  on  my  first  voyage  to  India  !  Even  for  those  days 
of  sea-risks  it  was  an  exceptionally  long  and  dangerous 
one. 

My  father  and  mother  were  both  dead,  and  my  eldest 
brother,  the  laird,  afterwards  General  Charles  Campbell, 
invited  me,  and  my  next  sister  Maggie,  to  come  out  to 
him,  in  the  North- West  Provinces,  where  he  was 
stationed.  We  were  under  the  escort  of  a  married 
sister,  going  out  to  rejoin  her  husband,  who  was  herself 
young,  very  handsome  and  amiable,  and  not  much 
accustomed  to  making  all  the  arrangements  for  a  sea- 
voyage.  She  was  therefore  easily  persuaded  to  engage 
cabins  in  a  freshly  painted  and  decorated  ship,  sailing 
for  Calcutta — of  course  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope- 
commanded  by  a  most  delightful  and  courteous  captain, 
quite  a  gentleman,  and  with  most  charming  manners, 
and  a  bachelor  to  boot  !  His  officers  appeared  equally 
affable,  and  anxious  to  oblige.  The  vessel  was  large 
and  spacious,  and  so  little  crowded  with  passengers 
that  the  accommodation  was  palatial  for  those  days. 
In  fact  so  resolved  was  the  skipper  to  be  agreeable  to 
his  lady-passengers,  that  he  even  placed  himself  at 
our  disposal,  to  assist  us  in  making  the  necessary  pur- 
chases of  outfit  for  the  voyage  ! 


32          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

We  left  the  Thames,  therefore,  with  the  happiest 
anticipations,  hoping  that  the  time  at  sea  might  prove 
as  free  from  discomfort  as  it  was  reasonable  to  expect, 
considering  the  stormy  oceans  to  be  traversed.  But, 
alas  !  scarcely  had  the  Start  Light  faded  from  our  view, 
when  a  curious  clanking  noise  began,  which  we,  in  our 
ignorance,  did  not  recognise,  but  which  sounded 
ominous  in  the  ears  of  the  few  passengers  on  board 
more  experienced  in  the  ways  of  ships.  From  that 
moment  forward  the  dread  sound  was  hardly  ever 
stilled,  but  as  we  entered  the  Bay  of  Biscay  the  full  force 
of  an  Atlantic  gale  met  us,  and  I  and  my  sisters  knew 
and  cared  little  for  what  was  happening  !  , 

Our  voyage  was  a  series  of  disasters.  No  sooner  had 
we  weathered  one  gale  than  another  overwhelmed  us,  and 
for  many  days  we  were  driven  before  a  hurricane  out  of 
our  course,  caught  by  the  great  Equatorial  current,  and 
many  times  within  an  ace  of  foundering,  till  suddenly, 
after  days  and  weeks  under  close  hatches,  we  found  the 
ship  erect,  sailing  through  calm  waters,  and  woke  one 
morning  to  be  told  that  the  fair  scene  we  saw  before  us 
was  the  harbour  and  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  storm 
having  carried  us  to  the  opposite  coast  of  the  Atlantic  ! 
Thus,  for  the  first  and  only  time  of  my  life,  I  saw  the 
continent  of  America  ! 

We  remained  only  a  day  or  two  at  Rio,  and  lay 
in  the  outer  harbour  with  little  communication  with 
the  shore,  while  repairs  of  the  damage  done  by  the 
gale,  including  an  immense  amount  of  carpentry 
and  caulking,  were  carried  on  in  the  hold  of  the  ship, 
in  a  sort  of  feverish  haste. 

^  We  left  as  unexpectedly  and  hurriedly  as  we  came, 
and  it  was  only  after  the  coast  of  America  had  faded 
into  the  blue  distance,  that  Captain  -  — ,  first  swearing 


LEAVING   HOME  33 

us  to  secrecy  (with  an  oath  so  solemn  and  terrible,  that 
we  two  girls,  aged  respectively  twenty-two  and  twenty- 
four,  shook  with  terror  as  we  repeated  it  after  him !), 
confided  to  Maggie  and  me  a  fact  known  only  to  him- 
self, the  first  officer  and  the  carpenter,  viz.,  that  the  ship 
had  been  leaking  ever  since  we  left  the  Channel,  and 
that  in  the  hurricane  she  had  received  such  injury  that 
there  was  now  a  great  hole  in  her  bottom  !  This  had 
been  patched  after  a  fashion  as  we  lay  at  Rio,  and  it 
was  hoped  that,  with  fair  weather,  and  the  pumps 
going,  we  might  reach  Cape  Town  in  safety,  where  it 
would  be  possible  to  effect  more  thorough  repairs  ! 
Not  a  word  of  this  dire  state  of  things  were  we  to  dare 
to  breathe  to  a  living  soul,  least  of  all  to  our  elder 
sister  !  under  pain  of  eternal  perdition  ! 

As  it  came  out  later,  he  was  sole  owner  of  the  vessel, 
a  notoriously  unseaworthy  craft,  which  he  had  purchased 
as  a  speculation,  for  a  low  sum,  and  had  repainted, 
done  up,  and  advertised  for  this  one  voyage,  risking 
his  own  life  and  that  of  all  who  sailed  in  her,  like  the 
gambler  he  was,  for  the  chance  of  making  his  fortune 
at  one  bold  stroke  ! 

You  can  imagine  the  feelings  of  relief  with  which 
Maggie  and  I,  and,  indeed,  all  on  board,  hailed  the  sight 
of  Table  Mountain  ;  but  again,  to  our  disappointment, 
the  ship  did  not  enter  the  port,  but  lay  outside  in  the 
offing  ! 

Actually,  she  lay  in  the  Bay  for  nearly  a  fortnight, 
during  which  time  she  was  in  the  hands  of  shipwrights, 
tinkering  her  up  as  best  they  could  without  putting  her 
in  dock,  for  the  continuance  of  the  voyage.  Meanwhile, 
confiding  in  our  sympathy,  and  exacting  fresh  pledges 
of  secrecy  from  us  two  younger  ones,  the  Captain 
positively  engaged  rooms  at  his  expense,  for  us  three 


34          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

sisters,  at  the  best  hotel,  where  we  were  entertained 
royally,  much  to  the  gratified  surprise  of  our  chaperone  ; 
and  we  spent  the  time  visiting  the  places  of  interest, 
and  the  country  round,  in  a  coach-and-four,  which  the 
gallant  mariner  hired  for  our  delectation,  and  drove 
himself  !  Not  many  birds  of  passage  to  India  by  the 
Cape  route  in  those  days  saw  so  much  of  Cape  Colony, 
and  in  such  agreeable  fashion  ! 

Our  sojourn  came  hurriedly  to  an  end,  however ; 
for,  as  it  turned  out,  the  authorities'  suspicions  were 
aroused  by  certain  rumours  flying  about,  as  to  the 
unseaworthiness  of  the  ship  lying  without  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  port,  and  the  Captain  found  it  necessary  to 
sail  unexpectedly,  leaving  behind  some  of  the  cargo  and 
passengers  he  had  anticipated,  and  cutting  short  the 
work  of  repair  to  the  ship.  Of  course  Maggie  and  I 
believed  implicitly  his  assertion  that  all  was  now  right, 
and  the  vessel  as  sound  as  when  she  first  took  the  water. 
But  we  soon  had  a  rude  awakening,  and  it  was  not  very 
long  before  all  on  board  became  aware  of  the  actual 
state  of  affairs. 

No  sooner  had  we  weathered  the  Cape  than  the 
trouble  began.  Doubtless  the  Antarctic  rollers  began 
the  mischief,  and  then  gale  after  gale  caught  us,  the  leak 
started  afresh,  and  the  water  gained  so  fast  that  all 
hands  were  at  the  pumps  in  relays,  day  and  night.  Off 
Mauritius  we  were  caught  in  a  hurricane  and  all  but 
foundered,  and  as  we  slowly  made  our  way  northward 
we  were  struck  by  the  monsoon.  The  Lascar  crew, 
overworked,  overdriven,  miserable  and  terror-stricken, 
were  several  times  in  open  mutiny,  and  with  all  his 
criminal  recklessness,  one  could  not  but  admire  the  mag- 
nificent nerve  and  seamanship  of  our  skipper.  That 
alone,  under  a  merciful  Providence,  brought  us  at 


LEAVING   HOME  35 

length  through  that  terrible  voyage  of  over  five  months' 
constant  peril,  when,  to  the  amazement  and  joy  of  our 
friends,  who  had  long  given  us  up  for  lost,  and  the 
relief  of  the  underwriters  at  Lloyd's,  where  the  ship 
had  been  "posted"  for  weeks,  we  were  signalled  off 
the  Sunderbunds,  and  came  at  length  up  the  Hooghli  ! 
There  the  vessel  was  seized  and  condemned  by  the 
authorities — as  she  would  have  been  at  once  had  she 
entered  the  port  at  Cape  Town — the  Captain  and 
officers  were  arrested,  and  for  a  long  time  she  was  an 
object  of  curiosity  in  the  dock  where  she  lay,  crowds 
visiting  her  to  inspect  the  great  hole  in  her  bottom, 
and  marvel  that  she  had  ever  been  brought  so  far  ! 

Mingled  with  all  the  terror  and  tragedy  of  that 
voyage,  one  ludicrous  episode  comes  back  to  me  some- 
times. Oddly  enough,  it  is  in  church  that  it  recurs  to 
me,  for  it  is  associated  with  a  once  very  popular  hymn- 
tune,  to  which,  to  this  day,  I  have  a  violent  antipathy. 

It  was  somewhere  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  between  the 
Cape  and  the  Bay  of  Bengal — I  have  forgotten  the  date 
and  the  exact  latitude — when  the  weather  had  slightly 
moderated,  that  the  Captain,  whose  temper  and  nerves 
were  in  a  highly-strung  condition,  accused  the  second- 
officer  of  leaning  over  the  poop-rail,  to  peep  in  at  the 
ladies'  cabins !  The  latter  protested  his  innocence, 
and  we  all  declared  our  disbelief  in  his  ever  having  done 
such  a  thing.  We  liked  the  young  man,  who  was  very 
quiet  and  civil ;  and  really  much  preferred  his  society 
to  that  of  the  Captain.  But,  curiously  enough,  the  more 
we  took  his  part,  and  assured  the  Captain  that  we  felt 
positive  the  accused  had  never  dreamt  of  behaviour  of 
the  kind,  the  more  furious  grew  his  superior  against 
him  !  To  our  horror,  and  that  of  the  other  passengers, 
though  every  man  was  needed  to  work  the  ship,  the 


36          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Captain  ordered  the  unfortunate  young  man  into  close 
confinement,  in  irons,  below  in  the  hold  !  There  in 
the  darkness,  the  foul  air  and  the  stench,  he  was  kept, 
in  the  heat  of  the  tropics,  and  with  a  head-sea  on  ! 
Our  entreaties  on  his  behalf  only  made  the  Captain 
more  obdurate.  Through  the  cook,  and  the  steward 
who  gave  him  his  food,  we  sent  him  messages.  "  We 
were  not  to  worry  about  him,"  he  said.  "  He  was  all 
right ;  only  he  craved  for  music  to  beguile  the  weary 
hours.  Would  we  get  permission  for  him  to  have  his 
instrument,  and  he  would  be  perfectly  happy  ?  " 
The  boon  was  granted,  and  we  rejoiced  to  think  that  we 
had  obtained  this  slight  solace  for  the  prisoner.  We 
pictured  him  as  a  marine  Orpheus,  charming  the  rats 
and  cockroaches  with  his  violin;  Suddenly  from  the 
depths  of  the  hold  there  arose  the  most  appalling 
groans  and  wheezes  !  It  was  the  second-officer's  efforts 
to  produce  harmony  on  a  concertina,  and  the  one  and  only 
tune  he  apparently  knew,  or  attempted  to  play,  from 
that  time  forward,  in  fair  weather  or  foul,  by  night 
and  day  unceasingly,  through  the  clanking  of  the 
pumps,  and  the  bellowing  of  the  wind,  was  "  Jerusalem, 
my  happy  home  !  "  Never  do  I  hear  that  refrain  with- 
out it  bringing  back  to  me  the  smell  of  that  awful  ship 
and  her  wallowing  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  day  after 
day,  week  after  week,  punctured  by  those  heartrending 
howls  unceasingly  emitted  from  her  very  vitals  ! 

We  were  met  at  Calcutta  by  another  married  sister 
and  her  husband,  with  whom  Maggie  remained  until 
her  marriage  shortly  after.  I,  meantime,  went  on  up- 
country,  with  my  sister,  Mrs.  Hope  Dick. 

Those  were  curious  days  in  India.  Ladies  were 
scarce,  and  unmarried  girls  few  and  far  between.  Men 
used  to  write  home  for  their  wives,  proposing  to  women 


LEAVING   HOME  37 

they  had  only  heard  of,  and  never  seen  in  their  lives. 
I  had  a  sister,  Patricia,  engaged  to  a  brother-officer 
of  my  brother's,  who  was  afterwards  a  General  on  the 
Staff  of  the  Viceroy.  She  died,  poor  thing,  after  only  a 
week's  illness,  on  the  very  day  that  had  been  fixed  for 
her  marriage.  Would  you  believe  it  ?  General  B.  saw 
a  portrait  of  me  on  my  brother's  table,  and  though  my 
poor  sister  had  been  dead  only  a  month  or  two,  he 
wrote  straight  off  to  me,  a  girl  in  the  schoolroom,  and 
asked  me  to  be  his  wife  !  And  I — oh  !  I  was  terrified 
lest  I  should  be  made  to  marry  a  man  I  had  never  set 
eyes  on  ! 

I  knew  a  girl,  passing  through  a  station  on  her  way 
up-country,  who  went  to  a  dance,  and  had  seven 
proposals  in  one  night  ;  and  one  of  her  suitors,  a  very 
fat  Major,  waylaid  her  palankeen  as  she  was  con- 
tinuing her  journey,  and  poured  his  offer  of  marriage 
through  the  closed  chits  !  Palki-dak  journeys  were 
made  by  night  generally,  and  it  was  hardly  dawn.  The 
young  woman,  scarcely  awake,  did  not  realise  at  first 
that  he  was  serious,  as  he  enumerated  the  carriages, 
horses  and  jewels  he  would  be  able  to  afford  her,  cul- 
minating in  a  statement  of  the  amount  of  pension  she 
would  draw  as  his  widow  !  Becoming  alive  to  the  fact 
of  what  he  was  aiming  at,  she  begged  him  to  say  no 
more,  and  bade  the  ayah  with  her  in  the  palankeen  tell 
the  bearers  to  hasten,  as  they  had  dropped  into  a  crawl 
when  the  officer  appeared.  But  the  woman,  who  had 
been  heavily  bribed,  gave  contrary  directions,  and  the 
Major,  in  Hindustani,  did  the  same.  Angry  and  alarmed 
at  such  persistence,  and  at  the  distance  that  she  had 
now  dropped  behind  her  chaperone's  palki,  she  thrust 
her  head  out  of  the  opposite  side  from  her  persistent 
admirer,  shouting  to  the  bearers  her  one  phrase  of  the 


38          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

language,  the  first  that  comes  naturally  to  every 
European  :  "  Jaldi,  jaldi  jao  !  "  The  bearers,  grasping 
the  situation,  set  off  at  a  run,  while  the  Major  ran  pant- 
ing alongside,  continuing  his  arguments  to  the  lady, 
interspersed  with  roars  of  bad  language  at  the  bearers, 
who,  hearing  the  girl's  peals  of  laughter  at  the  figure  he 
cut,  chattered  and  giggled  as  they  tore  faster  and 
faster,  till  the  last  she  heard  of  the  gentleman  was  an 
expiring  shriek  as  he  dropped  behind  :  "  Five  thousand 
rupees,  dead  or  alive  !  "  Oh,  yes,  it's  quite  true,  I 
assure  you  !  How  do  I  know  all  the  details,  you  say  ? 
Of  course  it  was  from  the  ayah  !  She  was  dismissed, 
naturally. 

You  ask  if,  among  the  seven  offers  mentioned,  one 
proved  to  be  from  "  Mr.  Right  "  ?  No,  I  may  tell  you  ; 
for  the  very  good  reason  that  they  came  too  late.  She 
had  met  him  for  the  first  time,  four-and-twenty  hours 
before,  at  the  previous  station — and  there  never  was 
any  question  on  the  matter  ! 

Well,  I  never  got  as  far  as  Cawnpore,  or  joined  my 
brother  ;  for  I  stopped  at  Lucknow  with  my  sister, 
Mrs.  Dick,  and  there  I  was  married,  on  July  28th  1842, 
and  spent  my  honeymoon  in  the  Beebeepore  Palace 
at  Lucknow,  put  at  our  disposal  by  the  King  of  Oude, 
Mahommed  Ali  Shah. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    COURT   OF    OUDE 

MY  husband  twice  held  the  post  of  Residency-Surgeon 
at  Lucknow,  and  had  in  addition  many  other  appoint- 
ments under  two  successive  Kings  of  Oude,  including 
that  of  Physician  to  the  Court. 

The  Princesses  andr  Begums  of  the  Royal  Family 
showed  me  the  greatest  friendliness,  from  the  Queen- 
Mother  downwards.  Indeed,  Malika  Geytee,  the  King's 
favourite  wife,  treated  me  always  as  an  intimate  friend, 
and  all  the  Princesses  made  a  point  of  presenting  me,  on 
the  birth  of  each  of  my  children,  as  a  sign  of  personal 
regard,  with  a  complete  outfit  of  native  dresses  for 
myself  and  the  newcomer,  of  their  own  handiwork, 
gorgeously  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver  bullion. 
These  I  still  possess,  as  evidence  that  these  native  ladies 
do  not  all  pass  their  lives  in  complete  idleness,  as  is 
commonly  supposed. 

Malika  Geytee  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  my 
Husband  for  many  years  after  we  left  Lucknow,  and 
even  when  we  had  returned  to  England  letters  in  the 
most  beautiful  Persian  script  continued  to  reach  us 
from  her.  Many  of  these  Princesses  were  women  of 
great  intelligence  as  well  as  high  lineage,  and  we  used 
to  discuss  all  sorts  of  subjects,  though  not  often  religious 
matters,  unless  they  specially  questioned  me,  for  my 
husband  had  a  great  dislike  to  any  attempt  to  teach 
Christianity  except  with  the  husband's  permission  ; 
but  their  curiosity  was  great  concerning  European 
clothes  and  customs. 


40          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Being  thus  thrown  into  the  society  of  native  ladies 
of  rank  for  over  seven  years,  I  naturally  got  to  speak  the 
Court  language,  and  as  I  was  about  the  only  English- 
woman at  home  in  England  during  the  Mutiny  time 
who  did  so,  when  the  old  Queen  came  to  plead  the 
cause  of  her  son  (the  wretched  Wajid  Ali),  with  our 
Queen  Victoria,  she  begged  that  I  might  be  the  inter- 
preter on  that  occasion.  I  much  feared  I  should  have 
to  undertake  the  office,  as  Her  Majesty  approved  of  the 
idea,  for  having  had  such  constant  kindness  from  the 
poor  old  lady,  it  would  have  been  terrible  to  have  been 
the  instrument  of  making  plain  to  her  that  her  mission 
was  in  vain — the  treatment  meted  out  to  that  worthless 
caitiff  was  far  more  lenient  than  he  had  any  right  to 
expect.  He  was  finally  awarded  a  pension  of  £70,000 
per  annum,  which  he  was  allowed  to  squander  as  he 
pleased  in  the  most  profligate  debauchery.  However, 
the  difficulty  was  got  over  by  placing  an  Indian  official 
as  interpreter,  behind  a  screen,  in  the  room  at  Windsor 
where  the  two  Queens  had  their  interview. 

Talking  of  screens  reminds  me  of  the  scenes  I  fre- 
quently assisted  at  in  Oude,  when  my  husband  was  sent 
for  to  prescribe  for  a  purdah  patient.  Of  course  he  was 
never  permitted  to  have  a  full  view  of  her  face  !  In- 
stead, he  had  the  fleeting  vision  of  a  hand,  or  of  a  tongue 
"  without  visible  means  of  support,"  waggling  through 
a  hole  cut  in  the  curtain,  by  which  to  judge  of  her 
general  condition  ! 

But  I  was  privileged  to  view,  at  close  quarters,  the 
comedy  that  was  being  enacted  behind  the  purdah— 
the  solemnity  of  the  eunuchs  supporting  their  mistress, 
while  they  assisted  her  to  open  her  mouth  and  thrust 
her  tongue  through  the  orifice  1  the  shouts  of  laughter 
from  the  entire  zenana,  present  en  masse  at  the  proceed- 


THE   COURT  OF  OUDE  41 

ings,  the  hysterical  giggles  and  fidgeting  of  the  patient, 
not  at  all  averse  (if  good-looking)  to  making  use  of  an 
opportunity  to  view  eye-to-eye,  and  unveiled,  such  a 
popular  Englishman.  Undoubtedly,  most  of  the 
Begums,  and  especially  my  friend  Malika  Geytee, 
thoroughly  entered  into  the  humour  of  the  situation, 
once  their  minds  were  relieved  of  the  dread  lest  my 
jealousy  might  be  aroused  by  the  undoubted  attractive- 
ness of  many  of  these  patients  ! 

His  many  personal  friends  amongst  the  Nawabs 
also  welcomed  me  to  their  zenanas,  and  I  had  a  chance 
of  seeing  the  native  ladies,  and  their  children,  in  a 
social  intercourse  very  unusual  in  those  days  between 
the  two  races.  These  purdah-women  exercise  an 
influence  and  a  power  that  is  only  slowly  being  realised 
by  Europeans,  and  as  the  zenana  is  the  actual  source 
of  all  the  intrigues  that  constitute  Oriental  diplomacy, 
I  learnt  to  be  of  real  use  to  my  husband  in  his  political 
work. 

He  never  would  take  any  fee  for  medical  attendance 
on  the  natives,  and  the  expedients  that  some  of  these 
Nawabs  adopted  to  show  their  gratitude  were  often 
absurd  in  the  extreme.  He  had  saved  the  life  of  the 
Wuzeer  (Prime  Minister)  Nawab  Ameenoodowlah,  by 
his  promptitude  and  skill,  when  the  latter  was  waylaid 
and  cut  down  by  dacoits,  and  he  also  cured  the  Wuzeer's 
only  child,  the  little  Begum  Wuzeeroolniza,  when  far 
gone  in  consumption.  She  had  been  given  over  by  the 
native  hakim  and  wise  women,  when,  at  the  Wuzeer's 
earnest  request,  Login  closely  examined  her,  and  dis- 
covered that  the  unfortunate  child  was  slowly  pining 
away,  owing  to  the  fact  that  her  skin  was  encrusted 
with  a  hard  shell,  formed  by  the  succession  of  ointments 
she  had  been  plastered  with,  since  to  wash  a  patient  in 


42          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

illness  is  regarded  as  fatal  in  native  medical  science  ! 
His   prescription   of  a  warm   bath  was  received  with 
indignant  horror  by  the  Begum,  who  only  consented 
to  try  it,  after  much  persuasion  through  the  purdah,  if  the 
"  Mem-Sahib  "  would  come  and  see  it  carried  out  herself ! 
So  I  and  my  ayah  arrived  at  the  zenana,  armed  with 
a  supply  of  soft  towels,  scented  soap  and  sponges,  and 
it  was  the  interest  and  excitement  aroused  by  the  first 
sight  of  the  latter  that  finally  overbore  all  the  opposi- 
tion.    Never  in  their  lives  had  the  Begums  and  their 
attendants  beheld  a  sponge,  or  the  European  scented 
soap,  for  that  matter  !     At  first  their  alarm  was  great 
when  the  unknown  marine  monster  swelled  in  the  water, 
and  they  shrieked  when  we  held  it  towards  the  child, 
for  fear  it  should  bite  her  !    But,  once  reassured  on  that 
score,  they  regarded  it  as  a  piece  of  magic,  and  were 
enraptured  at  being  presented  with  it  on  my  departure. 
They  amused  themselves  with  it  for  hours,  filling  and 
squeezing  it,  and  throwing  it  at  each  other,  accompanied 
by  peals  of  laughter  ! 

It  was  a  long  and  delicate  process  softening  and 
removing  the  poor  little  mite's  coat  of  armour,  and 
when  accomplished,  her  emaciation  and  weakness  were 
pitiful  to  behold,  so  that  even  then  there  seemed  little 
hope  for  her  life,  unless  placed  directly  under  our  eye 
in  the  cantonments,  with  a  few  trusty  servants  to  carry 
out  the  doctor's  orders.  The  child  herself  begged  to 
be  allowed  to  go,  and  a  bungalow  was  taken  for  her 
next  our  own,  where  she  became  an  object  of  great 
curiosity  and  interest  to  the  English  children,  as  she 
took  her  daily  morning  and  evening  drives  in  a  gor- 
geous chariot,  shaped  to  represent  a  peacock,  the  out- 
spread tail  forming  a  sort  of  canopy,  beneath  which 
she  sat,  attended  by  her  zenana  guards.  When,  after 


THE   COURT  OF  OUDE  43 

some  months,  she  recovered,  her  grateful  parents 
actually  presented  this  fairy  coach  to  my  children,  who 
were  greatly  envied  in  its  possession  by  all  the  other 
juveniles. 

The  Chota  Begum  came  every  day  to  me  to  learn 
to  read  and  write  English,  and  always  afterwards 
addressed  me  as  "  Mother."  For  many  years  she  kept 
up  an  affectionate  intercourse  with  us,  and  Login  was 
constantly  teased  by  his  friends  about  his  "  Indian 
daughter."  There  is  a  letter  of  hers  sixteen  years  later, 
dated  "  Lucknow,  February  25th,  1859,"  when  she  had 
been  for  some  time  the  wife  of  a  Nawab,  and  the  Mutiny 
a  twelvemonth  over,  and  addressed  to  him  at  Church 
House,  Kew,  which  commences,  "  Worthy  Pappa," 
and  winds  up,  "  your  most  affectionate  daughter, 
Wuzeeroolniza  Begum." 

Many  of  these  native  friends  wrote  to  him  through- 
out the  Mutiny,  when  we  were  in  England,  thus  keep- 
ing him  informed  of  much  unknown  to  most  Europeans. 
The  poor  Wuzeer  made  the  most  extravagant  presents 
to  show  his  gratitude,  and  the  King  his  master,  to  make 
things  worse,  used  to  suggest  (otherwise  command  !) 
his  unfortunate  Minister  to  bestow  on  the  Doctor 
Sahib  this  or  that  object  dear  to  his  heart. 

Thus,  when  your  father  was  absent  once  in  the  district 
(for  he  was  Surveyor  of  Roads,  Postmaster  of  Oude, 
and  in  charge  of  the  daks  or  posting-houses),  a  chobedar 
in  the  royal  livery  requested  an  interview,  and  address- 
ing me  in  grandiloquent  language,  pointed  with  his 
chobe  (mace)  to  the  portico,  where  stood  a  magnificent 
equipage,  well  known  to  me  in  all  the  royal  processions 
of  which  it  was  a  much-admired  feature  !  This,  he  said, 
had,  by  the  King's  special  direction,  been  sent  for  my 
acceptance  by  the  Wuzeer  ! 


44          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

In  consternation,  I  gazed  at  its  glories — London- 
built,  it  was  lined  in  satin  and  gold  !  the  horses,  enor- 
mous milk-white  creatures  with  pink  noses,  had  tails 
of  brilliant  scarlet,  which  literally  swept  the  ground  ! 
their  pace  the  native  amble,  great  action,  but  little 
progress,  pawing  the  air  on  their  hind  legs,  in  the 
attitude  affected  by  the  steeds  on  the  old  classic  friezes  ! 
It  needed  an  immense  exercise  of  tact  and  politeness 
to  convince  the  poor  Wuzeer  that  we  really  could  not 
deprive  him  of  the  object  of  his  chief  pride  and  delight. 

Other  presents  sent  in  the  same  fashion,  by  different 
Nawabs,  included  a  brace  of  baby  elephants,  gaily 
painted  and  adorned,with  two  negro  boy-slaves,  chastely 
attired  in  a  necklace  a-piece  of  bright  beads,  and  a  very 
inadequate  loin-cloth  !  two  huge  Persian  cats,  more 
like  leopards,  chained  to  charpoys  and  accustomed  to 
kill  and  eat  their  food  !  These  were  sent  as  playmates 
for  the  children  !  Indeed,  so  generous  were  our  native 
friends  that  at  one  time  I  remember  fourteen  pairs  of 
carriage  horses,  with  their  equipages,  in  our  lines,  not 
counting  our  own  riding  horses,  and  the  elephants  kept 
up  for  our  private  use  by  the  King  of  Oude,  and  I  found 
it  quite  an  undertaking  to  make  my  daily  round  of  the 
stables,  with  our  old  derogah,  Ali  Bux,  in  attendance, 
bearing  a  basket  of  sugar-cane. 

Mahommed  Ali  was  the  King  of  Oude  when  I  first 
went  there.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  notorious 
Wajid  Ali,  of  Mutiny  renown.  The  latter  had  been 
rather  popular,  as  a  young  man,  with  the  European 
community,  as  he  was  a  sportsman,  active  and  athletic. 
But  no  sooner  did  he  come  to  the  throne  than  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  hoisted  about  as  if  he  had  lost  the  use  of 
his  limbs.  Only  once  did  I  see  him,  when  paying  his 
first  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Resident,  conscious  of  the 


THE   COURT  OF  OUDE  45 

ridiculous  figure  he  cut — his  attendants  who  tried 
to  lift  him  bodily,  chair  and  all,  to  the  howdah  of  his 
elephant,  having  failed  twice  to  do  so — seize  the  ropes  in 
his  hands  and  run  rapidly  up  the  ladder,  in  his  old 
"  form." 

Yet  in  no  other  way  did  he  abate  a  jot  of  his  correct 
ceremonial  attitude.  At  the  public  tiffins  which  he 
occasionally  gave  to  the  European  officials,  his  chair 
was  surrounded,  as  had  been  his  father's,  with  a  crowd 
of  attendants,  each  with  their  special  office  to  the  royal 
person,  rigorously  defined — the  chowri-waver,  the 
wielder  of  the  regal  fan  of  peacock-feathers  ;  the  hookah- 
bearer  ;  the  bearer  of  the  golden  ewer  and  basin  (chil- 
lumchi  and  lota) ;  the  holder  of  the  royal  napkin,  to 
wipe  his  mouth  between  each  morsel ;  the  cup-bearer, 
and  a  seventh  who  stood  in  readiness  with  the  royal 
pocket-handkerchief,  and  deftly — to  quote  an  old 
doggerel — "  blew  his  royal  nose,"  as  if  his  master  were 
a  babe-in-arms  ! 

While  his  guests  ate  at  other  tables,  special  dishes 
were  served  to  the  King,  who,  as  a  mark  of  distinction — 
just  as  in  Biblical  times  we  read  that  Joseph  as  "  lord 
of  the  land "  showed  favour  to  his  brethren — sent 
helpings  from  it  to  specially  honoured  guests.  I  remem- 
ber one  occasion,  when  Wajid  Ali  had  bestowed  on  my 
husband  a  khillut,  or  dress  of  honour,  and  a  seal  bearing 
his  title  of  "  Bahadur,"  that  His  Majesty  took  it  into 
his  head  to  take  from  the  plat  in  front  of  him  a  handful 
of  kabobs-and-rice,  which  was  brought  to  me  with  great 
ceremony,  with  "  The  King's  salaam  to  Mem  Sahib 
Login,"  he,  and  all  the  assembly,  watching  with  intent- 
ness,  while  I  struggled  to  consume  some  morsels  of  the 
dainty  thus  honoured  by  the  royal  hand  ! 

Colonel  Low  was  Resident  when  my  husband  first 


46          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

went  to  Lucknow  ;  after  him,  Sir  William  Nott,  Sir 
George  Pollock,  heroes  of  the  First  Afghan  War,  Colonel 
Davidson,  and  Colonel  Richmond.  Most  of  these  had 
been  known  to  Login  before  in  Afghanistan.  He  was 
always  hoping  that  his  great  friend,  Sir  Henry  Lawrence, 
was  to  receive  the  appointment,  but  that  did  not  come 
till  after  we  had  left  ourselves. 

Of  my  husband's  friends  of  the  First  Afghan  War 
and  the  Mission  to  Herat,  I  only  knew  these  Residents, 
the  Lawrence  brothers  and  their  wives,  Major  D'Arcy 
Todd  and  his  wife,  who  were  god-parents  to  one  of  our 
children,*  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson  and  Sir  Frederick 
Abbott.  The  travellers  Mitford,  General  Ferrier,  and 
Professsor  Vambery,  I  was  only  to  meet  in  later  years. 
But  many  of  the  men  who  made  their  names  in  the  Pun- 
jab War  were  with  us  at  Lucknow  besides  the  Law- 
rences. There  was  especially  Patrick  Vans  Agnew,  one 
of  the  Resident's  Assistants,  and  a  great  friend  of  my 
husband's,  whose  assassination  at  Mooltan  was  the 
cause  of  the  Second  Sikh  War.  Later  on,  at  Lahore,  my 
husband  had  charge  of  Moolraj,  and  the  other  chiefs 
implicated  in  his  murder.  Vans  Agnew  was  always  most 
grateful  to  Login  for  his  good  offices  on  his  behalf  with 
Mr.  Thomason,  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  North- 
West  Provinces,  and  Mr.  Hamilton,  his  chief  at  Lahore. 
He  was  a  very  warm-hearted  fellow,  devoted  to  his 
people  at  home — his  letters  were  full  of  them — and  making 
most  particular  inquiries  after  all  his  friends  at  Lucknow. 
His  description  of  Eldred  Pottinger  (whom  your  father 
was  associated  with,  and  very  fond  of,  both  at  Herat 
and  in  Kohistan)  always  amused  us.  He  spoke  of  him 
as  the  "  little  man  with  immense  mustaches  "  whom  he 
never  imagined  could  be  "  The  Hero  of  Herat  !  "  He  was 

*  Louise  Marion  D'Arcy  Login,  died  at  Aylesford  in  1909. 


THE  COURT  OF  OUDE  47 

very  reckless  in  his  remarks  about  authorities,  and  once 
referred  to  Lord  Ellenborough  as  "  a  great  brute  in  his 
behaviour  to  Pottinger  and  Outram." 

Some  of  the  chaplains  we  had  there  were  not  shining 
lights,  and  their  lack  of  the  sense  of  humour  provided 
merriment  to  the  rest  of  the  station.  There  is  an  insti- 
tution common  in  India  called  a  "  mutton  club."  As 
a  rule,  mutton  is  not  obtainable  from  the  ordinary 
bazaar-butcher,  who  substituted  for  it  generally  the 
flesh  of  a  venerable  he-goat  of  age  and  authority.  In 
most  stations,  therefore,  the  Europeans  join  together 
to  purchase  a  few  sheep  of  tenderer  age  than  those 
usually  obtainable,  put  a  man  in  charge,  and  have  them 
fed  on  "  gram  "  till  fit  for  table.  Then  the  secretary  of 
the  club,  an  office  frequently  filled  by  the  chaplain, 
as  more  stationary  in  the  place  than  the  other  officials, 
sends  round  a  notice  that  a  fat  beast  is  ready  for  the 
butcher,  and  members  are  requested  to  select  the  portion 
of  the  animal  they  would  prefer  for  their  own  use,  put- 
ting their  names  against  the  joint  chosen.  In  the  case 
I  am  thinking  of,  the  chaplain  was  the  secretary  of  the 
mutton  club,  and  apparently  was  so  bound  to  the  usual 
formula  he  employed  in  addressing  his  congregation, 
that  when  desirous  of  altering  one  of  the  club  rules,  he 
sent  round  a  paper  asking  each  member,  if  they  agreed 
to  the  new  arrangement,  to  signify  the  same  by  an 
affirmative  in  their  own  hand,  the  document  being 
headed  :  "  My  dear  Flock."  The  paper  came  first 
to  my  husband.  Anxious  to  respond  as  fully  as  possible 
to  the  pastoral  suggestion  conveyed,  he  promptly 
wrote  "  Ba-a  (!)  "  in  token  of  assent, and  sent  it  on  to  the 
next  man.  Naturally  on  its  return  to  the  sender, 
from  its  peregrinations  round  the  station,  the  rest  of 
the  "  flock  "  had  followed  suit,  and  the  document  bore 


48          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

nothing  but  "  baa-baa "  all  down  the  page,  which 
brought  the  chaplain  upon  us  in  a  towering  rage, 
demanding  apologies  for  the  insult  offered  to  his  sacred 
calling  ! 

One  other  rather  unusual  incident  connected  with  a 
church  service  it  occurs  to  me  to  relate  here. 

My  eldest  brother,  afterwards  General  Charles  Camp- 
bell (usually  known  as  "  the  Bukshi  "  because  in  the 
Paymaster  -  General's  Department),  was  married  at 
Cawnpore  to  a  Miss  Wemyss.  It  was  commonly 
reported  that  he  showed  but  little  eagerness  as  a  suitor, 
and  certainly  as  a  bridegroom  took  a  very  languid 
interest  in  the  ceremony,  being  very  slack  and  hesitating 
in  answering  the  first  responses.  The  Eurasian  clerk 
thereupon  took  upon  him  to  prompt  him  in  his  part ; 
but  when  it  came  to  the  question — "  Wilt  thou  take  this 
woman  to  be  thy  wedded  wife  ?  "  and  the  zealous 
official  replied  for  him  in  a  loud  nasal  chant,  "  I-i  weell," 
your  uncle  electrified  the  congregation  by  turning 
round  in  a  towering  passion,  and  shouting  at  him  : 

"  I'll  be  d d  if  you  do,  sir  !  "  Anyhow,  it  put  more 

life  into  his  participation  in  the  rest  of  the  service 


CHAPTER  IV 

NATIVE    SERVANTS    AND    CAMP    LIFE 

I  SUPPOSE  my  husband  had  a  special  faculty  for 
gaining  the  devoted  attachment  of  those  who  served 
him,  but  anyhow,  I  hold  in  grateful  and  affectionate 
remembrance  many  of  the  servants  we  had  in  those 
days.  How  could  one  fail  to  do  so  in  the  case  of  old 
Ali  Bux,  the  Kalipha,  our  major-domo,  and  afterwards 
Derogah  of  the  King's  Gharib-Khana  (Hospital)  ?  He 
had  followed  my  husband  to  Afghanistan,  and  remained 
with  him  throughout  the  whole  three  years  of  the 
Political  Mission  at  Herat,  refusing  to  return  to  India 
with  the  other  Hindu  servants.  Although  prepared, 
as  he  said,  "  to  die  in  his  master's  service  in  those 
uncivilized  regions,"  as  it  might  be  years  before  he  ever 
rejoined  the  wife  he  had  left  in  Lucknow,  he  announced 
his  intention  of  solacing  himself,  under  the  circumstances, 
by  taking  to  him  as  second  wife  a  Herati,  whom  he 
informed  his  master  he  was  sure  he  would  approve  of, 
since  she  was  "  fair  as  a  Belati  Bibi  "  (European  lady)  ! 
She  proved  as  courageous  as  she  was  fair,  and  a  first- 
rate  rider,  accompanying  the  party  through  all  the 
dangers  of  the  forced  marches  on  their  retreat,  her 
child  tied  to  her  back  in  Turcoman  fashion.  When 
the  camp  was  looted  by  marauders,  she  helped  her 
husband  to  defend  the  most  valuable  of  his  master's 
papers  and  property,  by  assuring  the  wild  tribesmen 
that  they  contained  the  dawai  (magic)  of  the  famed 
''  Hakim  of  Herat,"  Login  having  established  a  hos- 


So          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

pital  and  dispensary  there,  producing  the  Wizard's  staff 
— Login's  walking-stick,  carved  with  a  coiled  snake  and 
the  hieroglyphics  of  Major  D'Arcy  Todd's  nickname, 
"  Bhuggut  Ram,"  in  Persian  characters — as  proof  of 
their  assertion  ! 

The  Kalipha's  real  troubles  began  when  he  presented 
the  fair  Fatimah  to  his  first  wife.  The  quarrels  between 
the  two  were  incessant  and  vociferous,  and  Ali  Bux 
often  compared  himself  to  Jacob,  betwixt  Leah  and 
Rachel,  for  Fatimah  was  the  apple  of  his  eye  !  His  only 
method  of  quieting  them  was  to  threaten  them  with  the 
wrath  of  the  Doctor  Sahib. 

At  once,  when  we  married,  I  found  myself  the  special 
charge  of  Ali  Bux,  who  considered  himself  responsible 
for  my  well-being  whenever  my  husband  was  absent, 
and  wrote  him  daily  reports.  Often  was  I  thus  sent 
alone  in  his  care  to  the  hills,  for  change,  whenever 
Login  was  kept  in  the  city.  He  it  was  who  chased  and 
re-captured  my  recreant  palki-bearers,  a  big  stick  in 
one  hand,  and  a  formidable  knife  in  the  other,  because 
they  had  dropped,  and  abandoned,  their  burden  incon- 
tinently in  a  jungle-path  at  a  sudden  alarm  of  a  man- 
eating  tiger  1  And  when  the  melting  of  the  snows  in 
the  mountains  turned  a  brook  in  our  road  into  a  wide, 
swift-flowing  river,  and  my  palki  was  floated  over,  tied 
to  mussucks  (inflated  skins)  in  a  pitch-black  night,  the 
water  washing  over  the  floor,  so  that  the  ayah  had  to 
put  the  baby  on  the  shelf  amongst  the  eatables,  for 
safety,  it  was  Ali  Bux  himself  who  swam  alongside, 
turbanless  and  stripped  to  his  waist-cloth,  to  assure 
me  all  was  safe  ! 

His  zeal  occasionally  led  him  into  odd  expedients, 
and  he  was  much  mortified  to  find  that  I  did  not 
invariably  appreciate  his  methods. 


NATIVE   SERVANTS   AND  CAMP   LIFE     51 

I  was  under  his  care  in  a  lonely  bungalow  in  the  hills 
when  the  baby's  ayah  fell  sick,  the  child  itself  being 
ailing.  In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  also  was  taken  very 
ill,  and  there  was  no  woman  to  attend  to  the  baby  ! 
Moreover,  the  supply  of  milk  ran  out. 

AH  Bux  was  in  despair  !  He  could  never  face  his 
master  if  aught  happened  to  me  or  the  child  !  Assur- 
ing me  he  would  return  with  a  nurse,  he  vanished 
down  the  khudd  with  half  a  dozen  servants,  and 
returned  in  triumph  two  hours  later,  dragging  an  un- 
fortunate young  woman  with  a  baby-in-arms,  who 
seemed  in  mortal  terror,  and  spoke  no  known  language  ! 
She  was  fair  and  blue-eyed,  and  it  turned  out,  had  been 
absolutely  kidnapped  by  him  out  of  a  camp  of  Cabuli 
traders,  whose  fires  he  had  marked  in  the  valley  below  ! 
Her  complexion  and  colouring  convinced  him  that 
here  was  the  very  thing  to  please  his  Mem-Sahib,  and 
he  bitterly  upbraided  the  poor  creature  for  her  ingrati- 
tude when,  at  the  first  chance,  she  fled  with  her  baby, 
and  it  all  came  out !  She  was  discovered  at  daybreak 
on  a  circular  drive  running  round  the  top  of  the  hill, 
made  for  me  to  take  the  air  and  enjoy  the  views,  having 
spent  the  whole  night  seeking  in  vain  for  a  path  leading 
downwards !  Ali  Bux  never  could  understand  my 
sympathy  for  the  poor  thing,  and  my  horror  at  his  cruel 
conduct. 

And  then  there  was  Hinghan  Khan,  the  orphan  boy 
of  good  family,  who  had  followed  my  husband  from 
Herat.  His  parents  had  been  carried  off  in  a  Turcoman 
raid  ;  but  he  himself  was  rescued  by  Eldred  Pottinger, 
and  attached  himself  to  Login  on  his  arrival,  following 
him  about  like  his  shadow,  and  sleeping  at  his  door  at 
night  until,  won  by  his  silent  adoration,  the  Doctor 
Sahib  took  him  into  his  service. 


52          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

And  well  did  Hinghan  repay  this  act  on  his  part  I 
He  proved  invaluable,  adapting  himself  to  all  circum- 
stances and  places.  Like  all  his  countrymen,  a  splendid 
rider,  he  was  of  great  service  on  the  march  whenever 
there  were  difficulties  with  the  tribesmen.  He  accom- 
panied his  master  to  Candahar  and  Cabul,  went  with 
him  to  Charikar,  in  Kohistan,  when  he  joined  Eldred 
Pottinger  there,  and  returned  with  him  to  India  when 
he  resumed  his  work  at  Lucknow.  He  was  a  light 
weight,  and  used  to  exercise  my  Arabs  for  me,  accom- 
pany me  on  my  rides,  and  ride  postillion  in  a  very 
pretty  phaeton,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  Cabuli  ponies,  or 
rather  Heratis,  for  they  had  been  brought  by  Login 
from  that  place. 

They  were  brothers,  and  as  long  as  they  had  been 
in  Afghanistan  had  been  most  affectionate  together, 
always  occupying  the  same  stall.  But  the  strange  thing 
was  that  after  they  reached  India  they  developed  the 
most  extraordinarily  quarrelsome  disposition,  and  had 
regular  stand-up  fights,  even  when  in  double  harness  ! 
To  cure  them  of  this  habit,  we  had  them  harnessed  with 
an  extra  rein  to  the  "  off  "  pony,  to  keep  his  head  away 
from  his  fellow.  But  this  did  not  prevent  the  "  near  ' 
one,  if  his  rider  was  off  his  guard,  from  making  a  snatch  at 
his  companion  across  the  pole  ;  and  then  they  both  went 
at  it  "  tooth  and  hoof  "  to  the  terror  of  the  bystanders, 
whether  at  the  bandstand  of  an  evening,  or  on  the  road  ! 

I  got  so  used  to  it,  that  I  thought  nothing  of  sitting 
for  twenty  minutes  or  so  till  the  combatants  were 
separated  or  tired  out.  All  I  could  do  to  help 
Hinghan  was  to  hang  on  to  the  rein,  to  keep  the  "  off  " 
pony  from  crushing  his  leg  against  the  pole.  But  when 
driving  them  myself,  I  had  to  have  two  reins  fastened 
either  side  to  the  bar,  to  keep  their  heads  apart. 


NATIVE   SERVANTS   AND  CAMP  LIFE     53 

Poor  Hinghan  was  devotedly  attached  to  his  master's 
children,  and  his  gallantry  and  presence  of  mind  helped 
on  one  occasion  to  save  them  from  an  awful  peril. 

The  kings  of  Oude  used  to  delight  in  elephant  fights 
at  their  entertainments,  and  for  this  purpose  a  certain 
number  of  male  elephants  were  kept  in  a  place  apart 
from  others,  where  they  were  trained  and  made  must 
(mad,  or  ferocious),  to  prepare  them  for  these  fights. 

One  morning,  very  early,  the  boy  Hinghan  Khan  was 
out  exercising  his  master's  horse,  Kamran.*  On  pass- 
ing this  place  he  found  a  terrific  battle  going  on  between 
the  mahout  and  a  large  elephant  which  was  to  fight  next 
day  at  the  Palace  entertainment. 

Hinghan  only  remained  long  enough  to  see  the 
unfortunate  mahout  thrown  down  and  trampled  to 
death,  while  the  elephant  rushed  out  quite  mad,  straight 
through  the  city.  Suddenly  it  flashed  on  him,  that  the 
two  babies  of  the  Doctor  Sahib  had  started  for  their  early 
morning  airing  with  the  ayah  on  their  elephant,  and 
would  be  now  on  their  way  home,  right  in  the  track  of 
this  infuriated  beast,  whose  trumpeting  was  rousing  the 
whole  city  !  Instead  of  turning  home,  therefore,  the 
boy  gave  rein  to  the  Turcoman  he  was  riding,  and  flew 
like  the  wind  to  give  the  alarm  to  the  children's  atten- 
dants. He  met  them  returning  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
away,  their  elephant  already  excited  by  the  distant 
roaring  of  the  mad  one,  and  refusing  to  proceed. 
Instead  of  obeying  the  mahout's  goad,  it  stood  still,  quiver- 
ing with  rage,  and  trumpeting  loudly,  eager  for  the  fray, 
for  it  was  a  large  and  powerful  animal,  noted  in  the 
shikar  after  tigers  for  its  courage  and  speed,!  and  could 

*   So  named  because  presented  to  him  by  Shah  Kamran,  at  Herat, 
f  It  was  afterwards  nearly  blinded  by  a  tiger  in  the  Terai,  when  out  on 
sbikar. 


54          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

hardly  be  induced  to  turn  its  back  on  the  prospect  of 
a  fight.  When,  therefore,  Hinghan  appeared  shouting  : 
"  Hathee  !  hathee  !  must  !  must  !  "  (Elephant  !  mad 
elephant  !),  and  waved  to  the  mahout  to  leave  the  road 
and  strike  into  a  byway,  it  was  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty that  the  man  endeavoured  to  follow  his  directions. 
When  at  length  he  succeeded,  the  must  elephant  was 
almost  upon  them,  and  then  ensued  a  terrible  race  for 
life! 

It  requires  practice  to  accommodate  oneself  to  the 
pace  of  an  elephant,  even  when  the  animal  is  only  walk- 
ing, and  what  the  motion  is  like  when  at  a  gallop  or  in  a 
race,  is  past  description  !  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the 
mahout  managed  to  outstrip  the  mad  brute,  whose 
terrific  roaring  seemed  to  strike  terror  into  all  other 
animals.  Hinghan  Khan  created  a  diversion  in  every 
way  he  could,  to  distract  the  must  elephant's  attention, 
and  would  have  succeeded  better  had  not  his  poor 
Turcoman  been  wild  with  terror  and  unmanageable. 

Handsome  Hinghan  Khan,  always  spick  and  span, 
and  dressed  to  perfection  in  the  blue  and  silver  livery 
he  was  so  proud  of.  was  an  object  of  admiration  to  the 
Europeans  of  the  station,  and  quite  a  distinctive 
feature  of  our  establishment.  He  accompanied  us  on 
most  occasions  when  riding  or  driving,  for  even  when 
not  doing  postillion  he  acted  as  outrider,  and  to  his 
great  delight  his  master  had  him  fitted  out  with  English 
top-boots,  which  rendered  him  the  envy  of  all  native 
beholders  ! 

From  time  to  time,  poor  Hinghan  had  periods  of 
depression,  when  he  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  exist  for 
a  moment  out  of  the  sight  of  the  Sahib,  the  Mem- 
Sahib,  or  the  "  Baba-log,"  and  these  coincided  gene- 
rally with  the  season  of  the  great  fairs,  when  many 


NATIVE   SERVANTS  AND  CAMP  LIFE     55 

Afghan  horse-dealers  were  about.  My  husband  always 
suspected  that  communications  were  made  from 
Hinghan's  cousins  and  other  relatives,  who  were  a 
haughty  race,  and  probably  felt  it  derogatory  that  one 
of  their  lineage  should  serve  in  any  capacity,  however 
confidential,  in  the  household  of  a  "  feringhi." 

But  these  interludes   passed,   and   Hinghan  always 
became   his   bright   self   again.     Then   it   came   about 
that  I  was  ordered  to  Europe  for  my  health,  and  the 
children  went  with  me,  and  your  father  was  away  in  the 
Punjab.    The  household  was  left  in  charge  of  Bhugwan 
Doss,  then  our  major-domo,  who  wrote  in  great  distress 
to  tell  his  master  that  Hinghan  Khan  had  suddenly 
and  totally  disappeared,  and,  in  spite  of  search  and 
inquiries  in  all  directions,  not  a  trace  could  be  found 
of  him  !     It  was  said  that  previously  some  Afghans 
had  been  seen  hovering  about  the  place,  and  fellow- 
servants  told  that  Hinghan  had  been  noticed  for  some 
days  in  floods  of  tears,  brushing  and  folding  his  livery, 
and  fondling  his  boots,  which  were  found,  after  he  left, 
carefully  put  away,   and  not  a  pice-worth  (coin  less 
than  a  farthing)  of  his  master's  property  had  he  taken 
with  him  !     Hinghan's  disappearance  remains  to  this 
day  a  mystery,  but  I  don't  think  we  ever  ceased  to  miss 
him,  nor  do  I  believe  it  would  have  ever  taken  place 
had  either  of  us  or  the  children  been  near  him  at  the  time. 
The  number  of  followers  with  even  a  small  camp  is 
astonishing,  as  each  hanger-on  is  accompanied  by  his 
whole  family.     But  as  ours  consisted  of  over  two  hun- 
dred servants,  without  counting  the  escort,  the  encamp- 
ment presented  a  lively,  bustling  aspect  in  the  evenings, 
when  all  were  assembled  round  the  various  camp-fires, 
chattering   and  cooking   the  last   meal,   before   rolling 
themselves  up  for  the  night. 


56          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

One  evening,  after  dark,  a  tremendous  uproar  was 
heard  in  camp,  and  every  one  rushed  out  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  The  word  was  passed  from  mouth 
to  mouth  that  a  grass-cutter's  child  had  just  been 
carried  off  by  a  wolf  out  of  its  mother's  arms  !  Parties 
were  sent  in  all  directions,  and  a  strict  search  made  all 
night,  with  no  result ;  but  at  day-dawn,  in  a  neighbour- 
ing gully,  the  skull  of  the  child  was  found — picked 
clean  !  The  mother  had  been  sitting  at  the  fire,  baking 
cbupatties,  with  her  infant  in  her  lap,  when  the  wolf, 
taking  advantage  of  the  darkness,  came  up  behind  her, 
put  his  head  over  her  shoulder  and  seized  the  infant. 
It  was  only  the  shriek  of  her  opposite  neighbour,  who 
caught  the  gleam  of  the  beast's  eye  in  the  firelight,  that 
told  her  what  had  happened  ! 

Next  day  it  was  pitiful  to  see  the  poor  mother  trudg- 
ing along,  as  before,  among  her  companions,  with  all 
her  household  goods  on  her  head,  but  without  the  child, 
whom  she  had  been  wont  to  carry  also,  seated  astride 
on  her  hip  ! 

For  some  time  after  this  incident  there  were  perpetual 
wolf  scares  in  the  encampment,  and  my  English  nurse, 
Herdman,  who  was  quite  new  to  the  country,  was  the 
cause  of  a  terrific  panic  one  clear,  starlight  night.  The 
whole  camp  was  roused  by  an  outburst  of  shrieks,  and 
from  all  directions  men  came  running,  the  sentries 
firing  wildly,  under  the  impression  that  there  must  be 
a  general  attack  by  dacoits.  The  uproar  came  from  the 
direction  of  the  nursery  tent,  and  those  who  hurried  to 
the  spot  discovered  Herdman  in  her  sleeping  attire, 
throttling  an  enormous  hound  tethered  to  a  post  of 
the  semiana,  which  she  firmly  believed  was  a  wolf  come 
after  her  babies  !  It  was  with  difficulty  that  she  was 
persuaded  to  loose  the  unfortunate  animal  (which 


NATIVE   SERVANTS  AND   CAMP  LIFE     57 

luckily  had  been  so  surprised  by  her  sudden  onset  from 
behind,  that  he  had  been  unable  to  bite  her),  for  she 
swore  positively  that  she  knew  for  a  fact,  that  the  two 
Indian  princes,  then  in  my  husband's  charge,  were 
already  devoured,  as  she  had  seen  a  whole  pack  of  the 
same  animals  looking  out  of  their  tent-door  (which  was 
next  to  hers),  licking  their  lips  !  and  who  could  doubt 
that  the  children  would  be  their  next  victims  ! 

It  was  some  little  time  before  the  wolves  in  question 
were  identified  as  a  pack  of  greyhounds  belonging  to 
the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh,  which  he,  in  his  eagerness 
to  go  out  coursing  early  the  next  morning,  had  privately 
ordered  to  be  brought,  before  dawn,  into  the  outer 
division  of  his  tent.  Seen  in  the  faint  light,  the  woman's 
mistake  might  be  excused  !  Anyhow,  one  could  not  but 
admire  her  reckless  courage,  in  defence,  as  she  thought, 
of  her  charges. 

Wolves,  you  see,  were  prevalent,  and  much  dreaded 
in  the  jungles  over  large  districts  of  Oude,  and  there 
have  been  several  authenticated  cases  of  children 
carried  off  by  these  treacherous  beasts,  yet  spared  and 
suckled  by  them  with  their  own  cubs.  The  story  of 
Romulus  and  Remus  therefore  has  its  foundation  in 
fact.  I  myself  only  saw  one  of  these  "  wolf-children," 
as  they  were  called,  during  my  husband's  time  as 
Superintendent  of  the  Gharib-Khana. 

It  had  been  found  in  or  near  the  Terai,  a  district  of 
jungle  and  swamp  on  the  confines  of  Oude  and  Nepal, 
appeared  about  four  or  five  years  old,  and  had  fine,  soft, 
downy  hair  covering  the  whole  body.  Though  undoubt- 
edly human,  it  was  very  animal  in  its  instincts  and  ways. 
It  walked  and  ran  on  all-fours,  and  could  utter  only  a 
weird  cry,  like  the  yelping  of  a  hound.  Though  guarded 
most  carefully,  it  several  times|escaped  into  the  woods. 


58          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

In  spite  of  all  efforts  to  coax  it,  it  refused  food,  and 
gradually  pined  away  and  died,  for  they  are  always 
very  difficult  to  rear  after  being  taken  from  their  foster- 
mothers. 

We  were  always  careful  when  travelling  through  the 
robber-districts  to  have  special  guards  supplied  by  the 
headmen  of  the  villages,  and  the  dacoity-chiefs,  to  whom 
we  paid  a  sort  of  black-mail  not  to  let  other  people 
rob  us  !  For  of  course  you  know  thieves  and  robbers 
in  India  are  a  special  profession,  caste,  or  clan,  by 
themselves.  They  are  marvellously  expert,  and  often 
have  I  been  entertained  by  the  stories  told  me  by 
prisoners  in  the  gaols,  of  how,  sometimes  for  a  wager, 
they  would  steal  clothes  (and  even  the  sheets  they  were 
lying  on)  from  sleeping  travellers,  by  tickling  them  to 
make  them  turn  over,  while  these  light-fingered  gentry 
pulled  away  the  desired  garment  ! 

On  one  occasion  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh,  having 
made  large  purchases  from  the  jewellers  at  Delhi,  and 
not  caring  to  part  with  his  treasures  to  the  Toshkhana 
(treasury  chest  under  guard)  that  evening,  asked  me 
to  keep  them  for  him  till  the  morning.  Very  unwillingly 
I  consented,  as  I  dreaded  the  responsibility,  and  placed 
the  articles  in  my  dressing-case,  which  always  remained 
in  camp  under  my  charpoy  (bed),  where  also  slept  my 
small  black-and-tan  terrier.  Just  before  I  lay  down, 
I  hardly  know  with  what  intention,  I  unfastened  the 
dog's  chain  from  the  leg  of  the  bed  where  it  was  usually 
attached,  and  passed  it  through  the  handle  of  the  tin 
case.  Being  somewhat  nervous,  I  lay  awake  tossing 
and  listening  to  every  sound,  and  dropped  only  into 
fitful  dozes.  All  of  a  sudden  I  was  startled  awake  by  a 
most  awful  commotion  in  the  tent — barks,  shouts,  a 
musket  shot,  and  yells — and  was  just  in  time  to  catch 


NATIVE   SERVANTS   AND   CAMP   LIFE     59 

a  fleeting  glimpse  of  a  slight,  dark  form,  stark  naked, 
disappearing  through  a  slit  in  the  tent  wall,  while  my 
poor  little  "  Fan  "  lay  choking,  snarling,  and  howling, 
all  at  once,  full  length  on  her  back  !  My  first  thought 
was  for  the  dressing-case — it  was  gone  !  but  there  stood 
the  dog,  frantic  with  rage,  tugging  furiously  at  one  end 
of  her  chain,  the  other  being  in  some  mysterious  manner 
passed  out  under  the  tent,  outside  which  the  box  lay 
safe  on  the  ground  !  The  thief  had  been  foiled,  and  had 
made  his  escape,  after  dropping  his  prize,  on  discovering 
its  unexpected  pendant  1  He  had  effected  his  noiseless 
entrance  by  crawling  under  the  tightly-pegged  tent  ; 
the  faint  light  burning  showed  him  the  dressing-case,  but 
not  the  small  dog  coiled  at  a  distance  from  it.  He  had 
a  very  narrow  escape,  for  on  rising  to  his  feet  he  fell 
over  a  servant  sleeping  there,  who  made  a  grab  at  him, 
but  the  miscreant  had  so  plentifully  anointed  his  naked 
body  with  oil,  that  he  slipped  through  the  hands  of 
the  other  like  a  fish.  He  did  not,  however,  escape  un- 
scathed, for  drops  of  blood  for  some  distance  on  the 
ground  showed  that  the  sentry's  shot  had  told  ! 

The  favourite  occupation  in  the  afternoon  in  camp 
was  to  inspect  the  horses,  and  see  them  groomed  and 
fed,  to  walk  down  the  lines  where  they  all  stood  in  per- 
fect order,  picketed  with  head-and-heel  ropes,  and  to 
feed  them  with  pieces  of  sugar-cane  provided  for  the 
purpose,  which  they  looked  for  with  the  greatest 
eagerness. 

The  elephants,  too,  had  to  receive  a  visit,  and  be 
offered  biscuits  and  lumps  of  sugar.  One  of  these 
animals  was  particularly  docile,  and  constantly  to  be 
found  acting  nurse  to  its  mahout's  baby,  which  lay  asleep 
between  its  huge  fore-feet.  It  was  curious  to  watch 
the  great  beast  gently  fanning  the  child  and  brushing 


60          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

away  the  flies  from  its  face  with  a  branch  off  the  nearest 
tree,  held  in  its  trunk  ;  while,  with  its  funny  little  eyes, 
it  meantime  kept  a  sharp  look-out  on  the  fast  accumu- 
lating pile  of  enormous  cbupatties  which  the  child's 
parents  were  engaged  in  making,  and  which,  it  knew 
well,  were  destined  for  its  own  supper.  Sometimes,  if 
wakeful  and  lively,  the  baby  would  crawl  away  a  little 
distance  from  its  guardian,  but  the  latter — aware  that 
its  allowance  of  cbupatties  depended  on  its  attention 
to  its  duties  as  nursery-maid — would  never  allow  the 
little  one  to  get  beyond  reach,  but  lifted  it  back  to  its 
former  position  with  its  trunk,  in  the  gentlest  manner 
possible. 

My  Arabs  got  so  accustomed  to  following  me  about 
all  over  the  place,  that  when  we  were  once  more  settled 
in  our  bungalow,  one  of  them — "  Black  Satin  "  by  name, 
usually  mis-called  "  Black  Satan  !  " — when  I  was  not 
looking,  followed  me  up  the  steps,  across  the  verandah, 
and  into  the  drawing-room,  in  search  of  more  sugar  ! 
I,  all  unconscious  of  my  visitor,  only  became  aware  of 
his  presence  when  he  stretched  his  neck  over  my 
shoulder,  seized  an  antimacassar  off  the  sofa,  and 
swallowed  it  whole  before  my  eyes  ! 

My  husband  had  one  nasty  adventure  with  a  riding 
horse  of  his,  whom  we  were  feeding  with  sugar  in  his 
loose-box.  Suddenly  the  brute,  a  rather  vicious 
country-bred,  seized  his  master's  thumb  in  his  teeth, 
regularly  crunching  the  bone.  Nothing  would  make 
him  let  go,  and  he  kept  throwing  up  his  head  out  of 
reach,  so  that  his  victim  could  not  free  himself,  and  the 
syce  was  not  at  hand  at  the  moment.  I  only  was  with 
your  father,  and  in  desperation,  rather  to  his  terror, 
managed  to  pass  my  hand  into  the  horse's  mouth, 
behind  his  teeth,  seize  his  tongue  and  twist  it,  at  the 


NATIVE    SERVANTS   AND   CAMP   LIFE     61 

same  time  startling  the  beast  with  a  blow  on  the  nose. 
It  was,  of  course,  a  risky  manoeuvre,  but  successful. 
The  injury  was  already  severe  and  tetanus  dreaded,  the 
wound  being  in  such  a  dangerous  position. 

In  view  of  this  possibility,  Login  himself  made  all 
the  preparations  for  amputation  of  the  thumb,  and,  as 
it  was  that  on  his  right  hand,  and  he  therefore  could 
not  himself  perform  the  operation,  he  sent  for  his 
apothecary,  and  gave  him  most  minute  instructions 
how  to  proceed,  undertaking  to  do  all  that  he  could 
personally,  short  of  using  the  actual  knife  ! 

On  the  other  hand,  my  Arab  "  Sultan,"  I  verily 
believe,  saved  my  life  on  one  occasion  when  I  was 
riding  alone  at  Mussoorie,  accompanied  only  by  my 
syce.  I  happened  to  be  away  from  my  husband  in  the 
Hills.  He  had  bought  a  small  property  at  Mussoorie, 
on  which  were  two  or  three  bungalows,  so  I  was  often 
sent  up  there  with  the  children  in  the  hot  weather. 

I  had  been  out  for  my  early  morning  ride,  and  was 
coming  homewards,  following  a  track  on  which  there 
was  room  for  only  one  quadruped,  the  cliff  overhanging 
the  pathway  on  the  one  hand,  while  the  other  fell  sheer 
away  in  precipices  of  many  hundreds  of  feet.  Turning 
the  corner  of  a  projecting  rock,  I  saw  a  horseman 
advancing  towards  me  on  the  same  path,  and  to  my 
horror  and  that  of  my  syce,  recognised  him  as  an  officer 
I  knew,  mounted  on  a  notoriously  vicious,  country- 
bred  animal,  the  aversion  and  absolute  terror  of  the  other 
riders  in  the  station  ! 

As  he  came  nearer,  I  perceived  that  he  was  pale  with 
terror,  and  quite  incapable  of  exerting  any  control  over 
his  beast,  which,  the  instant  it  caught  sight  of  us,  came 
tearing  on  in  a  mad  fury,  seized  my  horse's  neck  with 
his  teeth,  absolutely  trying  to  shake  him  as  a  terrier 


62          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

does  a  rat  !  In  the  moment  that  the  two  horses  closed, 
the  Englishman — I  regret  to  have  to  say  it  !—  slid  off 
over  his  horse's  cruppers,  leaving  me  to  my  fate !  I 
could  not,  if  I  would,  have  followed  his  example,  for 
my  feet  in  the  side-saddle  were  already  overhanging  the 
precipice,  and  it  was  all  I  could  do  to  keep  my  seat,  as 
the  horses  went  at  it  "  tooth  and  hoof  "  !  They  fought, 
standing  erect  on  their  hind  feet,  biting  and  striking 
each  other  with  their  fore-feet.  The  syce  behind  me 
was  powerless  to  do  anything.  I  helped  "  Sultan," 
who  fought  really  in  my  defence,  all  I  could,  by  hitting 
the  other  horse  vigorously  with  the  butt-end  of  my 
whip,  but  with  very  little  effect. 

Mercifully,  in  the  end,  "  Sultan,"  with  an  heroic 
effort,  threw  his  opponent  over  the  khudd  (precipice), 
while  retaining  his  own  balance,  and  I  was  spared  to 
return  to  my  children  in  safety  ! 

I  had  to  leave  "  Sultan  "  behind  in  India  when  I 
went  home  with  the  children.  My  husband  took  him 
through  the  Sikh  War,  and  had  him  in  Lahore  for  some 
time,  but  finding  him  too  light  for  his  weight,  had  to 
sell  him.  John  Lawrence,  who  kindly  managed  the  sale 
of  his  stud  for  him,  sold  him  to  Brigadier  Wheeler 
for  his  daughter's  use,  and  it  may  be  that  he  perished 
with  his  mistress  in  the  awful  tragedy  at  Cawnpore. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    LAWRENCES 

DURING  our  time  at  Lucknow  it  was  that  we  made 
the  acquaintance  of  the  Henry  Lawrences,  and,  as  you 
know,  they  were  from  that  time  forward  till  their  deaths 
our  very  dear  and  intimate  friends.  He  and  your 
father  were  inseparables,  when  they  could  be  together, 
and — what  is  more  uncommon — I  think  that  I  and 
Honoria  Lawrence  were  quite  as  devoted  to  one  another, 
and  perhaps  even  better  correspondents  !  I  have  never 
met  a  woman  quite  like  Honoria,  never  a  wife  who  more 
entirely  shared  in,  and  helped,  her  husband  in  his  work, 
yet  without  in  any  way  bringing  that  fact  to  the  know- 
ledge of  the  world  at  large. 

Both  of  them  were  god-parents  to  our  children  ;  and 
I  have  Henry  Lawrence's  letter  from  Nepal,  dated 
February  nth,  1845,  in  which  he  mentions  that  fact. 
This  is  what  he  writes  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  My  wife  has  been  very  ill,  so  ill  that  for  a  week  I 
feared  for  her  life.  ...  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  your 
dear  wife  has  been  so  ill  too.  I  regret  much  that  you 
did  not  make  up  your  minds  earlier  to  spend  the  hot 
season  with  us  here.  .  .  .  Let  your  brother  Tom  come 
to  us  ....  my  invitation  is  for  the  whole  year  for 
certain.  After  that  I  will  launch  him,  and  if  he  is 
your  brother  he'll  find  his  own  legs  !  .  .  .  My  dear  wife 
will  gladly  undertake  the  office  of  god-mother  to  the 


64          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

last   arrival  *  (remember  our  compact,  that   the   next 
boy  is  to  be  my  godsonf). 

"Yours, 

"H.  M.  L." 

Lawrence  and  his  wife  stayed  with  us  at  Lucknow 
on  his  way  to  Khatmandoo.  He  was  then  writing 
articles  for  the  Calcutta  Review,  of  which  Sir  John 
Kaye  was  the  editor,  and  urged  Login  to  do  the  same. 
We  were  living  in  the  very  house  in  the  Residency  into 
which  Lawrence  was  carried  wounded  to  die  ;  and  in  that 
same  verandah  where  the  two  friends  sat  over  their 
chota  bazri,  in  the  delicious  cold  weather  mornings,  after 
their  early  ride,  discussing  all  things  in  heaven  and 
earth,  and  especially  in  India,  Henry  Lawrence  was  to 
breathe  out  his  last  sigh,  and  compose  that  pathetic 
epitaph  graven  on  his  tomb  :  "  Here  lies  Henry  Law- 
rence, who  tried  to  do  his  duty  !  " 

His  letters  from  Khatmandoo  were  full  of  humor- 
ous and  quaint  remarks.  "  Our  Prince  here  has  put 
down  his  papa,"  he  wrote  on  one  occasion,  "  and  is 
giving  me  a  lot  of  trouble.  Last  week  they  murdered 
('  killed  '  they  call  it  !)  sixteen  of  the  opposition  party, 
so  now  all  hands  can  call  the  boy  to  the  throne  !  "  'I 
have  no  wish  to  get  Lucknow  unless  I  am  allowed  full 
swing  to  carry  out  my  schemes  for  the  amelioration  of  the 
people,"  he  says  in  another  letter,  "...  but  if  I  were 
employed  in  Oude  I  should  certainly  stipulate  to  have 
the  benefit  of  your  services.  Don't  you  think  we  could 
make  something  of  that  fine  country  between  us  ?  ... 
I  wish  I  had  your  brother  James  here  for  companionship, 
for  my  rides  are  very  lonely.  F and  his  wife  are 

*  Lena  Margaret  Campbell  Login,  died  at  Pau,  February  2oth,  1866,  aged 
21  years. 

f  Rear-Admiral  Spencer  Henry  Metcalfe  Login,  C.V.O.,  died  January  22nd, 
1909. 


SIR    HENRY    MONTGOMERY    LAWRENCE.    K.C.B. 


THE   LAWRENCES  65 

respectable  people  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  world's 
respectability,  but  their  hearts  are  gizzards  !     He  has 
only  three  ideas  in  his  head  :   (a)  There  is  no  such  thing 
as  poverty  in  England,    (b)  The  English  Church  is  purity 
and  propriety  personified,    (c)  Antigua.    We  have  never 
any  disagreement  ;  simply  we  don't  milao  (assimilate)." 
His  letter  acknowledging  ours  on  his  wife's  death  is 
very  touching  in  its  simple  reference  :    "  My  trial  is  a 
sore  one,  and  hard  to  bear — God's  will  be  done  !     Yes, 
I  will  try  to  go  to  Roorkee.     Napier  will  probably  be 
there,  and  I  wish  to  meet  him,  also  to  see  Cautley,  and 
Mr.   Colvin,   and   your   party."      In   one   from  Mount 
Aboo,  dated  June  i8th,  when  we  were  already  back  in 
England,  he  thanked  Login  for  helping  his  son  Alec, 
and  asked  him  to  spur  the  boy  on  to  use  his  powers,  "  as 
he  is  amiable  but  unenergetic,  I  fear.    You  have  been 
accustomed  to  youths,  and  might  influence  him  much. 
...     I  will  be  obliged  by  any  help  you  can  give." 

Honoria  Lawrence's  letters  stretch  over  a  period  of 
nine  years  ;  some  are  from  Nepal,  and  one,  a  farewell 
one,  from  Serampore,  on  her  way  home,  2ist  February, 
1846,  speaks  of  her  "  little  Prince  Waldemar  "  (he  was 
godchild  of  Prince  Waldemar  of  Prussia,  then  travelling 
in  the  Himalayas,  who  also  stayed  with  us  at  Futtehghur, 
accompanied  by  M.  de  Tocqueville,  the  French  explorer) 
as  "  the  Prince  of  babies,  such  a  little  bundle  of  fun  and 
sweetness  !  Kiss  both  of  your  babies  for  me,  and  a 
double  share  for  my  god-child.  Love  to  Dr.  Login," 
she  concludes,  "  from  your  very  affectionate,  H.  LAW- 
RENCE." In  the  last  one  written  from  Lahore,  December 
2Oth,  1852,  she  again  inquires  after  my  eldest  boy,  and 
her  little  god-daughter,  and  says  :  "  Just  nine  years 
ago  I  was  receiving  your  kindness  at  Lucknow,  and 
enjoying  my  visit  very  much.  Since  then  I  am  become 


66          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

a  very  old  woman,  feeble  and  tottering,  but  with  great 
happiness  in  my  lot.  ...  In  spite  of  all  appearances 
to  the  contrary  "  (she  was  a  most  irregular  correspon- 
dent), "  affectionately  yours,  HONORIA  LAWRENCE." 

My  husband,  of  course,  knew  George  Lawrence  and 
his  wife  at  Cabul,  and  it  was  during  his  Afghanistan 
service  he  first  met  Troup  and  Colin  Mackenzie,  Henry 
Havelock,  Outram,  Sir  George  Pollock,  Pottinger, 
D'Arcy  Todd  and  many  others.  He  acted  at  Cabul  as 
Private  Secretary  to  Sir  William  Macnaghton,  the 
murdered  envoy,  while  Lieutenant  Conolly  was  away 
on  a  mission  to  Kandahar.  Indeed,  he  only  came  down 
the  Cabul  River,  by  raft,  from  Jellalabad  to  Attock, 
in  August,  1841,  two  months  before  the  insurrection 
broke  out  at  Cabul.  He  had  been  attached  to  the 
political  mission  at  Herat  since  1838,  taking  over  from 
Eldred  Pottinger  the  charitable  works  he  had  started 
there,  and  adding  to  them,  amongst  other  things,  the 
revival  of  the  carpet-weaving,  for  which  Herat  in 
earlier  times  had  been  famous. 

Afterwards  he  became  closely  associated  in  his  work 
with  both  Henry  and  John  Lawrence,  when  he  served 
under  them  in  the  Punjab  Government,  and  it  was  with 
breathless  interest  and  heart-sick  anxiety  he  followed 
every  detail  of  the  glorious  tragedy  of  Lucknow,  and 
from  his  situation  at  home,  was  able  very  materially  to 
assist  in  obtaining  for  the  Lawrence  brothers  and  their 
children  public  recognition  of  their  services  to  their 
country. 

Although  the  question  •  of  a  baronetcy  for  Henry 
Lawrence's  son,  and  a  peerage  for  John  Lawrence, 
was  mooted  and  discussed,  and  openly  debated,  so  that 
friends  wrote  to  congratulate  the  latter  on  the  honour 
awarded  him,  the  Government  procrastinated  and 


THE   LAWRENCES  67 

haggled,  in  the  most  galling  manner,  and  up  to  April 
or  May,  1858,  John  Lawrence  had  not  a  line  from  anyone 
in  authority  regarding  a  peerage,  or  indeed  of  any  inten- 
tion of  doing  anything  for  him  !  And  Alec  Lawrence, 
Henry's  son,  though  the  fact  that  he  was  to  have  a 
pension  was  mentioned  in  the  newspapers,  had  received 
no  account  of  it.  Sir  John  Lawrence,  of  course,  would 
not  move  in  the  matter,  and,  as  he  said  himself,  though 
he  should  like  to  have  a  peerage  if  it  were  given  freely 
and  gracefully,  with  a  pension  for  two  generations,  "  on 
the  other  hand  I  shall  not  be  unhappy  if  I  get  nothing. 
It  is  highly  satisfactory  to  me  to  feel  that  I  have  to  any 
extent  done  my  duty  ;  that  I  have  not  lived  in  vain  ; 
that  I  have  been  useful  in  my  generation  ;  and  that 
my  services  have  been  acknowledged  by  my  country. 
I  was  very  much  pleased  at  receiving  the  thanks  of 
Parliament."  In  this  same  letter,  written  to  his  brother- 
in-law,  he  adds  :  "  Thank  Sir  John  Login  for  so  kindly 
thinking  of  my  interests." 

In  another  letter  written  about  the  same  date  from 
Rawul  Pindi,  he  speaks  thus  of  the  position  of  affairs 
in  India  : 

"  Affairs  out  here  are  slowly  coming  round.  The 
great  masses  of  the  Mutineers  and  Insurgents  have 
broken  up.  We  hold  Lucknow  now  in  strength,  and  have 
reconquered  Rohilkund.  But  we  have  little  footing  in 
Oude  beyond  the  range  of  our  guns.  It  will  take 
another  cold  weather,  at  least,  before  we  can  put  down 
all  opposition.  The  guerillas  are  now  trying  their  hands 
at  guerilla  tactics,  and  if  they  only  persevere,  must  do 
us  infinite  damage.  In  the  best  seasons  they  can  walk 
round  our  troops,  encumbered  as  they  are  with  baggage 
and  other  impedimenta.  But  in  this  weather,  exposure 
is  certain  death  to  many  of  our  men,  sunstroke,  apoplexy, 
fever,  and  dysentery,  will  terribly  thin  our  ranks  before 


68          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

next  October.  I  myself  am  a  strong  advocate  for  some 
kind  of  amnesty.  But  few  are  of  my  way  of  thinking. 
The  general  cry  is  for  a  war  of  extermination  !  No  one 
seems  to  count  the  cost.  Had  we  done  this,  when  we 
last  advanced  on  Lucknow,  affairs  would  have  been  in 
a  better  state  than  they  are  now.  We  should  then  have 
only  had  the  desperadoes  to  deal  with.  Now  we  have 
all  united  in  one  common  bond  against  us.  We  cannot 
run  down  and  kill  40,000  or  50,000  of  such  fellows 
without  suffering  ourselves. 

"  Policy,  therefore,  to  say  nothing  of  humanity, 
dictates  a  compromise.  People  in  England  seem  to 
think  that  we  can  hold  India  without  a  Native  Army  ! 
However  essential  Europeans  are  to  us,  Native  Troops 
are  still  perhaps  more  so.  We  can  do  nothing  without 
the  latter.  Much  misfortune  here  has  doubtless  arisen 
from  keeping  up  too  small  a  body  of  European  troops, 
but  we  must  take  care  not  to  fall  into  the  opposite 
error. 

"...  The  danger  now  is,  that  a  feeling  of  hatred 
will  continue  between  the  two  races,  which  must 
assuredly  sooner  or  later  bear  bitter  fruit.  The  Punjab 
continues  peaceful  and  prosperous.  Under  God's 
mercy,  the  secret  of  administrative  arrangements  is  to 
care  for  small  things — to  prevent  mischief  recurring. 
Matters  have  come  to  that  pass  down  below,  that  years 
will  probably  elapse  before  order  and  security  are 
restored.  ...  At  the  present  mode  of  going  on,  we 
shall  require  a  steady  influx  of  European  Troops,  to 
the  extent,  probably,  of  20,000  per  annum,  to  enable  us 
to  overcome  all  opposition." 

I  give  these  quotations,  only  because  it  is  always  of 
interest  to  know  the  opinion  of  the  great  men  of  the 
moment  on  the  course  advisable  in  stupendous  crises 
of  our  history  ;  also  one  likes  one's  children  to  know  how 
closely  associated  was  their  father  with  the  central 
facts  of  Indian  statesmanship.  Sir  Charles  Trevelyan, 


LORD    LAWRENCE. 


THE   LAWRENCES  69 

then  at  the  Treasury,  wrote  that  John  Lawrence  had 
appealed  to  him  to  see  that  the  Lawrence  Asylum 
Fund  got  proper  endowment,  and  begged  Login  to  help 
him  with  his  counsel,  but  not  to  show  John  Lawrence's 
letters,  or  take  any  steps,  till  they  could  confer  together 
on  the  subject.  He  asks  him  at  the  same  time  to 
introduce  him  to  Lady  Lawrence,  who  was  then  in 
England. 

Mrs.  Bernard,  sister  of  the  Lawrences,  interested 
my  husband  to  get  a  cadetship  for  the  son  of  her  brother 
Richard,  which  he  was  very  pleased  to  do,  and  she 
also  suggested  that  the  same  distinctions  and  help 
conferred  on  Sir  Henry  Havelock's  family  might  very 
properly  be  given  to  the  three  orphans  of  the  defender 
of  Lucknow.  "  Could  you,  dear  Sir  John,  without  pain 
to  yourself,"  she  remarks,  "  bring  this  subject  before 
any  of  the  high  personages  in  the  realm  ?  .  .  .  You  will 
excuse  my  writing  to  you,  as  I  do  not  know  Lord  Stanley 
personally,  or  anybody  who  has  so  much  communication 
with  the  Court  as  yourself.  .  .  .  But  I  would  much 
rather  leave  it  in  your  hands,  knowing  well  how  his 
memory  is  revered  by  you,  and  how  much  he  thought 
of  you  when  he  was  alive."  Three  days  later,  she  writes 
to  express  "  the  gratitude  that  we  all  feel  to  you  for 
your  most  kind  and  successful  exertions.  The  recog- 
nition of  our  dear  Henry's  merits  will  be  most  grateful 
to  his  family.  .  .  .  Richard  has  five  sons,  and  in 
regimental  rank  is  only  a  captain,  so  you  can  easily 
imagine  the  service  you  have  done  him  !  " 

Sir  John  W.  Kaye  wrote  some  months  later  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  A  move  is  to  be  made  in  the  Court  of  Proprietors 
against  the  grant  to  Sir  John  Lawrence,  partly  on 
religious,  or  rather  anti-religious,  grounds  ;  his  offence 


70          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

being  that  he  made  a  public  manifestation  of  his  respect 
for  Christianity,  and  his  desire  to  do  justice  to  native 
Christians.  I  am  not  sure  that  the  party  is  strong  enough 
to  make  much  fight,  but  we  ought  to  muster,  not  only 
the  friends  of  the  Lawrences,  but  the  friends  of  Chris- 
tianity. .  .  .  Let  me  hear  from,  or  see,  you,  as  soon  as 
possible.  ..."  * 

Dr.  Bernard,  guardian  of  John's  children,  also 
thanked  him  for  expediting  Alec's  baronetcy,  saying  it 
would  be  "  an  additional  pleasure  to  dear  Alec  to  hear 
how,  at  the  last,  as  at  the  first,  you  have  been  concerned 
in  this  matter.  ...  I  am  thinking  of  writing  myself 
to  Lord  Derby,  and  enclose  draft,  as  I  should  not  dream 
of  using  the  arguments  I  do  without  your  sanction. 
Except  to  John  himself,  and  to  Harriet  (Lady  Lawrence), 
what  transpired  as  to  the  peerage  went  not  beyond 
our  own  house,  which  included  Mrs.  Hayes.  .  .  .  What 
he  has  himself  said  about  it  is  very  little.  I  believe, 
in  fact,  that  you  have  seen  it  all.  ...  I  cannot  but 
feel  disappointed  at  the  shabby  way  in  which  the  present 
Government  are  dealing  with  him  in  the  matter  of  the 
peerage  "  (after  the  offer  of  one  had  actually  been  trans- 
mitted to  him  unofficially  but  with  the  highest  authority, 
many  months  before  !).  This  was  the  way  in  which  the 
Cabinet  at  home  translated  the  wishes  of  the  nation  who 
hailed  him  as  the  "  saviour  of  India,"  merely  because, 
having  spent  his  life  in  the  service  of  the  Empire  beyond 
the  seas,  he  was  unknown  personally  to  Government 
officials,  or  to  political  parties  at  Westminster  !  Dr. 
Bernard  adds  : 

"  Quern  Deus  vult  perdere  dementat  prius.  .  .  .  These 
sad  Indian  experiences  seem  likely  to  be  thrown  away. 
How  much  of  increase,  or  return,  of  European  influence, 

*  See  "  India  under  Victoria,"  Captain  Trotter,  Vol.  II.,  p.  105. 


THE   LAWRENCES  71 

would  accrue  to  our  country  from  having  India  put  into 
vigorous  and  able  hands  !  I  fear  that  most  things  there 
are  drifting  back  into  the  old  channels,  except  the  native 
mind,  which  will  never  fall  into  the  old  channel !  That 
will  have  gained  power  by  the  experience  of  the  last 
year,  at  any  rate.  Under  the  mask  of  these  despicable 
routinisms,  one  cannot  but  see  a  want  of  manly  courage 
in  our  home  administration,  quite  as  much  as  in  that  of 
India.  John  would  be  an  unpopular  G.G.,  for  under 
him  men  would  have  to  do  their  work  honestly  or 
vacate  their  offices  !  .  .  .  Our  lads  *  give  an  amusing 
account  of  how  he  stopped  three  days  at  Rawul  Pindee, 
where  Herbert  Edwardes  and  Becher  came  to  him  by 
appointment,  and  the  three  talked  over  public  affairs 
from  10  a.m.  to  6  p.m.  each  day,  sometimes  one,  and 
sometimes  another,  taking  a  short  nap  and  waking 
up  to  join  in  the  conversation.  The  third  evening  the 
two  departed  and  John  went  on.  They  don't  work 
like  this  at  home  ? 

"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"JAMES  F.  BERNARD." 

*  Alec  Lawrence,   Sir  Henry's  son,   and  Charles   Bernard  (afterwards   Sir 
Charles  Bernard,  K.C.S.L),  son  of  the  writer. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LAHORE    TREASURY   AND    THE    KOH-I-NOOR 

MY  husband  left  Lucknow  in  October,  1848,  at  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Second  Sikh  War,  in  order  to  resume 
field  service,  and  was  present  at  several  of  the  principal 
engagements.  It  was  a  current  joke  against  him  often 
during  the  early  part  of  his  career,  amongst  his  brother- 
officers,  that  he  was  as  keen  to  distinguish  himself  in 
laying  the  guns  at  the  beginning,  as  he  was  in  carrying 
off  the  wounded  under  fire  afterwards  ! 

It  was  at  Gujerat,  I  believe,  that  a  bullet  was  dis- 
covered to  have  passed  through  the  chair  he  was  seated 
on,  while  amputating  a  man's  arm.  All  standing  round 
rushed  from  the  spot,  but  Login  never  even  looked  up 
until  the  operation  was  safely  finished. 

Meanwhile,  I,  in  November,  started  for  England  with 
my  three  eldest  children,  and  after  spending  some  time 
in  London  and  Edinburgh,  and  paying  a  flying  visit 
to  Kinloch,  settled  first  at  St.  Roque  and  then  at 
Clifton,  and  leaving  my  children  in  charge  of  a  lady 
living  in  Edinburgh,  rejoined  my  husband  at  Futtehghur. 

My  husband's  letters  from  Lahore,  where  he  was  hard 
at  work  under  Henry  Lawrence,  kept  me  informed  of 
all  the  wonderful  events  of  that  time.  At  first  he  was 
unofficially  employed  making  an  estimate  of  military 
expenditure  and  the  cost  of  raising  several  Irregular 
Cavalry  Corps.  He  was  also  sent  out  into  the  district 
to  receive  the  submission  of  the  Khalsa  regiments — one 
European  with  a  small  native  escort,  by  moral  influence, 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    73 

inducing  hundreds  to  lay  down  their  arms  !  He  was 
recommended  to  Lord  Dalhousie  for  the  appointment  of 
Guardian  of  the  young  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh  by 
Henry  Lawrence,  Head  of  the  Punjab  Commission,  and 
John  and  George  Lawrence.  He  consulted  John  Law- 
rence first,  he  told  me,  as  to  whether  he  would  be  wise 
to  continue  in  the  political  department,  rather  than 
return  to  professional  work,  as  his  prospects  were  so 
high  in  the  surgical  line,  because  he  thought  his  opinion 
would  be  less  biassed  than  Henry's,  less  influenced  by 
personal  friendship  and  intimacy,  since  he  had  known 
Henry  for  so  long. 

On  the  6th  April  he  was  installed  by  Henry  Lawrence, 
with  the  Governor-General's  sanction,  as  Governor  of 
the  Citadel  and  its  contents,  including  all  the  political 
prisoners  and  harems  of  the  late  Maharajahs,  the 
Toshkhana,  or  Treasury,  with  its  jewels  and  valuables, 
amongst  which  was  the  Koh-i-noor,  kept  always  under 
a  special  guard,  and  also  as  Governor  to  the  young 
dethroned  king,  Duleep  Singh,  a  very  lovable,  intelligent 
and  handsome  boy,  of  twelve  years  of  age,  who  very 
speedily  developed  a  great  affection  for  his  guardian, 
and  came  to  Login  four  days  later  with  a  portrait  of 
himself  to  be  despatched  to  me  with  his  salaam  !  He 
begged  me  to  be  informed  that  he  had  written  his  name 
below  that  I  might  be  sure  it  was  genuine,  and  was 
very  proud  of  being  able  to  do  so  himself  in  Persian  and 
in  English  !  This  was  only  a  first  sample  of  the  genuine 
simplicity  and  cordiality  of  his  relations  with  us,  all 
throughout  our  intercourse,  and  the  very  real  interest 
and  sympathy  he  showed  to  us  and  our  children.  By 
his  directions,  a  sketch  of  the  Palace  and  its  surroundings 
was  made  for  me  at  the  same  time.  His  great  amuse- 
ment then  (as  it  was  later  on)  was  hawking  or  falconry, 


74          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

of  which  he  was  passionately  fond,  and  he  was  busy 
getting  up  a  book  on  the  subject  in  Persian,  with  draw- 
ings and  paintings  of  all  the  various  species  of  hawks, 
which  took  up  his  whole  time  and  attention.  He  em- 
ployed several  native  artists  at  this  work,  and  tried  his 
hand  occasionally  at  drawing  and  painting  himself. 
He  was  unusually  well  educated  for  an  Indian  prince 
of  those  days,  reading  and  writing  Persian  very  well, 
and  having  already  made  some  progress  in  English. 

My  husband  at  first  lived  in  the  Residency  at  Lahore, 
with  Lawrence,  where  George  Lawrence  and  his  wife 
after  their  release  from  captivity  joined  the  party, 
and  Herbert  Edwardes  was  also  there  for  a  time,  on 
leave  from  Mooltan.  But  after  he  was  made  Governor 
of  the  Maharajah,  he  was  apportioned  a  part  of  the 
Palace,  enclosed  in  a  very  beautiful  garden,  with  five 
marble  baradurries  (hall,  reception-room),  fountains, 
etc.,  somewhat  in  the  style  of  the  Shah  Munzil  at 
Lucknow,  only  more  magnificent,  being  in  marble. 
He  soon  had  a  door  of  communication  opened  between 
his  rooms  and  the  Maharajah's  apartments,  as  he  found 
his  charge  was  happier  when  he  knew  he  had  him  always 
within  call.  He  gravely  informed  his  new  Governor 
that  he  would  not  trust  himself  again  amongst  the 
Sikhs,  and  declined  to  go  out  for  a  ride  or  drive  unless 
he  was  with  him.  As  soon  as  the  Maharajah  heard  that 
the  opening  had  been  cut,  he  wanted  to  go  with  him  to 
see  it !  There  was  a  small  hole,  only  just  large  enough 
to  pass  through  in  a  crouching  position,  and  a  drop  of 
several  feet  into  the  doctor's  room.  Login  having  leapt 
down,  the  Maharajah  called  to  him  to  catch  him,  and 
sprang  into  his  arms  !  and  his  whole  retinue,  some  of 
them  stout,  elderly  courtiers,  punctiliously  followed 
suit,  as  in  duty  bound,  looking  as  solemn  as  if  assisting 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    75 

at  a  Court  ceremonial  !  Guardian  and  ward  appre- 
ciated the  humour  of  the  scene,  and  mutually  recog- 
nising the  efforts  it  cost  to  preserve  a  semblance 
of  gravity,  cemented  on  the  spot  a  lasting  friend- 
ship. 

As  "  Killah-ki-Malik  "  (i.e.,  Lord,  or  Master)  of  Lahore 
Citadel,  Login  had  complete  authority  there,  had  charge 
of  all  guards,  stores,  magazines  and  treasures,  as  well  as 
the  State  prisoners.  He  had  some1  European  assistants, 
and  some  sergeants  of  Horse  Artillery,  four  European 
writers,  and  several  moonshees  and  mutsuddies,  to 
assist  him  in  making  out  lists  of  the  arms  of  all  kinds, 
and  of  the  vast  camp-equipage  of  all  the  late  rulers  of 
the  Punjab.  Such  a  collection  it  was  of  splendid 
Cashmere  tents,  carpets  and  purdahs,  with  horse  and. 
elephant  trappings  !  My  husband  himself  took  the 
listing  of  the  jewel  department,  with  Misr  Makraj 
(the  late  Maharajah's  Treasurer,  whose  family  had  been 
custodians  of  the  Koh-i-noor  for  two  or  three  genera- 
tions) as  Assistant-Keeper  of  the  Toshkhana.  The  way 
in  which  jewels  of  the  highest  value  were  stowed  away 
was  extraordinary.  On  one  occasion  Login  found  some 
valuable  rings,  including  one  with  a  beautiful  portrait 
of  Queen  Victoria,  huddled  together  in  a  bag,  and 
suggested  that  it  would  be  well  to  tie  a  label  to  each 
with  an  account  of  their  history  and  value,  attaching 
it  by  a  string,  until  the  velvet  rolls  that  he  had  ordered 
for  them  were  ready.  The  next  time  he  saw  them  they 
had  all  been  strung  on  strings,  dozen  by  dozen,  like  so 
many  buttons  !  His  first  rough  estimate  of  the  jewels  in 
the  Toshkhana,  exclusive  of  the  Koh-i-noor,  was  little 
short  of  a  million  pounds. 

The  Koh-i-noor  was  always  kept  under  a  strong  guard 
and  in  a  safe  in  the  Toshkhana.  Lord  Dalhousie,  in  his 


76          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

letters,  relates*  how  Login  used  to  show  it,  on  a  table 
covered  with  black  velvet,  the  diamond  alone  appear- 
ing through  a  hole  cut  in  the  cloth,  thrown  up  by 
the  blackness  around  it.  Before  this  arrangement  was 
made,  your  father  always  followed  the  advice  of  the  old 
native  Treasurer  when  showing  it  to  visitors,  and  con- 
tinued the  practice  observed  by  Runjeet's  Toshkhana 
officials,  viz.,  never  to  let  it  out  of  his  own  hands,  but 
twist  the  strings  securing  it  as  an  armlet  firmly  around 
his  own  fingers. 

The  original  stone,  as  most  people  know,  was  found 
in  the  mines  of  Golconda,  and  remained  for  generations 
in  the  possession  of  the  Rajahs  of  Malwa,  from  whom 
the  Emperor  Alad-ed-deen  obtained  it  by  conquest. 
In  1526  it  came  into  the  hands  of  the  Moguls,  till  Nadir 
Shah,  the  Persian,  who  conquered  Mohammed  Shah  in 
1739,  got  it  from  his  vanquished  foe,  by  the  clever 
ruse  of  exchanging  turbans  in  sign  of  friendship  !  But 
Nadir's  son,  Shah  Rokh,  lost  it  to  the  Durani  Ahmed 
Shah,  and  so  it  remained  with  the  Afghan  Dynasty, 
till  Shah  Soojah,  when  driven  from  Cabul  by  Dost 
Mahommed,  brought  it,  in  his  flight,  to  the  dominions 
of  Runjeet  Singh,  who  stipulated  that  the  famous  jewel 
should  be  the  price  of  his  hospitality  and  support  to  the 
fugitive.  Shah  Soojah  exhausted  every  expedient  to 
avoid  giving  it  up  ;  and  as  everything  connected  with  the 
history  of  the  jewel  interests  most  people,  you  may  like 
to  hear  the  account  which  your  father  got  from  Misr 
Makraj,  who  remained  on  as  his  assistant  in  charge  at 
the  Toshkhana,  eloquent  in  his  expressions  of  relief  at 
being  set  free  from  the  sole  responsibility  ;  for,  as  he 
said,  "  the  Koh-i-noor  had  been  fatal  to  so  many  of  his 

*  "  Private  Letters  of  the  Marquess  of  Dalhousie,"  by  J.  G.  A.  Baird,  pp.  124, 

172. 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    77 

family  that  he  had  hardly  hoped  ever  to  survive  the 
charge  of  it  !  " 

According  to  Misr  Makraj,  Shah  Soojah-Ool-Moolk, 
at  the  time  the  Koh-i-noor  was  taken  from  him  by 
Runjeet  Singh,  was  in  confinement,  with  his  family, 
in  the  house  of  the  Dewan  Lukput  Rai. 

When  the  Maharajah's  officers,  amongst  whom  was 
Fakeer  Azizoodeen,  came  to  him  to  demand  the  jewel, 
"  he  sent  by  their  hands,"  says  Misr  Makraj,  "  a  large 
pookraj  (topaz)  of  a  yellow  colour,  which  the  Shah  stated 
t'o  be  the  Koh-i-noor."  But  the  Maharajah's  jewellers, 
who  were  sent  for  to  test  it,  soon  told  him  the  trick  that 
had  been  played.  "  He  kept  the  topaz,"  writes  the 
worthy  Treasurer  ;  "  but  sent  immediate  orders  to 
place  the  Shah  under  restraint  (tungai)  and  to  prevent 
him  from  eating  or  drinking  until  the  Koh-i-noor 
demanded  was  given  up,  as  he  had  attempted  to  impose 
upon  the  Maharajah  !  After  this  restraint  had  been 
continued  about  eight  hours,  the  Shah  gave  up  the 
Koh-i-noor  to  the  Vakeels  above  named,  who  imme- 
diately brought  it  to  the  Maharajah  in  the  Summun, 
where  it  was  shown  to  the  jewellers,  who  had  remained 
with  the  Maharajah  at  the  palace  until  the  return  of  the 
Vakeels.  The  Maharajah  had  dressed  for  the  evening 
Durbar,  and  was  seated  in  his  chair,  when  the  jewel  was 
brought  to  him.  It  was  brought  in  a  box  lined  with  crimson 
velvet,  into  which  it  had  been  fitted,  and  was  presented 
to  the  Maharajah,  who  expressed  great  satisfaction. 

"  It  was  at  that  time  set  alone  (singly)  in  an  enamelled 
setting,  with  strings  to  be  worn  as  an  armlet.  He  placed 
it  on  his  arm,  and  admired  it,  then,  after  a  time,  replaced 
it  in  its  box,  which,  with  the  topaz,  he  made  over  to 
Beelee  Ram,  to  be  placed  in  the  Toshkhana  under  the 
charge  of  Misr  Bustee  Ram  Toshkhaneea."  Afterwards, 


78          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

under  charge  of  Beelee  Ram,  it  was  carried  along  with 
the  Maharajah,  wherever  he  went,  under  a  strong  guard. 

"  It  was  always  carried  in  a  large  camel  trunk  placed 
on  the  leading  camel  (but  this  was  known  only  to  the 
people  of  the  Toshkhana),  the  whole  string  of  camels, 
which  generally  consisted  of  about  one  hundred,  being 
well  guarded  by  troops.  In  camp,  this  box  was  placed 
between  two  others  alike,  close  to  the  pole  of  the  tent, 
Misr  Beelee  Ram's  bed  very  close  to  it,  none  but  his 
relatives  and  confidential  servants  having  access  to 
the  place. 

"  For  four  or  five  years  it  was  worn  as  an  armlet,  then 
fitted  up  as  a  sirpesh  for  the  turban,  with  a  diamond 
drop  of  a  tolah  weight  (now  in  the  Toshkhana)  attached 
to  it.  It  was  worn  in  this  manner  for  about  a  year, 
on  three  or  four  occasions,  when  it  was  again  made  up  as 
an  armlet,  with  a  diamond  on  each  side,  as  at  present. 
It  has  now  been  used  as  an  armlet  for  upwards  of  twenty 
years." 

Shortly  before  the  death  of  Runjeet  Singh,  Rajah 
Dhyan  Singh,  Wuzeer,  sent  for  Beelee  Ram,  and  stated 
that  the  Maharajah  had  expressed  by  signs,  for  he  was 
by  then  speechless,  that  he  wished  the  Koh-i-noor  to 
be  given  away  in  charity.  But  to  this  Misr  Beelee  Ram 
objected,  saying  that  it  ought  to  remain  with  the  Maha- 
rajah's descendants,  and  that  already  twenty-one  lakhs 
of  rupees,  and  jewels  and  gold,  etc.,  had  been  given  away 
to  the  Brahmins.  When,  therefore,  Rajah  Dhyan  Singh 
obtained  uncontrolled  power,  he  threw  Misr  Beelee  Ram 
into  prison,  where  he  was  kept  for  four  months,  the  keys . 
of  the  Toshkhana  being  handed  over  to  Tej  Chund. 

But  on  the  accession  of  Maharajah  She  re  Singh, 
Misr  Beelee  Ram  was  at  once  again  called  into  office, 
and  continued  during  his  reign. 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    79 

Again,  the  day  after  Shere  Singh's  death,  Beclee 
Ram  was  seized  by  Heera  Singh's  people  and  sent  to 
the  house  of  Nawab  Sheik  Imamoodem,  by  whom  he 
was  disposed  of  in  the  Tykhana  (underground  room)  of 
his  house,  along  with  his  brother  and  another  official ! 

Beelee  Ram's  nephew,  Gunesh  Doss,  who  was  with 
him  at  the  time,  was  also  put  in  confinement,  along 
with  six  others  of  Beelee  Ram's  family,  including 
Misr  Makraj.  They  still  had  to  perform  their  duties 
in  the  Toshkhana,  though  the  keys  were  taken  from 
them. 

Misr  Makraj 's  statement,  which  my  husband  counter- 
signed and  preserved,  concludes  by  saying  that,  "  At 
Heera  Singh's  death,  Misr  Makraj  and  his  six  relatives 
were  released,  and  after  the  removal  of  Lai  Singh 
from  power,  the  charge  of  the  Toshkhana  and  Koh-i-noor 
again  came  into  the  hands  of  Misr  Makraj,  with  whom  it 
continued  without  intermission  until  made  over  to  Dr. 
J.  S.  Login  on  3rd  May,  1849,  when  taken  possession  of 
by  the  British  Government." 

As  to  the  notion  that  the  Koh-i-noor  brought  ill-luck 
to  its  possessors,  we  know  what  Lord  Dalhousie  thought 
of  such  an  idea.*  He  enumerates  the  long  line  of 
conquerors  who  held  it,  from  Akhbar  to  Runjeet  Singh, 
and  scoffs  at  the  bare  supposition  ;  and  then  tells  how 
when  the  last-named  desired  his  plundered  guest,  Shah 
Soojah,  to  tell  him  the  real  value  of  the  diamond,  the 
latter  replied  :  "  Its  value  is  '  good  fortune,'  for  who- 
ever holds  it  is  victorious  over  his  enemies."  This 
anecdote  was  told  the  "  great  Proconsul  "  by  Fakeer 
Noorooddeen,  who  had  himself  been  one  of  the  messen- 
gers from  Runjeet  Singh. 

I,  myself,  of  course,  never  saw  all  the  magnificence 

*  "  Private  Letters/'  etc.,  pp.  139,  395. 


8o          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

of  the  treasures  in  the  Lahore  Toshkhana  ;  but  this  is 
how  they  were  described  to  me  by  my  cousin,  Colonel 
Robert  Adams,  afterwards  second-in-command  of  the 
Guides,  and  Deputy-Commissioner  at  Peshawur,  where 
he  was  assassinated  by  a  Ghilzai  in  1864. 

"  CITADEL,  LAHORE, 

"  November  2nd,  1849. 

'  .  .  .  I  wish  you  could  walk  through  that  same 
Toshkhana  and  see  its  wonders  ;  the  vast  quantities  of 
gold  and  silver ;  the  jewels  not  to  be  valued,  so  many, 
and  so  rich  ;  the  Koh-i-noor,  far  beyond  what  I  had 
imagined  ;  Runjeet's  golden  chair  of  State  ;  silver 
pavilion  ;  Shah  Soojah's  ditto  ;  Relics  of  the  Prophet ; 
Kulgee  plume  of  the  last  Sikh  Guru  ;  sword  of  the  Per- 
sian hero  Rustum  (taken  from  Shah  Soojah)  ;  sword 
of  Holkar,  etc.  ;  and,  perhaps  above  all,  the  immense 
collection  of  magnificent  Cashmere  shawls,  rooms  full 
of  them,  laid  out  on  shelves  and  heaped  up  in  bales — it  is 
not  to  be  described  !  And  all  this  made  over  to  Login 
without  any  list  or  public  document  of  any  sort  ;  all 
put  in  his  hands  to  set  in  order,  value,  sell,  etc.  That 
speaks  volumes,  does  it  not,  for  the  character  he  bears 
with  those  whose  good  opinions  are  worth  having  ?  Few 
men,  I  fancy,  would  have  been  so  implicitly  trusted." 

By  Login's  special  request,  the  Governor-General 
raised  Misr  Makraj  to  the  rank  of  noble,  as  a  mark  of 
appreciation  of  his  integrity. 

In  his  letters  to  me  from  Lahore,  Login  mentioned 
to  me  on  two  occasions  that  Lord  Dalhousie  had  paid 
private  visits  of  inspection  to  the  Toshkhana,  but  their 
real  object  was  not  revealed  to  me  till  two  months  had 
elapsed.  On  January  2nd,  1850,  he  wrote  : 

"  .  .  .  It  was  a  great  relief  to  me  to  get  away  from 
Lahore  ....  Macgregor  took  over  charge  from  me.  ... 
I  got  Moolraj,  Chutter  Singh,  Shere  Singh  &  Co.  (the 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    81 

political  prisoners),  to  sign  a  Razeenama  in  Persian, 
which  they  did  with  great  readiness.  ...  I  shall 
deposit  it  along  with  the  receipt  for  the  Koh-i-noor, 
which  was  written  by  Lord  Dalhousie  himself,  in  the 
presence  of  Sir  H.  Elliot,  Sir  H.  Lawrence,  Mansel  and 
John  Lawrence,  and  countersigned  by  them  all.  They 
also  affixed  their  seals,  as  well  as  my  own,  to  the  State 
Jewels,  when  I  delivered  them  over.  This  document 
will  be  worth  keeping,  I  think,  and  something  for  my 
children  to  look  at  when  I  am  gone." 

Six  months  later,  he  says  : 

"  FUTTEHGHUR, 

"July  i6tb,  1850. 

"  I  see  by  the  papers  that  the  Koh-i-noor  arrived  in 
England.  ...  I  was  one  of  the  very  few  entrusted 
with  the  secret  of  its  disposal.  Indeed,  they  could  not 
have  got  access  to  it  without  my  knowledge,  seeing 
that  it  never  left  my  possession  from  the  day  I  received 
it  in  charge  !  I  may  tell  you  now  that  it  is  safe  that  Lord 
Dalhousie  came  to  my  quarters  before  he  left  Lahore, 
bringing  with  him  a  small  bag,  made  by  Lady  Dalhousie, 
to  hold  it  ;  and  after  I  had  formally  made  it  over  to 
him,  he  went  into  my  room,  and  fastened  it  round  his 
waist  under  his  clothes,  in  my  presence.  Lord  Dal- 
housie himself  wrote  out  the  formal  receipt  for  the  jewel ; 
and  there  my  responsibility  ended,  and  I  felt  it  a  great 
load  taken  off  me  !  All  the  members  of  the  Board  of 
Administration  were  present,  and  countersigned  the 
document.  The  other  jewels  were  also  sealed  up  and 
made  over. 

"Thus  Runjeet  Singh's  famous  Toshkhana  of  Jewels 
is  a  thing  of  the  past  !  " 

The  receipt  itself  is  in  this  form  : 

"  I  have  received  this  day  from  Doctor  Login  into 
my  personal  possession,  for  transmission  to  England, 
the  Koh-i-noor  diamond,  in  the  presence  of  the  members 


82          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

of  the  Board  of  Administration,  and  of  Sir  Henry  Elliot, 
K.C.B.,  Secretary  to  the  Government  of  India. 

"(Signed)  DALHOUSIE.* 
"  LAHORE, 

"December  jtb^  1849. 
(Signed)  "  H.  M.  LAWRENCE. 
C.  G.  MANSEL. 
JOHN  LAWRENCE. 
H.  M.  ELLIOT." 

I  think  this  account  of  the  Koh-i-noor  may  be  con- 
sidered sufficient  to  dispose  of  a  legend  that  has  obtained 
very  wide  credence,  and  which  it  has  even  been  attempted 
to  father  on  Lord  Lawrence,  the  very  last  man  to  have 
originated  it,  knowing  as  he  did  all  the  facts  of  the  case. 

To  imagine  for  a  moment  that  the  Koh-i-noor,  set 
as  an  armlet,  as  described  by  Misr  Makraj,  and  enclosed 
in  a  box,  could  ever  have  found  a  resting  place  in  any 
person's  waistcoat  pocket,  however  capacious,  is  taxing 
too  much  the  credulity  of  the  average  individual,  and 
has  caused  infinite  amusement  to  the  large  number  of 
officials  aware  of  the  ceremonial  always  observed  in  its 
transit,  and  the  strong  guard  placed  over  it  both  in  and 
out  of  the  Toshkhana.f 

*  In  the  lately  published  "Private  Letters  of  the  Marquess  of  Dalhousie," 
edited  by  J.  G.  A.  Baird,  pp.  124,  172,  occur  the  following  reference  to  this 
incident : — 

"  The  Koh-i-noor  sailed  from  Bombay  in  H.M.S.  Medea  on  6th  April.  I 
could  not  tell  you  at  the  time,  for  strict  secrecy  was  observed,  but  I  brought  it 
from  Lahore  myself  !  I  undertook  the  charge  of  it  in  a  funk,  and  never  was  so 
happy  in  all  my  life  as  when  I  got  it  into  the  Treasury  at  Bombay.  It  was  sewn 
and  double-sewn  into  a  belt  secured  round  my  waist,  one  end  through  the 
belt  fastened  to  a  chain  round  my  neck.  It  never  left  me  day  or  night,  except 
when  I  went  to  Dera  Ghazee  Khan,  when  I  left  it  with  Captain  Ramsay  (who 
has  now  joint  charge  of  it),  locked  in  a  treasure-chest,  and  with  strict  orders 
that  he  was  to  sit  upon  the  chest  till  I  came  back !  My  stars,  what  a  relief  it 
was  to  get  rid  of  it !  " 

Sir  John  Login  in  after  years  remarked  that  his  skill  with  the  needle  then 
stood  him  in  good  stead,  as  it  was  he  who  acted  dirsi,  and  sewed  the  jewel 
securely  into  its  chamois-leather  wallet. 

f  As  time  has  gone  on,  the  story  has  received  fresh  additions,  and  we  even 


LAHORE  TREASURY  AND  THE  KOH-I-NOOR    83 

My  own  connection  with  the  famous  jewel  was  non- 
existent at  this  period ;  but  later  on  I  will  relate  how 
I  had  a  very  close  view  of  it,  under  circumstances 
historical  and  dramatic,  of  which  I  am  now  the  sole 
surviving  witness. 

My  husband  often  told  me  that  the  medley  of  articles 
in  Runjeet's  Toshkhana  was  indescribable.  He  found 
a  fine  portrait  of  Queen  Victoria  in  a  "  go-down  "  (shed) 
among  a  heap  of  other  valuables,  all  covered  with  dust  ; 
amongst  them  several  good  drawings  and  fine  old  en- 
gravings, and  a  little  wax-cloth  bag  containing  a  copy 
of  Henry  Martyn's  Persian  Testament,  the  fly-leaf 
inscribed  "  From  Lady  William  Bentinck  to  Joseph 
Wolff  !  "  One  of  the  largest  emeralds  ever  seen  was 
accidentally  discovered  set  in  the  pommel  of  a  saddle  ! 
The  saddle  had  been  already  condemned  to  be  broken 
up  or  disposed  of,  when  the  piece  of  green  glass  (as  it 
was  supposed)  was  observed,  set  in  the  position  in  which 
the  Sikh  noblemen  often  carry  a  mirror  when  riding 
in  full  dress,  to  make  sure  that  turban  and  parapher- 
nalia are  all  en  regie. 

Besides  the  jewels  that  he  was  allowed  to  pick  out 
for  the  little  Maharajah — you  may  be  sure  that  he  was 
careful  they  should  be  some  of  the  finest  ones — your 
father  wrote  to  me  from  Lahore  that  he  had  taken  care 
to  select  some  of  the  best  tents  for  his  use,  before  any 
were  made  over  for  sale,  and  had  ordered  that  those  to 
be  used  for  his  servants  and  establishment  be  at  once 
pitched  on  the  parade  ground  in  front,  at  the  same  time 

find  the  late  Duke  of  Argyll  retailing  it  in  an  article  in  the  Windsor  Magazine 
of  June,  1911,  which  gives  the  impression  that  John  Lawrence  actually  pocketed 
the  diamond  before  the  astonished  eyes  of  the  native  Treasurer  and  his  master, 
while  still  the  Maharajah  of  Lahore  was  an  independent  sovereign,  on  the  plea 
that  he  would  be  a  safer  custodian  than  its  legitimate  possessor  j  and  proceeded 
to  make  good  this  assertion,  by  rolling  it  in  an  old  stocking,  placing  it  on  a  shelf 
and  forgetting  all  about  it  1  ! 


84  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

giving  his  people  a  plan  of  encampment  to  which  they 
were  always  to  adhere.* 

"  Now,  when  I  tell  you,"  he  wrote,  "  that  the  tents 
for  the  little  man  himself  are  all  lined,  some  with  rich 
Cashmere  shawls,  and  some  with  satin  and  velvet 
embroidered  with  gold,  semianas,  carpets,  purdahs  and 
floor-cloths  to  match,  and  that  the  tent-poles  are 
encased  in  gold  and  silver  (like  a  chobedar's  mace), 
you  may  fancy  that  we  shall  look  rather  smart  !  I 
should  say  that  for  camp-equipage  old  Runjeet's  camp 
was  the  very  finest  and  most  sumptuous  among  all  the 
Princes  of  India  !  " 

*  A  water-colour  sketch  of  the  Maharajah's  camp  was  afterwards  made  by 
one  of  Lord  Dalhousie's  staff,  and  hangs  in  my  house  at  Aylesford. 


CHAPTER  VII 

FUTTEHGHUR 

DULEEP  SINGH  was  proclaimed  Maharajah  at  the  age 
of  five  years.  He  and  his  eldest  brother,  Khurruck 
Singh,  were  the  only  two  sons  of  Runjeet  Singh,  who 
were  born  of  his  wives  and  "  acknowledged  "  by  their 
father.  Shere  Singh,  Duleep's  immediate  predecessor, 
was  only  an  "  adopted  "  son.  Of  his  children,  only  an 
infant  of  four  months,  Sheo  Deo  Singh,  survived  him. 
To  him  your  father  was  also  made  guardian. 

Duleep  Singh's  mother  was  the  beautiful  and  notorious 
Maharanee  Jinda  (or  "  Chunda  "),  sometimes  known  as 
the  "  Messalina  of  the  Punjab."  She,  with  her  brother, 
Jowahir  Singh,  and  her  favourite,  Lai  Singh,  governed 
the  country,  until  the  Board  of  Control,  consisting  of  the 
two  Lawrence  brothers,  Mr.  C.  G.  Mansel,  and  (at  one 
period)  Sir  Frederick  Currie,  took  over  charge,  in  con- 
junction with  the  native  Council  of  Regency,  of  whom  six 
out  of  the  eight  members  remained  loyal  to  the  agree- 
ment with  the  British  Government  during  the  rebellion 
of  1848,  though  the  Maharanee  was  proved  to  have  been 
in  communication  and  accord  with  the  rebel  Sirdars. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  throughout  the  Second  Sikh  War, 
Lahore  remained  perfectly  quiet  and  unaffected  by  the 
disturbances  in  the  northern  and  western  provinces. 
The  Resident  continued  to  exercise  supreme  authority, 
assisted  by  the  Durbar  (except  one  member  who  had 
gone  into  open  rebellion),  and  the  little  Maharajah 
remained  in  profound  ignorance  that  any  unusual 


86          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

events,  which  could  affect  him  or  his  sovereignty,  were 
passing  in  the  country  without. 

He  knew  only  that  Golab  Singh,  the  son  of  Chutter 
Singh,  and  his  own  personal  companion,  was  suddenly 
removed  from  his  attendance,  and  placed  in  confine- 
ment, and  that,  later  on,  the  palace  itself  was  guarded 
by  a  British  regiment. 

The  insurgents  were  proclaimed  as  rebels  "  against 
the  Government  of  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh ; " 
and  the  Resident,  on  the  i8th  November,  issued  a 
proclamation  (approved  by  the  Governor-General), 
telling  "  all  loyal  subjects  to  the  Maharajah  "  that  the 
British  Army  "  has  entered  the  Lahore  territories,  not 
as  an  enemy  to  the  constituted  Government,  but  to 
restore  order  and  obedience.  All  who  have  remained 
faithful  in  their  obedience  to  the  Government  of  the 
Maharajah  Duleep  Singh  .  .  .  have  nothing  to  fear 
from  the  coming  of  the  British  Army."  * 

For  having  instigated  her  little  son  to  offer  an  open 
insult  to  the  Resident,  Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  and  the 
native  Durbar,  the  Maharanee  Jinda  had  been  separated 
from  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh,  and  on  August  I9th, 
1847,  removed  to  Sheikopoora,  twenty-five  miles  from 
Lahore. 

On  the  8th  May,  1848,  she  was  discovered  to  be 
implicated  in  a  plot  to  poison,  and  otherwise  dispose 
of,  the  Resident  and  other  prominent  British  officials, 
so  she  was  removed  from  Sheikopoora  to  Ferozepore, 
and  ultimately  to  the  fortress  of  Chunar.  From  here, 
however,  on  the  i8th  April,  1849,  she  managed  to 
escape,  in  the  disguise  of  a  fakirnee,j"  and  took  refuge  in 
Nepal,  where  my  husband's  younger  brother,  Dr.  James 

*  "  Punjab  Papers,"  pp.  260,  438,  449,  562. 
t  Female  mendicant. 


FUTTEHGHUR  87 

Dryburgh  Login,  was  then  Acting-Assistant-Resident  at 
Khatmandoo. 

Dryburgh  Login  was  in  great  favour  with  Jung 
Bahadour,  the  famous  Nepalese  Prime  Minister,  and 
had  been  selected  to  accompany  him  to  England  on 
the  visit  which  he  paid  just  before  the  Mutiny  broke 
out,  a  visit  which  turned  the  balance  in  our  favour,  and 
made  him  into  a  zealous  ally  of  the  British  "  raj  " 
during  the  troublous  times  of  1857 — 1858.  But  alas  ! 
poor  Dryburgh  did  not  live  to  take  up  the  appointment ; 
indeed,  I  am  not  sure  that  he  was  ever  aware  that  he 
had  been  chosen  for  it,  for  my  husband  thus  wrote  to 
tell  me  of  the  sudden  death  of  this  dear  brother,  at 
Dinapore,  on  the  I3th  November,  from  cholera,  after 
twelve  hours'  illness. 

"  He  had  come  down  from  Khatmandoo  in  high 
health,  to  pass  his  examination  in  Calcutta,  and  was 
suddenly  struck  down  on  his  way  back.  ...  I  was  to- 
day introduced  by  John  Lawrence  to  Lord  Dalhousie, 
with  much  warmth  of  commendation.  His  lordship 
said  that  he  had  heard  on  all  sides  how  much 
satisfaction  I  had  given  in  discharging  my  duties, 
which  were  of  no  ordinary  delicacy,  and  that  I  had 
acquitted  myself  well.  He  appointed  to-day,  noon, 
for  a  long  conversation  with  him,  from  which  I  have 
just  returned,  in  which  he  gave  me  full  instructions 
regarding  the  future  disposal  of  the  young  Maharajah, 
and  said  it  was  a  great  relief  to  the  Government  to  have 
me  in  charge  of  him,  and  that  the  way  in  which  I  had 
acquitted  myself,  both  towards  him  and  the  Govern- 
ment, was  in  every  way  satisfactory  to  both.  He  was 
really  very  kind  and  cordial  indeed,  and  did  not  wish 
me  to  restrict  myself  to  Futtehghur  as  a  residence,  but 
allows  me  to  take  him  to  visit  other  parts  whenever  I 
like,  and  eventually  to  England.  I  then  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  giving  him  my  ideas  regarding  the  advantage 


88  LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

of  sending  some  of  the  young  Sikh  noblemen  to  England, 
and  so  forth.  And  what  came  next  ?  Why,  poor 
Dryburgh  was  to  have  been  appointed  this  day  to  the 
charge  of  the  Nepalese  Mission  to  England  !  I  told 
Lord  Dalhousie  what  had  occurred,  and  he  was  much 
shocked,  and  sympathised  with  me  most  cordially." 

Everyone  was  struck  with  the  young  Sikh  Sovereign's 
charm  of  manner  ;     his  geniality  and  love  of  truth, 
and  his  straightforwardness  was  very  unusual  in  an 
Oriental.     One  could  not  but  have  great  sympathy  for 
the  boy,  brought  up  from  babyhood  to  exact  the  most 
obsequious  servility  ;    and  it  was  greatly  to  his  credit 
that  he  submitted  at  all  to  any  direction  or  discipline, 
or  to  the  idea  that  his  education  was  to  be  enforced  by 
any  system  of  authority.    My  husband  was  really  fond 
of  him,  and  the  two  got  on  famously  together  ;    yet 
there  were   occasional  contests   of  will  between   them, 
and  the  first  real  exercise  of  discipline  on  the  part  of 
his  guardian  arose  out  of  a  matter  so  trivial  as  to  give 
it  an  exceedingly  absurd  aspect.    Duleep  Singh  had  run 
out    into    the    garden    during    heavy    rain,    and    got 
thoroughly  drenched.     Finding  him  in  this  condition, 
Login  wished  him  to  change  his  clothes,  but,  half  in 
play,  the  boy  said  he  would  do  so  at  the  usual  time,  and 
when  urged  to  change  at  once,  he  turned  obstinate. 
Then,  in  the  quality  of  his  governor,  my  husband  gave 
him  half-an-hour  to  do  it,  of  his  own  accord,  and  when 
he  still  held  out,  told  him  how  he  grieved  to  coerce  him 
in  any  way,  but  that  he  advised  him,  as  a  friend,  not  to 
make  it  necessary  to  have  to  use  compulsion.     Poor 
little  fellow  !     In  a  few  minutes  he  came  sobbing  to  his 
guardian's  room,  and  "  pleaded  the  Treaty  of  Lahore, 
which  stipulated  that  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  do  as  he 
liked  !  !  " 


FUTTEHGHUR  89 

When  I  came  to  join  the  little  community  within  the 
confines  of  "  Futtehghur  Park,"  as  it  was  called,  I 
found  myself  in  a  strange  comminglement  of  European 
and  Oriental  arrangements.  There  were  several  bun- 
galows dotted  over  the  estate,  each  surrounded  by  its 
own  compound.  The  largest  one  was  occupied  by  the 
Maharajah,  another  by  ourselves,  the  third  by  the 
Ranee  Duknoo,  mother  of  the  litt]e  Shahzadah  Sheo  Deo 
Singh,  who  had  refused  to  be  separated  from  him.  With 
her,  besides  her  boy,  lived  her  brother  and  uncle,  both 
men  of  great  charm  and  cultivation,  for  whom  I  had  a 
sincere  respect  and  liking.  The  other  houses  were 
allotted  to  the  native  gentlemen  in  attendance. 

The  daily  evening  reception  in  the  drawing-room  was 
unusual  in  an  ordinary  European  household,  and  was 
one  of  the  few  semblances  of  royal  ceremony  retained 
by  the  young  deposed  monarch.  During  the  day  he 
was  supposed  to  be  occupied  in  his  studies,  or  taking 
his  out-door  exercise,  and  the  gentlemen  of  his  suite 
were  free  to  follow  their  own  devices  ;  but  in  the  even- 
ing Dewan  Ajoodeah  Pershad,  Fakeer  Zehoorudin, 
Sirdar  Boor  Singh  Butaliwallah,  and  the  other  nobles 
and  ministers  who  had  followed  their  sovereign  into 
exile,  made  their  appearance  in  full  dress  to  pay  their 
respects,  and  hold  themselves  at  his  disposal  for  a  few 
hours. 

,  Duleep  Singh  then  was  to  be  seen  seated  in  State  on 
a  couch  or  chair,  with  his  attendants  grouped  about  him. 
Each  of  the  suite  on  entering  made  low  obeisance,  then 
stood  erect,  his  folded  hands  to  his  forehead,  and  gave 
vent  to  the  one  word  "  Maharaj  !  "  with  the  sudden- 
ness of  a  pistol-shot  !  This  salutation  was  made  on 
entering  and  on  leaving  the  presence,  the  Maharajah 
receiving  it — according  to  native  ideas  of  kingly  dignity 


90          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

— without  visible  sign  of  acknowledgment.  Intercourse 
with  Europeans,  however,  soon  made  him  a  little  more 
gracious  in  manner. 

Naturally,  my  arrival  upon  the  scene  was  an  event  of 
immense  interest  to  these  worthy  gentlemen,  who  vied 
with  each  other  in  showing  me  the  greatest  courtesy 
and  deference.  Many  were  the  interesting  conver- 
sations I  had  with  them,  comparing  and  discussing  the 
differences  between  Eastern  and  Western  manners 
and  ideas.  How  endless  were  their  questions  about 
all  I  had  seen,  and  done,  while  at  home  in  England  I 
And  I,  on  my  part,  had  much  to  learn  from  them  on 
various  matters. 

Then  the  incessant  dissertations  and  arguments  on 
the  meaning,  and  wording,  of  the  Treaties  between  the 
British  Government  and  the  Sikh  Maharajah,  especially 
the  Treaty  of  Bhyrowal,  and  the  last  Treaty  of  Lahore, 
by  which  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh  was  deprived  of 
his  kingdom  !  All  these  things  formed  the  subject 
of  conversation  in  the  evening,  diversified  by  the  round 
games,  hide-and-seek,  blind  man's  buff,  etc.,  in  which 
the  Maharajah  and  his  young  companions  delighted, 
and  into  which  the  Sikh  chiefs  were  dragged,  whether 
they  would  or  no  !  If  they  felt  them  inconsistent  with 
their  dignity,  they  were  far  too  good-humoured  to  show 
it,  and  entered  into  all  the  Maharajah's  fun  and  teasing 
as  if  they  were  children  themselves. 

One  of  the  prettiest  sights  at  Futtehghur  of  an  early 
morning,  or  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  was  the  perfectly 
appointed  sowarree*  of  the  young  Sikh  Maharajah  out 
for  his  daily  ride,  accompanied  by  the  Shahzadah  and 
his  English  friends,  with  his  retinue  of  warlike  Sikh 
attendants,  handsomely-dressed  and  well-mounted,  fol- 

*  Cavalcade. 


FUTTEHGHUR  91 

lowed  by  a  detachment  of  the  Governor-General's 
Body  Guard  *  in  their  scarlet,  and  Skinner's  Irregulars 
in  their  saffron  uniforms,  the  whole  effect  was  both 
picturesque  and  brilliant.  If,  instead,  the  Maharajah 
went  out  on  his  elephant,  with  its  splendid  trappings 
and  silver  howdah,  or  in  his  carriage,  with  its  four  grey 
Arabs,  driven  by  his  English  coachman,  the  same 
finish  in  every  detail  was  observable. 

I  always  regarded  the  Ranee  Duknoo  as  one  of  the 
most  beautiful — if  not  the  most  absolutely  beautiful — 
woman  I  ever  met  !  Tall,  slender,  graceful,  and  very 
fair  she  was,  with  a  peculiarly  gentle  and  winning 
expression  of  countenance.  Clothed,  as  befitted  a 
widow,  in  sad  colours,  without  ornament  or  jewel,  the 
soft  white  muslin  doputta  draped  about  her  shapely 
head,  its  transparent  folds  shrouding  the  lower  part  of 
her  face,  her  large  mournful  eyes  bearing  a  look  of 
appeal  and  innocence,  she  was  a  living  presentation  of 
the  Madonna,  as  depicted  by  the  old  Italian  masters. 

She  was  of  ancient  Rajpoot  lineage  from  the  Kangra 
Hills,  and  had  been  specially  selected  for  her  beauty 
for  the  harem  of  Shere  Singh — Runjeet's  adopted  son — 
on  his  coming  to  the  throne.  Thus  the  little  Sheo  Deo 
Singh  was  only  a  few  months  old  when  his  father 
was  murdered,  and  Duleep  Singh  was  elected  by  the 
Khalsa  (Sikh  Commonwealth). 

Her  son  therefore  she  looked  upon  as  in  very  deed 
a  "  prince,"  born  in  the  purple,  and  was  never  so  happy 
as  when  encouraged  to  talk  about  him.  Like  most 
Eastern  mothers,  she  was  intensely  jealous  of  any  other 
influence  over  him,  and  would  have  kept  him  in  the 

*  By  an  order  of  the  Governor-General  in  Council,  a  detachment  of  the  Body 
Guard,  consisting  of  "  twenty-five  good  men  and  two  trusty  native  officers," 
remained  with  his  Highness  at  Futtehghur,  "  so  as  to  lessen  the  duty  of  the 
Irregular  Corps." 


92          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Zenana,  close  by  her  side,  without  troubling  about  other 
teaching.  It  was  my  part  to  try  and  convince  her  in  a 
friendly  way,  of  her  real  duty  as  a  mother,  to  take  full 
advantage  of  the  education  offered  him  by  the  Governor- 
General,  in  association  with  the  Maharajah.  She  was 
fully  sensible  of  the  sacrifice  I  myself  had  made  in  like 
manner,by  separating  myself  from  my  own  children,  and 
sending  them  to  England  to  be  educated,  and  was  filled 
with  astonishment  at  it. 

I  made  a  practice  of  visiting  her  constantly,  as  she 
led  a  very  retired  life,  and  rarely  went  outside  her  house, 
and  we  used  to  compare  notes  about  our  respective 
children.  She,  on  her  part,  remonstrated  with  me  on  the 
way  in  which  my  youngest  boy,*  born  since  my  return 
from  England,  as  he  grew  beyond  the  age  of  a  toddler, 
was  encouraged  to  walk  out,  and  ride  a  pony  (albeit 
only  in  a  ring-saddle),  all  day  long,  amongst  a  crowd  of 
men-servants  and  the  troopers  of  the  escort,  instead 
of  being  kept  in  the  Zenana  with  the  women-folk  ! 
Harry  was  a  spoilt  young  monkey,  it  is  true,  and  was 
never  seen  without  a  tail  of  followers,'  hanging  on  to  him 
and  the  pony,  wherever  he  went,  all  kept  occupied  by 
some  special  work  enjoined  by  the  "  chota  Sahib  !  " 
This  peculiarity  he  retained  all  his  life,  and  I  used  to 
tease  him  about  his  faculty  for  never  undertaking  the 
smallest  job  himself  without  "  making  up  a  party," 
as  he  called  it,  to  "  assist  "  by  looking  on  ! 

And,  later  on,  when,  to  counteract  the  coddling  of 
the  womenfolk,  and  the  little  airs  of  arrogance  he 
occasionally  assumed,  the  Shahzadah  was  allowed  to 
attend,  at  Mussoorie,  as  day-pupil,  a  private  school  for 
the  sons  of  English  officers  and  civilians,  much  to  the 
horror  of  his  mother  and  uncles — the  first  foreshadowing 

*  The  late  Rear- Admiral  S,  H.  M.  Login,  born  1851. 


FUTTEHGHUR  93 

of  the  Kunwar  College,  to  be  established  a  generation 
later  ! — how  often  have  I  been  a  witness  of  the  boy's 
tempestuous  return  from  his  lessons,  leaping  from  his 
pony,  on  which  he  went  to  and  fro  ceremoniously 
escorted  by  his  sowarree^  and  bursting  into  the  room 
where  we  were  seated,  to  tell,  in  high  delight  and  excite- 
ment, of  all  the  tussles  and  games  he  had  joined  in,  his 
relatives  vainly  striving  to  suppress,  in  my  presence, 
their  scandalised  consternation  at  such  undignified 
pastimes  ! 

The  little  Shahzadah  was  a  charming  little  fellow, 
with  very  pretty  manners  and  great  personal  beauty, 
inheriting  the  delicate,  refined  features,  and  aristocratic 
bearing  of  the  Rajpoots,  rather  than  the  coarser  beauty 
of  the  Sikhs. 

It  was  a  quaint  sight  to  observe  him  making  his  daily 
short  progress  from  his  mother's  house  to  the  Maha- 
rajah's ;  to  note,  on  the  one  hand,  the  dignified  bearing 
of  the  little  Prince,  stepping  daintily  along  in  his  beauti- 
ful and  picturesque  national  costume,  his  snowy  turban 
fringed  with  gold  (a  becoming  spot  of  colour  being  given 
by  the  crimson  under-turban  which  confines  the  knot 
of  long  hair  peculiar  to  the  Sikhs)  ;  and  on  the  other, 
the  reverential  demeanour  of  the  uncle  and  granduncle 
in  attendance,  walking  respectfully  one  step  in  the  rear, 
answering  dutifully  the  remarks  which  the  child  vouch- 
safed to  them  over  his  shoulder,  and  always  careful 
to  address  him  as  "  Shahzadah-jee,"  while  the  little  man 
accepted  as  his  due  th  *  admiration  he  excited. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTISM  AND  LORD  DALHOUSIE 

IT  was  while  my  husband  was  absent  on  leave,  having 
come  down  to  Calcutta  to  meet  me,  that  the  Maharajah 
suddenly  announced  to  his  temporary  Governor,  Cap- 
tain J.  Campbell,  jth  Madras  Cavalry,  his  intention  of 
embracing  the  Christian  religion  !  Such  a  resolve  was 
an  entire  surprise  to  all  in  authority  over  him,  who  were 
totally  unaware  of  all  such  idea  on  his  part ;  and  Login 
returned  in  haste,  with  instructions  from  the  Governor- 
General  to  ascertain  whether  he,  or  any  European, 
had  introduced  the  subject  of  religion  to  his  notice, 
talked  upon  it,  or  engaged  him  in  any  question  regarding 
it.  His  two  English  playfellows  were  also  to  be  examined 
on  the  subject. 

After  careful  inquiry,  Login  wrote  a  report  to  the 
Governor-General  that  he  had  got  the  evidence  in  writ- 
ing of  the  Maharajah's  Sikh  retinue,  the  Dewan  Ajoodhea 
Pershad,  Fakeer  Zehooroodeen,  the  Porohut  Golab 
Rai,  family  priest  of  the  Maharajahs  of  Lahore,  and 
Sirdar  Boor  Singh,  that  no  improper  influence  had  been, 
in  their  estimation,  made  use  of  to  make  him  change  his 
belief  in  the  religion  of  his  people. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  very  little  effort  was  made  by  his 
own  people  to  instruct  him  in  the  Sikh  religion.  Though 
every  inducement  was  made  them,  very  few  of  his  Sikh 
attendants,  none  of  his  Sikh  priests,  or  Grunt* bees,  and 
only  one  Brahmin  porobut  (family  priest)  consented  to 
come  with  him  from  Lahore.  The  last-named  had  been 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   BAPTISM  95 

prevailed  on  by  Login  with  difficulty,  making  many 
conditions.  When  his  favourite  Mahommedan  attendant, 
Meeah  Khema,  who  had  been  with  him  from  child- 
hood, asked  to  be  allowed  to  return  to  Lahore,  Login 
procured  in  his  place  a  young  Brahmin  of  good  family 
of  Furruckabad,  named  Bhajun  Lai,  educated  in  the 
American  Mission  Schools,  but  not  known  to  have  any 
leanings  towards  Christianity.  His  father  was  a  wealthy 
bunniah  of  that  city,  and  he  himself  afterwards  set  up 
a  large  tent-factory  at  Futtehghur. 

This  young  man,  nevertheless,  was  the  only  creature 
in  his  entourage  who  had  any  inkling  that  Duleep  Singh 
was  turning  his  inquiries  in  the  direction  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  that  he  was  sceptical  with  regard  to  many 
of  the  "  pious  stories  "  in  the  Shastras,  e.g.,  that  of  the 
virtuous  Rajah  who  distributed  daily  in  alms  ten  thousand, 
cows  before  he  broke  his  fast,  and  yet  came  short  of 
eternal  salvation,  because  his  servants,  unknown  to  him, 
had  placed  amongst  the  daily  tale  of  cows  one  that  had 
already  been  numbered  in  the  charitable  dole  ! 

But  although  he  used  to  make  Bhajun  Lai  read  the 
Bible  to  him,  and  discuss  it  together,  it  was,  as  the  young 
Brahmin  quaintly  put  it,  "  sometimes  Bible — some- 
times a  few  conjuring  tricks  (of  which  he  was  very  fond) — 
sometimes  games  in  'Boy's  Own  Book' — and  all  he 
did,  he  did  of  his  own  wilful  will,"  it  was  plain  that 
neither  Bhajun  Lai — who  himself  never  had  the  courage 
to  sacrifice  his  worldly  prospects  by  embracing  Chris- 
tianity, though  evidently  convinced  of  its  truths — nor 
any  European,  had  exerted  their  influence  over  the 
Maharajah  in  order  to  turn  his  mind  in  that  direction. 

After  hearing  all,  Lord  Dalhousie  expressed  himself 
as  "  entirely  satisfied  .  .  .  that  no  improper  influence 
had,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  been  used  by  you 


96          LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

(Login),  or  by  any  other  English  gentleman  connected 
with  his  Highness's  establishment." 

Such  an  unheard  of  thing,  however,  as  that  a  native 
Prince,  under  the  Governor-General's  immediate  guar- 
dianship, should  desire  to  become  a  Christian,  had  to  be 
referred  to  the  authorities  at  home,  and  for  four  months 
he  was  not  allowed  to  make  any  public  declaration  of  his 
intentions,  or  any  change  in  his  religious  observances  ; 
and  it  was  not  until  March  8th,  1853,  or  two  years 
and  three  months  after  he  had  intimated  his  earnest 
wish,  that  he  was  permitted  to  receive  Holy  Baptism. 
He  had  meantime  been  very  solemnly  warned  of  the 
serious  step  he  had  taken,  and  was  thoroughly  grounded 
in  the  doctrines  of  the  faith  he  wished  to  embrace, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Bishop  of  Calcutta  (Dr.  Wilson). 

By  Lord  Dalhousie's  special  injunction,  repeated 
in  several  private  letters  to  my  husband,  the  rite  was 
administered  by  the  chaplain  of  the  station,  the  Rev. 
W.  J.  Jay,*  with  a  total  absence  of  fuss  and  ceremony, 
"  In  order,"  as  Lord  Dalhousie  put  it,  "  that  I  may  feel 
satisfied  in  my  conscience  that  the  boy  has  not  been, 
unintentionally  by  us,  or  unconsciously  to  himself, 
led  into  the  act  by  any  other  motives  than  that  of 
conviction  of  the  truth.  To  that  end,"  he  added, 
"  your  management  of  the  matter  has  been  most 
judicious  and  highly  satisfactory  to  me." 

As  the  church  of  the  station  was  at  the  time  under 
repair,  the  baptism  took  place  in  his  own  house,  in  the 
presence  of  about  twenty  of  the  European  residents 
of  Futtehghur,  and  about  an  equal  number  of  the  Maha- 
rajah's principal  native  servants,  who  had  been  invited 
to  attend.  As  witnesses  to  the  entry  in  the  register 
(since  god-parents  are  not  obligatory,  though  customary, 

*  Father  of  the  Rev.  Osborne  Jay,  Vicar  of  Shoreditch. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTISM  97 

in  the  baptism  of  those  of  riper  years)  the  signatures  of 
three  persons,  my  husband,  myself,  and  Colonel* 
Alexander  were  affixed,  also  that  of  Mr.  Walter  Guise, 
who  had  been  the  Maharajah's  tutor.  The  names  of 
some  of  the  Maharajah's  native  attendants  were  also 
added,  amongst  them  that  of  Jewindah,  a  favourite 
Sikh  servant.  At  the  last  moment,  by  a  happy  inspira- 
tion, I  made  the  suggestion  that  there  would  be  a  special 
appropriateness  in  the  use  of  Ganges  water  for  the 
sacred  rite,  seeing  the  veneration  in  which  the  river 
Ganges  (Ganga-jee)  is  held  by  all  Hindoos,  since  thereby 
it  would  be  henceforth  sanctified  to  Duleep  Singh  with 
a  new  and  holier  association.  Even  so  do  Jew  and 
Mohammedan  alike  hold  in  reverence  the  waters  of 
Jordan,  but  to  the  Christian  alone  it  typifies  the  "  water 
of  baptism,"  wherein  Christ  Himself  was  baptised. 
Jewindah  hailed  with  joy  what  he  regarded  as  a  special 
concession  to  Hindoo  prejudice,  and  begged  to  be 
allowed  himself  to  fetch  the  water  in  his  brass  lotah,  f 

The  ceremony  was  felt,  by  those  permitted  to  be 
present,  as  very  touching  and  impressive.  I  well 
remember  the  earnest  expression  on  the  young  boy's 
face,  and  the  look,  half-sad,  half-curious,  on  those  of 
his  people  present  by  their  own  wish. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  admirable  than  the 
fatherly  interest  and  constant  supervision  exercised 
at  this  time  by  Lord  Dalhousie  over  his  ward.  Had  he 
been  his  own  son  he  could  not  have  manifested  more 
tender  solicitude  for  his  well-being,  both  bodily  and 
spiritual.  He  was  above  all  things  desirous  that  the 
young  prince  should  be  solely  influenced  by  the  highest 

*  Afterwards  Lieut.-General  Sir  James  Alexander,  K.C.B. 
f  Strangely  enough,  a  form  of  baptism  forms  part  of  the  pahul  or  initiatpry 
lite  of  the  Sikhs. 


98          LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

motives  in  the  step  he  took,  for  the  Viceroy  expressed 
himself  as  intensely  disgusted  at  the  display  and 
"  tamasha,"  as  he  called  it,  that  had  a  little  time  pre- 
vious to  this  been  made  over  the  baptism  of  the  daughter 
of  the  Rajah  of  Coorg,  of  which  I  shall  have  more  to 
say  presently. 

Lord  Dalhousie's  letters  to  my  husband,  and  to  the 
Maharajah  on  this  occasion,  were  marked  by  the  same 
spirit  of  cordial  friendliness  in  the  one  case,  and  of 
almost  parental  affection  in  the  other,  that  characterised 
his  intercourse  towards  them  both  at  this  period. 

To  Login  he  wrote  : 

"  GOVERNMENT  HOUSE, 

"March  i6th,  1853. 
"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  to  receive  yours  of  8th,  enclos- 
ing oae  from  the  Maharajah.  I  rejoice  deeply  and 
sincerely  in  this  good  issue  to  the  great  change  the  boy 
has  passed  through,  with  so  much  satisfactory  evidence 
of  the  reality  and  genuineness  of  his  convictions.  I 
regard  it  as  a  very  remarkable  event  in  history,  and  in 
every  way  gratifying. 

"  Let  me  add  that,  under  circumstances  of  peculiarly 
great  delicacy,  and  of  great  difficulty,  I  have  been  most 
highly  satisfied  with  the  judgment  and  discretion,  the 
prudence  and  kindly  tact,  which  have  been  exhibited 
by  yourself  through  them  all. 

"  Believe  me  to  be,  my  dear  Login, 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  DALHOUSIE." 
And  again,  later  : 

"January  $ist,  1854. 
"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  I  have  just  received  the  Court's  leave  for  the 
Maharajah  to  go  to  England,  and  I  beg  you  to  deliver 
the  enclosed  to  him. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   BAPTISM  99 

"  I  hope  he  will  do  me  credit,  for  they  have  had  a 
sickener  of  native  grandees*  at  home  lately. 

"  Yours  most  sincerely, 

"DALHOUSIE." 

To  the  Maharajah  himself  Lord  Dalhousie  had 
written  when  first  informed  of  his  resolve  : 

"  SIMLA, 

"August  2nd,  1851. 

"  .  .  .  .  Your  Highness  will  readily  understand  that 
my  wish  to  refer  the  subject  to  the  Court  of  Direc- 
tors did  not  proceed  from  any  reluctance  on  my  part 
to  meet  your  views,  still  less  from  any  doubt  of  the 
wisdom  of  the  step  you  wished  to  take.  I  was  desirous 
only  that  it  should  be  clearly  seen  that  the  act  was  your 
own,  springing  from  your  own  heart,  and  that  you  had 
not  been  led  into  it  hastily,  and  while  you  were  yet  too 
young  to  have  deeply  considered  the  importance  of 
your  act.  I  rejoice  to  learn  that  your  Highness  remains 
firm  in  your  desire  to  be  instructed  in  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible,  and  that  you  have  resolved  to  embrace  a  faith, 
whose  teaching,  if  duly  practised  by  the  help  of  God, 
will  tend  to  increase  your  happiness  in  this  life,  and  will 
secure  it  in  another  that  is  to  come." 

He  now  expressed  himself  as  "  thanking  God  and  the 
Saviour  of  us  all,  that  He  had  put  into  his  heart  a  know- 
ledge of,  and  belief  in,  the  truth  of  our  holy  religion." 
"  I  earnestly  hope,"  he  continues,  "  that  your  future 
life  may  be  in  conformity  with  the  precepts  of  that 
religion,  and  that  you  may  show  to  your  countrymen 
in  India  an  example  of  a  pure  and  blameless  life,  such  as 
is  befitting  a  Christian  prince. 

"  I  beg  your  Highness  to  believe  in  the  strength 
and  sincerity  of  the  regard  which  I  shall  ever  feel  towards 

*  Referring  to  Jung  Bahadour  and  the  Rajah  of  Coorg. 


ioo        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

you,  and  to  remain,  now  and  always,  your  Highness's 
sincere  and  affectionate  friend, 

"DALHOUSIE." 

On  Christmas  Day,  1851,  Lord  and  Lady  Dalhousie 
came  to  Futtehghur,  and  dined  with  my  husband  and 
myself  in  the  evening,  Duleep  Singh  being  present. 
Lord  Stanley  was  there  at  the  same  time,  also  M. 
Rochussen,  the  late  Governor-General  of  Java,  to  whom 
Lord  Dalhousie  had  privately  asked  Login  to  render  any 
attention  that  was  in  his  power. 

It  was  really  very  charming  to  observe  the  Governor- 
General's  thoughtful  care  for  the  comfort  and  happiness 
of  the  Maharajah,  and  how  very  thoroughly  he  inspected 
all  the  arrangements  of  the  establishment,  and  the 
laying-out  of  the  place  and  grounds.  So  kind-hearted 
and  genial  did  he  show  himself,  in  his  intercourse  with 
his  ward  and  with  ourselves,  that  it  was  hard  to  believe 
that  this  was  the  man  his  detractors  accused  of  being 
so  uncompromisingly  frigid,  and  autocratic  in  bearing, 
to  his  subordinates.  He  was  much  pleased  with  the 
improvement  that  a  year's  constant  intercourse  with 
European  ladies  and  gentlemen  had  effected  in  the 
young  prince's  ease  of  manner,  and  proficiency  in 
English.  His  shyness  about  speaking  it  had  been  the 
reason  for  a  system  of  fines  on  anybody  who  spoke  a 
word  of  Hindustani  in  his  presence,  the  proceeds  to  go 
to  certain  charities  he  was  interested  in.  To  revenge 
himself  for  the  constant  fines  at  first  levied  on  himself, 
he  used  to  profess  deafness,  and  ignorance  of  English 
words,  in  order  to  trap  the  unwary,  till  with  a  shout 
of  laughter  he  called  on  his  victim  to  "  fork  out  "  the 
required  amount  for  breaking  rules  ! 

And   as   to   his   chivalrous   courtesy   to   ladies — the 
result  of  his  adoption  of  English  ideas  of  what  was  due 


THE  MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTiMl  -dr 

to  them — I  may  mention  an  occurrence  that  took  place 
at  this  time,  and  is  strongly  stamped  on  my  memory, 
though  it  is  only  one  instance  among  many  others. 

There  was  a  subdued  excitement  among  the  Ranee 
Duknoo's  people,  when  it  became  noised  about  that 
Duleep  Singh  was  forsaking  the  Sikh  religion,  and  seek- 
ing to  learn  the  new  faith  ;  of  course,  if  it  were  so,  then 
the  Shahzadah  would  naturally  become  of  more  import- 
ance, and  would  be  looked  upon  by  all  Sikhs  as  the  true 
representative  of  the  Khalsa  Raj.  It  was  reported  that 
the  Ranee  encouraged  these  ideas,  and  it  was  observed 
that  the  little  boy  had  begun  to  take  upon  himself 
consequential  airs,  and  to  make  remarks  derogatory 
to  his  uncle.  There  was  also  an  affectation  of  avoidance 
of  his  society  which  was  very  unusual  and  impertinent, 
as  the  Sikhs  attach  little  importance  to  the  strict  pre- 
servation of  caste,  though  the  Rajpoots  are  very 
punctilious.* 

No  doubt  the  Ranee  wished  to  ascertain  for  certain 
if  the  rumours  she  heard  were  true,  for  she  asked 
me  several  times  why  the  Maharajah  had  discontinued 
his  visits  to  her  ? 

One  day,  when  on  my  way  to  visit  the  Ranee,  I  met 
the  Maharajah  and  his  party  hawking  in  the  park.  On 
learning  whither  I  was  bent,  he  asked,  with  some  eager- 
ness, if  he  might  go  with  me,  as  he  did  not  care  to  go 
alone  ?  Of  course  I  agreed,  but  was  careful  to  send  a 
chobedar  beforehand,  to  warn  the  Ranee  of  the  coming 
visit. 

We  were  received,  and  announced  by  the  little  Shah- 
zadah and  the  Ranee's  handsome  young  brother,  Meah 

*  The  Ranee  herself  had  lost  caste  by  marrying  a  Sikh,  and  her  people  did 
not  eat  with  her  in  consequence  ;  nor  did  they  eat  with  the  Shahzadah,  the  son 
of  a  Sikh. 


102        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Ootum.  There  was  unusual  constraint  observable 
during  the  visit ;  even  the  little  Shahzadah  seemed  not 
at  ease,  and  as  if  expectant  of  something  about  to 
happen.  The  Ranee  offered  refreshments,  and  called 
for  fruit-sherbert,  for  which  she  was  famous.  The  tray 
appeared  with  only  one  glass  upon  it.  This  the  Ranee 
filled,  and  offered  with  deep  reverence  to  her  Sovereign  ; 
but  the  Maharajah  courteously  handed  the  glass  first  to 
me.  Drinking  part  of  the  contents,  I  replaced  it  on  the 
tray.  To  my  horror,  it  was  immediately  refilled,  and 
once  more  presented  by  the  Ranee  to  the  Maharajah, 
while  significant  glances  passed  between  the  brother 
and  sister !  Perceiving  that  a  premeditated  insult 
was  intended,  I  exclaimed  in  a  low  voice,  in  English  : 
"  Don't  touch  it,  Maharajah  1  "  But,  rising  and  turn- 
ing towards  me  with  a  courteous  salute,  he  took  the  glass 
in  his  hand,  drank  off  its  contents,  and  abruptly  t  rn- 
ing  on  his  heel,  left  the  house,  giving  the  slightest  pos- 
sible gesture  of  farewell  to  his  sister-in-law,  who  gazed 
after  him  in  consternation,  now  alarmed  at  the  result 
of  her  experiment ! 

I  took  my  leave,  you  may  be  sure,  directly  after  this 
insult  to  my  husband's  ward,  and  was  much  touched  to 
find  the  Maharajah  had  waited  outside,  in  order  that  I 
might  not  return  without  his  escort.  Asking  him  why 
he  took  the  glass,  and  thus  permitted  himself  to  be  thus 
affronted — "  What  ?  "  he  replied,  his  eyes  flashing  ; 
"  you  would  have  me  let  them  insult  you  too  ?  They  shall 
see  that  I  honour  you  !  And  I  am  not  ashamed  thus  to 
show  that  I  have  broken  caste  !  " 

It  was  about  this  time  that  he  brought  to  me  a  very 
curious,  common,  little  brass  idol,  asking  me  to  take  it 
out  of  his  sight,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  be  reminded  that 
he  had  ever  done  "  poojah  "  to  a  thing  like  that  !  He 


THE  MAHARAJAH'S   BAPTISM  103 

added,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  :  "  It  is  the  last  one 
left  to  me  now  !  Had  it  been  silver  or  gold,  like  the 
others,  it  would  have  disappeared  long  ere  this,  as  they 
have  done,  one  by  one,  once  my  fellows  saw  I  had  no 
further  use  for  them  !  Well,  they  are  welcome  to  them 
for  all  I  care  !  "  * 

He  had  been  long  anxious  to  show  that  he  was  no 
longer  a  follower  of  Nanuk,  the  Sikh  Prophet,  by  cutting 
off  the  long  tress  of  hair  which  he,  in  common  with  all 
Sikhs,  wore  twisted  up  into  a  knob  above  the  forehead, 
and  covered  with  the  bright-coloured  under-turban. 
When,  at  length,  after  a  year's  probation,  he  was  suf- 
fered to  cut  it  off,  he  brought  the  coil,  long  and  abun- 
dant as  a  woman's,  and  presented  it  to  me  as  a  token  that 
he  had  now  done  with  all  it  represented.  By  his  request, 
he,  with  several  of  his  native  attendants,  was  present 
at  my  little  son's  christening,  and  much  disappointed 
that  he  was  not  permitted  to  act  proxy  for  Sir  Henry 
Lawrence,  who  was  god-father,  though  absent  in  the 
hills. 

The  Shahzadah  continued  to  share  Duleep  Singh's 
studies  at  Futtehghur  and  at  Mussoorie,  and  was  very 
anxious  to  accompany  his  uncle  when  it  was  decided 
that  the  latter  was  to  visit  England.  But  now  came  in 
the  power  of  the  Zenana.  The  Ranee  Duknoo  opposed 
the  Governor-General's  project  of  education  for  her 
son,  threatening  to  commit  suicide  if  ever  he  were  sent 
over  the  "  black  water."  And  her  determination,  of 
course,  won  the  day.  In  spite  of  Sheo  Deo  Singh's 
own  earnest  desire,  he  had  to  be  left  in  India  ;  and 
although  from  time  to  time  he  continued,  up  to  the 
year  1861,  to  write  to  his  former  guardian,  it  was  evident 
that  his  English  education  had  stopped  short,  and  his 

*  This  idol  is  now  in  my  possession. 


104        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

writing  and  power  of  expressing  himself  deteriorated, 
though  he  never  failed  to  send  affectionate  messages  to 
me,  of  whom  I  think  he  was  really  fond,  and  also  to  my 
little  boy  Harry.  In  a  letter  from  Calcutta  in  1861, 
when  he  was  the  guest  of  his  uncle  Duleep  Singh,  he 
begs  that  both  of  us  would  write  to  him  often. 

He  was,  of  course,  quite  a  small  child  when  he  came  to 
us,  and  such  an  attractive,  lovable  little  fellow  that  it 
was  a  great  wrench  to  part  with  him  in  the  end,  so  much 
had  he  twined  himself  round  both  our  hearts.  There 
is  a  very  touching  little  note  of  his  to  my  husband,  that 
I  have  always  cherished  among  my  treasures,  dated 
the  gth  June,  1853,  in  which  he  implores  his  "  dearest, 
kind  and  beloved  Uncle  "  (as  he  always  insisted  on  dub- 
bing Dr.  Login),  who  had  punished  him  pretty  severely 
for  some  childish  fault,  that  he  was  "  very  sorry  for  his 
faults,  and  hope  by  grace  of  Almighty  God  I  will  not  do 
so  any  more,  and  beg  that  you  will  pardon  your  most 
beloved  nephew,  SHEO  DEO  SINGH." 

On  the  1 6th  April,  1859,  the  Ranee  Duknoo  wrote 
to  your  father  from  Benares  :  "  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
Harry's  letter  to  Shahzadah  and  to  find  that  he  has  made 
so  good  a  progress  in  his  education,  and  is  become  a 
strong  and  active  boy.  If  you  make  a  sailor  of  him* 
undoubtedly  he  will  become  a  famous  navigator  to 
keep  up  the  honour  and  power  of  England."  On  the 
zgth  June,  1860,  she  wrote  to  us,  and  to  the  Maharajah, 
to  announce  the  completion  of  the  marriage  ceremonies 
of  her  son  the  Shahzadah  (he  was  then  about  seventeen), 
and  sent  to  me,  as  well  as  to  the  Maharajah,  the  cus- 
tomary presents,  of  splendid  native  dresses,  given  by 
the  bridegroom's  parents  to  their  near  relatives.  It 

*  He  had  apparently  already  selected  his  profession  at  the  age  of  seven- 
and-a-half  years  ! 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTISM  105 

was  really  exceedingly  nice  of  her,  and  intended  as  the 
highest  and  most  friendly  compliment. 

When,  in  February,  1861,  the  Maharajah  went  out  to 
India  for  a  short  time,  and  Sheo  Deo  Singh  met  him  in 
Calcutta,  I  am  afraid  the  uncle  was  a  bit  disappointed 
to  find  how  much  the  nephew  had  lost,  in  the  meantime, 
of  his  European  habits  and  education.  Duleep  Singh 
wrote  : 

'  The  Shahzadah  is  staying  with  me,  but  is  a  thorough 
native  in  his  manners,  I  regret  to  say.  He  is  a  very 
quick,  intelligent  lad,  and  wishes  to  marry  another  wife  ! 
You  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  he  has  no  objection 
to  read  the  Bible  now,  and  often  reads  a  chapter  to  me  ! 
...  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  will  one  day  become  a 
Christian,  and  before  that  come  to  England  ;  as  he 
does  not  care  if  he  touches  a  mitra  (sweeper),  provided 
none  of  his  people  see  him  !  He  tells  me  he  does  not 
believe  in  his  religion,  and  wishes  to  accompany  me 
/herever  I  may  go,  even  to  England,  if  he  could  do  it 
without  his  mother  knowing  it !  " 

When  it  was  decided  that  the  Maharajah  was  to  be 
allowed  to  go  to  England,  we  proceeded  by  slow  stages 
towards  Calcutta,  or  rather  Barrackpore,  where  Lord 
Dalhousie  offered  him  the  use  of  his  country-house. 
We  stopped  a  few  nights  at  Lucknow,  where  we  were 
invited  to  the  Palace,  and  a  special  khillut  given  to  my 
husband,  the  King  insisting  on  my  accepting  a  pair  of 
diamond  bracelets  and  a  ring,  as  a  souvenir.  Colonel — 
afterwards  Sir  William — Sleeman  was  then  Resident,  and 
was  exceedingly  interested  in  Duleep  Singh,  and  very 
anxious  that  he  should  understand  that  he  was  of  the 
same  race  as  the  men  of  Kent  !  Sir  William  was  an 
ardent  ethnologist,  and  had  satisfied  himself  that  the 
Jats  of  the  Punjab  and  the  Juts  of  Jutland  (the  race 


io6        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

of  Hengist  and  Horsa)  were  originally  the  same,  and  came 
from  about  Kashgar  and  the  Caspian. 

He  was  celebrated,  too,  as  the  man  who  put  down 
"  Thuggee,"  the  devotees  of  Kali,  who  murdered  to  do 
her  honour  ;  and  many  a  time  have  I  been  left  in  the 
verandah  with  a  number  of  venerable  and  mild-looking 
convicts  from  the  gaol  (the  guard,  of  course,  within 
call)  who  entertained  me  with  tales  of  how  they  enticed 
their  victims,  and  obligingly  illustrated,  with  a  hand- 
kerchief, how  they  strangled  them  in  their  sleep  !  while 
my  husband  and  Colonel  Sleeman  took  measures  of 
their  crania,  to  make  casts  for  the  medical  and  ethno- 
logical museums.  There  is  a  story  to  the  effect  that,  as 
these  skulls  were  only  numbered,  and  my  husband 
included  a  cast  of  their  guardian's  head  as  well,  the 
savants  at  home  pitched  on  this  last  as  the  one  that 
showed  the  most  undoubtedly  ferocious  criminal  pro- 
pensities ! 

At  Benares  there  joined  our  party  a  very  remarkable 
and  interesting  personality,  the  Pundit  Nehemiah  (or 
Nilakanth)  Goreh,  a  young  and  learned  Brahmin,  one 
of  the  earliest  converts  to  Christianity  of  that  caste, 
distinguished  alike  by  his  samtliness,  his  talents,  and 
his  ability.  He  had  been  working  as  a  missionary 
amongst  his  own  people,  and  desired  to  accompany 
the  Maharajah  to  England  for  three  years,  as  his  tutor 
in  Oriental  languages,  and  Christian  Gooroo.  He  was 
then  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders,  and  had  an  earnest 
wish  to  visit  England.  As  to  remuneration,  he  said 
that  he  "  wanted  to  be  a  Byragi*  but  his  body  won't 
let  him,  so  all  he  asks  for  is  food  and  raiment  !  "  We 
found  in  him  indeed  a  saint  and  a  gentleman,  and  he 
made  a  most  favourable  impression  on  all  with  whom  he 

*  Hindoo  ascetic. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTISM  107 

came  in  contact,  even  amongst  the  highest  in  the  land, 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  and  the  Prince  Consort,  by 
their  own  special  desire,  on  two  occasions  receiving 
him  in  private  audience.  When  at  length  the  time  came 
for  his  return  to  India,  it  was  with  the  greatest  sorrow 
that  we  all  saw  depart  from  the  household  one  who 
seemed  to  radiate  an  atmosphere  of  holiness  and  purity 
about  him.  Before  departing,  he  begged  to  see  our 
little  baby-girl,  in  order  to  bestow  his  blessing  upon  her 
in  true  Oriental  fashion.  Bending  over  her,  as  she  lay 
asleep  in  her  cradle,  he  uttered  a  very  fervent  prayer  for 
her  future  life,  and  then  after  solemnly  contemplating 
her  in  silence,  he  remarked  in  his  quaint  idiom — later 
on,  he  spoke  perfect  English — "  Ah,  yes  I  When  I  look 
at  her,  lying  like  that,  I  think  of  my  own  little  daughter  I 
When  I  left  India,  she  was  just  such  another — such 
another — little  beast !  " 

Letters  continued  to  come  from  him  from  time  to 
time,  but  he  was  always  a  bad  correspondent.  As  he 
himself  wrote  to  Sir  John  in  December,  1859:  "  My 
mind  has  been  made,  and  is  being  made  daily  more  and 
more,  to  disrelish  everything  that  does  not  belong 
directly  to  the  line  of  work  which  I  have  chosen  for 
myself.  I  employ  my  time  in  going  out  to  preach  at 
set  times,  and  in  reading  and  writing,  and  holding 
conversation  on  religious  subjects  with  people  that  come 
to  visit  me,  and  going  to  visit  people  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. Whatever  does  not  directly  belong  to  this  line  I 
have  neither  time  nor  curiosity,  nor  a  relish  for.  With 
regard  to  such  things  I  am  as  if  I  did  not  live  in  the 
world  1  "  Living  thus  the  life  of  a  Christian  Togi^  he 
wielded  an  immense  influence  amongst  the  natives  of 
the  district  in  which  he  worked,  who  flocked  to  hear 
him  preach  from  immense  distances,  all,  of  every  creed, 


io8        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

regarding  him  as  a  holy  man,  learned  in  the  Shastras, 
as  well  as  in  the  Scriptures.  Even  to  this  day  testi- 
mony is  borne  to  the  immense  love  and  veneration  in 
which  he  was  held.  He  had  of  course  held  priest's 
orders  in  the  Church  of  England  for  some  time,  and 
afterwards  joined  the  branch  of  the  Community  of  the 
Cowley  Fathers  in  Calcutta,  who,  finding  that  his  books 
and  lectures  were  doing  such  great  work  among  the 
educated  Hindoos,  withdrew  him  from  outdoor  mission- 
work,  and  he  was  kept  principally  employed  in  writing 
theological  works,  and  learned  treatises,  and  in  philo- 
sophical debates  with  Hindoo  pundits.  His  daughter 
was  educated  partly  in  England,  and  was  herself  the 
author  of  several  poems.  After  he  became  a  Cowley 
Father  he  was  often  in  England,  and  he  died  not  many 
years  ago,  much  respected  in  the  Community.  It  was 
through  him,  while  he  was  still  at  Benares,  that  we  used 
occasionally  to  hear  of  the  Shahzadah  Sheo  Deo  Singh, 
the  sons  of  the  Coorg  Rajah,  and  the  Maharanee  Jinda. 
While  at  Barrackpore,  before  sailing  for  England, 
a  certain  native  gentleman,  who  had  been  sent  to  Europe 
to  present  a  claim  or  petition,  on  behalf  of  the  Nana 
Sahib  at  Cawnpore,  to  the  Court  of  Directors,  came  to 
pay  his  respects  to  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh.  He 
was  a  man  of  no  rank,  in  fact,  of  low  caste,  who  had 
been  selected  as  his  envoy  by  the  Nana,  partly  because  he 
was  a  favourite  and  a  boon-companion  of  the  latter,  and 
partly  as  a  sort  of  studied  insult  to  the  "  feringhi-log," 
in  order  to  sneer  at  their  incapacity  to  distinguish  between 
one  native  and  another.  How  he  and  his  master  must 
have  chuckled  over  the  reception  accorded  to  this 
creature  in  London,  for  he  was  received  and  feted  as  a 
native  "  prince  "  by  many  who  ought  to  have  known 
better  !  The  Governor-General  had  this  man  in  mind, 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S  BAPTISM  109 

amongst  others,  when  in  a  private  letter  to  Login  he 
wrote  :  "  The  visit  of  Jung  Bahadour  whom  they  spoiled, 
and  still  more,  the  present  visit  of  the  ex-Rajah  of  Coorg, 
whom,  in  spite  of  all  my  precautions  and  warnings, 
they  have  lifted  out  of  his  place,  making  a  fool  both  of 
him  and  of  themselves  thereby,  has  disgusted  the  Court 
and  Board  of  Control,  with  native,  and  especially  with 
princely,  visitors."  This  man,  then,  his  head  completely 
turned  by  the  adulation  offered  him  at  home,  and  the 
licence  allowed  him  in  etiquette,  came  swaggering  up 
the  stairs  to  the  Maharajah's  apartments,  of  course  in 
full  dress  as  to  his  turban,  etc.,  but  clad,  as  to  his  feet, 
in  a  smart  pair  of  European  boots.  At  the  top  of  the 
flight  he  confronted  my  husband,  who,  pointing  to  his 
footgear,  remarked  :  "  Excuse  me,  you  have  for- 
gotten !  "  The  other,  at  first,  blustered  and  refused, 
arrogantly  declaring  that  he  had  never  removed  his 
shoes  for  any  grandee  in  England,  and  he  was  not  to 
be  bound  by  such  antiquated  and  childish  customs! 
"  How  you  have  behaved  in  England  is  not  my  affair," 
said  Login,  who  well  knew  the  whole  incident  was 
planned  as  an  attempt  to  insult  Duleep  Singh  in  the 
eyes  of  his  servants,  because  he  was  now  a  Christian, 
"  but  I  may  tell  you  that,  either  you  remove  your  turban 
(the  greatest  affront  possible  to  a  native)  or  your  shoes 
before  entering  his  Highness's  presence,  or — I  and  the 
chobedar  here  kick  you  down  these  stairs,  like  the  scum 
you  are  1  " 

Confronted  by  the  wrath  in  your  father's  eyes,  and  the 
menacing  looks  of  the  servants  around,  the  now  trem- 
bling wretch  fumbled  to  undo  the  laces  of  his  shoes  (it 
is  for  this  reason  native  gentlemen  wear  elastic-sided 
boots),  and  it  was  a  much  subdued  swashbuckler  that, 
.after  this,  appeared  before  the  Prince.  But  it  may 


i  io         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

possibly  be  that  the  recollection  of  this  scene  played  a 
part  in  the  tragedy  of  three  years  later,  when  the 
establishment,  European  and  native,  at  Futtehghur, 
belonging  to  the  Maharajah,  were  amongst  the  number 
of  refugees,  about  200  in  all,  who  tried  to  escape  in  boats 
to  join  the  Cawnpore  garrison,  and  were  ruthlessly  shot 
down  by  the  Nana's  orders  ! 

Lord  Dalhousie  still  continued  his  private  correspon- 
dence with  my  husband  after  our  return  to  England. 
On  August  loth,  1854,  he  wrote  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  Your  letter  of  24th  June  gave  me  very  great 
pleasure.  You  have  made  a  most  favourable  start  in 
your  London  life,  and  I  have  no  doubt  all  will  go  on 
agreeably  upon  the  excellent  plan  you  have  laid  down 
for  the  Maharajah.  He  has  made  a  very  pleasing  impres- 
sion on  those  to  whom  he  has  been  introduced,  several  of 
them  having  already  written  to  me  to  that  effect.  My 
friend,  Sir  George  Couper,*  will,  I  am  sure,  do  all  that 
his  own  many  duties  will  allow  him  to  do  to  help  you. 

"  Sirdar  Lena  Singh  has  died  at  Benares.  The  Shah- 
zadah's  mother  has  arrived  there,  and  wrote  to  me 
lately.  It  was  a  very  civil  letter,  and,  among  other 
things,  she  protested  that  she  had  never  said  a  word 
against  you  in  her  life  !  f 

"  We  are  all  very  quiet  here  in  India.  The  King  of 
Ava  is  sending  up  an  envoy  to  Calcutta,  and  Dost 

*  Comptroller  of  the  Household  to  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  to  whom 
were  written  the  "  Private  Letters  of  the  Marquess  of  Dalhousie,"  pub- 
lished by  Messrs.  Blackwood  &  Son  in  1911. 

t  This  has  reference  to  the  Ranee  Duknoo's  petition  to  the  Governor- 
General,  with  regard  to  which  he  wrote  to  Login  at  the  Barrackpore  Palace 
from  Government  House  in  March,  1854  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, — Come  to  breakfast  if  you  can  on  Monday.  There 
shall  be  a  room  ready  for  you.  Of  course,  this  is  only  if  convenient  to  you.  I 
have  sent  you  a  huge  memorial  from  the  mother  of  the  brat  you  have  brought, 
accusing  you  of  many  enormities,  of  which  child-stealing  is  the  least ! 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"  DALHOUSIE." 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   BAPTISM  in 

Mahomed  is   '  ettling  '  to   be  well  with  us  at  the  other 
side  of  the  land.    I  enclose  a  letter  for  the  Maharajah. 

"  Yours  very  truly, 

"DALHOUSIE." 

Several  other  letters  to  the  same  effect  I  found 
amongst  my  husband's  papers.  In  one  of  them  written 
in  January,  1855,  Lord  Dalhousie  speaks  of  the  Queen's 
favourable  mention  of  the  young  Sikh  ruler  in  her 
letters  to  him  as  Viceroy. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  consider  you  under  my  authority 
at  present ;  but  you  may  be  assured  that  the  un- 
restrained correspondence  between  us  is  a  real  pleasure 
to  me.  ...  If  this  young  lad  does  not  grow  up  with 
right  notions  and  principles,  and  well-directed  sentiments, 
it  certainly  will  not  be  your  fault  !  I  am  very  shaky, 
and  nearly  done,"  he  adds  at  the  end.  "  I  beg  to  offer 
my  most  sincere  congratulations  to  Lady  Login,  which  I 
omitted  to  do  before,  when  I  wrote  to  congratulate  you.* 
"  Believe  me,  my  dear  Login,  yours,  etc., 

"DALHOUSIE." 

When  Lord  and  Lady  Dalhousie  were  with  us  at 
Futtehghur  in  December,  1851,  shortly  after  the  birth 
of  my  youngest  boy  "  Harry,"  and  learnt  that  the  boy 
was  god-son  of,  and  named  after,  Sir  Henry  Lawrence 
(between  whom  and  the  Governor-General,  though 
both  men  of  undoubted  piety,  strong  character,  and 
intense  patriotism,  there  was  a  strange  sentiment  of 
antagonism),  the  Viceroy  turned  to  my  husband  with 
the  remark  :  "  Now,  remember,  Login,  /  am  god- 
father to  the  next  child  !  " 

It  was  not  till  a  long  time  after  that  occasion  arose 
to  remember  this  mandate  of  the  Governor-General 

*  Dr.  Login  had  received  the  honour  of  knighthood  from  H.M.  Queen  Victoria 

in  November,  1854. 


ii2        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

— when  given,  tantamount  to  a  royal  "  Command  !  " — 
and  by  then  we  had  been  some  while  domiciled  in  Scot- 
land, and  the  Maharajah,  a  Christian  of  some  years' 
standing,  asserted  his  superior  claim  to  stand  sponsor 
to  the  infant,  as  born  absolutely  in  his  house  !  More- 
over, just  to  complicate  matters,  instead  of  the  expected 
boy,  which  would  have  permitted  of  two  g(  d-f  athers, 
the  new  arrival  had  the  effrontery  to  make  her  appear- 
ance in  the  feminine  gender  !  I  can  tell  you,  we  were 
a  little  nonplussed  how  to  get  over  the  difficulty,  which 
was  finally  adjusted  by  making  the  Maharajah  Duleep 
Singh  the  god-father,  and  giving  to  the  little  girl  the 
names  of  her  self-nominated  sponsor,  the  Viceroy,  and 
of  his  younger  daughter,  Lady  Edith  Christian  Ramsay, 
who  afterwards  married  Sir  James  Fergusson  of  Kil- 
kerran — viz.,  "  Edith  Dalhousie  Login."  The  god- 
mothers were  the  Countess  of  Leven  and  Melville, 
and  Lady  Hatherton,  from  whose  house  at  Teddesley 
the  christening  took  place,  in  Penkridge  parish  church, 
Salop. 

I  think  the  last  letter  that  my  husband  had  from 
Lord  Dalhousie  was  written  from  Moore's  Hotel  in 
Edinburgh,  on  October  3rd,  1857,  wnen  ne  was  on  the 
point  of  sailing  for  Malta  in  search  of  a  warmer  climate 
for  the  winter.  He  speaks  of  the  tidings  from  India 
as  being  "  too  distressing  to  write  of,  though  they  occupy 
one's  thoughts  by  day  and  by  night,"  and  signs  himself 
"  ever  yours  very  truly,  DALHOUSIE,"  * 

*  It  was  naturally  with  the  greatest  interest  that  I  watched  for  the  publica- 
tion of  Lord  Dalhousie's  Private  Letters,  which  it  was  known  were  by  his 
directions  not  be  to  published  till  fifty  years  after  his  death.  There  are  direct 
allusions  in  it  to  Sir  John  Login,  and  other  subjects  mentioned  above,  and  one 
or  two  other  references,  under  an  initial  only,  which  to  one  acquainted  with 
dates  and  particulars  are  unmistakable. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    COURT    OF    ST.    JAMES 

WE  saw  Egypt  under  very  advantageous  circum- 
stances on  our  way  home,  as,  by  Lord  Dalhousie's 
directions,  Mr.  Bruce  showed  every  attention  to  the 
Maharajah's  party,  and  the  Viceroy,  Ibrahim  Pasha, 
placed  carriages  and  horses  at  our  disposal  to  view  the 
sights.  Nothing  would  serve  Duleep  Singh  but  to 
organise  a  race  to  the  top  of  the  Pyramid  with  his  com- 
panions, much  to  the  disgust  of  the  Arab  guides,  who 
had  scented  unlimited  backshish.  They  had  their 
innings,  however,  when  he  inspected  the  interior ; 
mauling,  dragging,  and  hustling  him  to  their  heart's 
content  in  the  pitchy  darkness  of  the  tomb  ;  so  that, 
what  with  heat,  foul  air,  smell  of  the  torches,  and 
swarms  of  ill-odorous  followers  of  the  Prophet,  he  was 
relieved  to  find  himself  emerge  whole,  and  with  all  his 
pearl  necklaces  intact ! 

Those  same  necklaces  were  a  source  of  constant 
anxiety  to  himself  and  his  attendants.  He  had  long 
adopted  a  semi-European  style  of  dress,  and  wore  his 
full  native  dress,  with  all  its  splendid  jewels,  only  when 
he  went  to. Court.  He  still  continued,  however,  in  his 
daily  attire  to  wear  the  Sikh  turban,  generally  with  a 
jewelled  aigrette  and  other  jewels,  and  was  never  without 
the  three  rows  of  enormous  pearls  round  his  neck,  and 
a  pair  of  large  emerald  and  pearl  earrings.  It  was  not 
till  some  years  later  that  he  fully  adopted  English  dress. 

Unlike  the  usual  conception  of  an  Asiatic,  the  Maha- 


ii4        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

rajah  had  a  keen  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  and  used  to 
give  way  to  extraordinary  paroxysms  of  laughter, 
in  which  he  threw  himself  about,  and  indulged  in  violent 
antics.  Again  and  again,  in  these  convulsions,  has  he 
broken  the  strings  of  his  necklaces  and  sent  the  pearls 
flying  all  over  the  room,  so  that  one  of  the  most  arduous 
and  unpleasant  duties  of  his  confidential  servant  was 
to  enter  the  apartment  on  these  occasions,  after  his 
master  had  retired,  and  search  under  every  chair, 
table,  and  sofa,  for  the  stray  gems,  the  value  of  which 
might  have  even  tempted  a  fair  lady  to  conceal  one 
under  her  spreading  crinoline  ! 

While  still  in  Indian  waters,  the  regulation  official 
salute  was  given  him,  by  the  Governor-General's  orders, 
on  the  vessel  conveying  him  dropping  anchor  ;  but 
there  was  unconcealed  satisfaction  visible  in  his  coun- 
tenance when  he  found  the  full  twenty-one  guns 
awarded  him  by  the  military  authorities  at  Malta  and 
Gibraltar,  — the  first  Indian  prince  to  be  so  acknowledged 
by  the  English  Government. 

This  subject  was  finally  set  at  rest  after  he  had  been 
some  little  time  in  England,  and  received  at  Windsor, 
by  Her  Majesty  deciding  that  his  rank  was  to  be  the 
same  as  that  of  a  European  prince,  and  as  chief  of  the 
native  princes  of  India,  he  took  precedence  next  after 
the  Royal  Family.* 

Just  before  this  announcement  was  publicly  made,  a 
large  dinner-party  had  been  arranged  in  honour  of 
Duleep  Singh  at  the  house  of  Sir  Robert  Inglis,  the 
Primate  (Archbishop  Longley),  Lord  Shaftesbury,  and 

*  Letter  from  Sir  Charles  Phipps,  Private  Secretary  to  Queen  Victoria,  to 
Dr.  Login  : 

"  OSBORNE,  AugUSt  14^,  1854. 

"  You  are  probably  aware  that,  after  deliberation,  Her  Majesty  has  been 
advised  that  the  Maharajah  is  entitled  in  this  country  to  the  same  rank  and 
precedence  as  an  European  prince." 


THE  COURT  OF   ST.   JAMES  115 

other  notables  being  invited  to  meet  him.  Poor  Sir 
Robert  was  greatly  exercised  how  to  settle  the  knotty 
point,  and  came  in  great  distress  to  consult  my  husband 
on  the  matter.  With  what  a  shout  of  laughter  did  the 
Maharajah  receive  the  suggestion  of  Sir  Robert,  that  he 
and  the  Archbishop  should  proceed  arm-in-arm  to  the 
dining-room,  and  how  eagerly  he  offered  to  give  the 
fas  to  the  Primate,  with  the  remark :  "  I  shall  be 
delighted  !  Now  the  Archbishop  will  have  to  take  the 
oldest  lady  present,  and  this  time  surely  I  may  please 
myself  ?  I  always  get  such  old  ladies  !  "  His  face  of 
dismay  when,  on  arrival  at  the  house,  a* second  old  lady 
was  brought  up  to  him  was  truly  comical ! 

Sir  Robert,  no  doubt,  had  anticipated  more  difficulty, 
knowing  what  sticklers  for  precedence  and  etiquette 
are  the  native  potentates — and  indeed  all  the  official 
classes  in  India — where  these  matters  are  very  rigidly 
legislated  for.  Anyhow,  Duleep  Singh  came  out  of  the 
ordeal  more  gracefully  than  a  certain  lady — known  to 
me  by  name — in  one  of  the  large  stations  there.  The 
story  was  one  well  known  in  Government  circles  when 
I  was  in  India,  and  was  told  me  by  more  than  one  within 
earshot  of  the  incident.  Her  husband  was  an  official  of 
such  high  position  that,  in  spite  of  her  want  of  breeding, 
she  was  assigned  to  the  Governor-General  as  partner 
for  the  supper  at  a  ball  given  in  his  honour.  This  selec- 
tion aroused  the  ire  of  the  lady  appointed  to  the  next 
official  in  rank  present,  who,  thinking  to  abash  her  rival, 
said  sneeringly.  in  a  stage-aside  to  her  companion,  as 
they  followed  close  behind  :  "  Doesn't  the  honest 
woman  look  proud  of  her  exalted  position  ?  "  But  the 
furious  retort  launched  at  her  instantly,  in  strident 
tones,  overwhelmed  both  her  and  the  company.  "  No 
more  an  '  honest  woman  '  than  you  are — so  there  !  !  " 


ii6        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

His  zeal  for  truth,  and  disapproval  of  "  polite  lies," 
were  sometimes  unsparingly  displayed  at  this  time.  At 
a  large  dinner  given  in  his  honour  by  a  General  just 
returned  from  high  command  in  India,  where  he  had 
already  met  Duleep  Singh,  the  hostess  pressed  the 
Maharajah  to  take  some  curry  she  had  had  specially 
made  for  him.  She  went  on  to  say  that  no  doubt  it 
was  very  inferior  to  what  he  was  accustomed  to,  but  she 
trusted,  in  that  case,  that  he  would  honestly  tell  her 
if  it  was  not  good  ?  The  poor  boy  had  been  politely 
endeavouring  to  swallow  a  little  of  the  mixture,  which 
was  certainly  very  unlike  an  Indian  curry  ;  but  when  his 
hostess  said  this,  he  believed  she  meant  it,  and,  putting 
down  his  fork  and  spoon  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  he  ejacu- 
lated :  "  Oh,  you  are  quite  right  !  It  is  horrible  ! 
Take  it  away  !  "  The  dismay  of  the  hostess  may  be 
conceived !  She  thought  herself  an  authority  on 
Indian  dishes,  and  this  was  the  plat  of  the  occasion  ! 

His  candour  and  straightforwardness  made  him  a 
great  favourite  with  Queen  Victoria  and  the  Prince 
Consort,  and  his  outspoken  comments  on  things  in 
general  seemed  especially  amusing  to  the  Prince,  who 
delighted  in  drawing  him  out,  and  making  him  talk 
freely  to  him.  He  was  very  frequently  invited  to  Wind- 
sor and  Osborne,  the  first  visit  to  the  latter  residence 
taking  place  in  August,  1854,  an<^  intercourse  and 
correspondence  encouraged  between  the  royal  princes 
and  Duleep  Singh.  They  frequently  exchanged  draw- 
ings to  show  their  progress  in  this  accomplishment,  and 
compared  notes  about  their  studies,  and  I  have  in  my 
possession  now  pencil  sketches  done  at  this  period  by 
the  then  Prince  of  Wales  (King  Edward  VII.)  and 
Prince  Alfred,  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.  The  very 
greatest  interest  was  always  taken  in  the  Maharajah's 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.    JAMES  117 

education  and  well-being,  by  the  Queen  and  Prince 
Consort ;  the  latter  recommended  the  teachers  and 
professors  he  was  to  have — Professors  Bentley  and 
Becker  for  science  and  German,  Dr.  Edward  Rimbault 
and  W.  G.  Cusins  for  music,  for  which  the  Maharajah 
showed  an  undoubted  aptitude,  and  an  enthusiastic 
devotion.  He  was  engaged  in  writing  and  producing 
an  opera  just  before  his  final  departure  from  England, 
and  presented  me  with  the  libretto. 

The  Queen  showed  her  solicitude  for  his  health  in 
many  ways,  and  I  shall  not  easily  forget  the  concern 
she  exhibited  when  she  learnt  from  me  that  the  Maha- 
rajah, in  spite  of  our  entreaties,  and  the  representations 
made  to  him  of  the  danger  in  our  English  climate, 
stoutly  refused  to  wear  woollen  underclothing.  "  I  shall 
speak  to  him  myself,  Lady  Login  !  "  she  said,  when  I 
urged  that  perhaps  he  might  consent  if  he  knew  it  was 
her  wish,  and  she  called  him  to  her  across  the  room. 
But,  no  !  Even  to  her  he  was  adamant  on  this  point, 
and  she  had  to  waive  the  point  finally  on  his  reply  : 
"  Indeed,  Ma'am,  I  cannot  bear  the  feel  of  flannel  next 
to  my  skin.  It  makes  me  long  to  scratch,  and  you 
would  not  like  to  see  me  scratching  myself  in  your 
presence  !  !  "  Her  Majesty's  face  was  a  picture,  but 
the  boy  (for  he  was  nothing  more)  had  no  conception 
at  that  time  how  his  words  sounded  in  English  ears — he, 
who  was  in  every  way  the  pink  of  good  manners  !  But 
it  will  be  conceived  that  after  that  remark  of  his  the 
subject  was  hurriedly  dropped  ! 

Presents  were  exchanged  on  their  birthdays  between 
him  and  the  Royal  Family,  and  many  letters  of  the 
princes'  tutor,  Mr.  Gibbs,  refer  to  this.  A  cage  of  fifty 
birds  was  sent  on  one  occasion  by  the  Maharajah  to 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  a  trick-ring  to  Prince  Alfred 


n8         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Presents  of  Sikh  armour,  native  dresses  and  hangings, 
richly  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver,  were  sent  also  by 
Duleep  Singh,  and  in  these  costumes  the  princes  were 
photographed  by  their  father,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
and  keenest  of  amateur  photographers,  and  imbued 
the  Maharajah  with  the  same  hobby.  In  return,  the 
Queen  and  princes  sent  gifts,  including  a  horse  from  the 
royal  stables,  a  clock,  Christmas-pie,  game,  and  case  of 
Tangerine  oranges,  at  Christmas,  from  Her  Majesty, 
a  roe  deer  shot  by  himself  from  the  Prince  Consort, 
and  a  silver-mounted  microscope  from  the  two  elder 
Princes.  It  was  with  reference  to  this  last  present  that 
Mr.  Gibbs  was  commissioned  to  write  to  my  husband, 
to  ask  for  a  sketch  of  the  Maharajah's  coat-of-arms  !  * 
His  arms  were  in  the  end  worked  out  for  him  by  the 
Prince  Consort,  who  was  an  authority  on  these  matters, 
though  Continental  heraldry  differs  from  English  in 
many  points. 

Duleep  Singh  was  very  much  charmed  and  gratified 
by  the  delightful  camaraderie  of  the  young  princesses. 
They  invited  him,  with  their  brothers,  to  make  proof 
of  their  skill  as  cooks  at  the  Swiss  Chalet  in  the  Osborne 
grounds,  where  a  very  complete  kitchen  was  fitted  up 
for  them.  The  young  princes,  however,  after  the  manner 
of  boys,  spurned  the  idea  that  a  girl  could  cook  a  potato  ! 
and  in  order  to  exhibit  their  superiority  in  that  line, 
installed  themselves  in  the  kitchen,  turning  the  key  on 
the  real  proprietresses,  who  were  reduced  to  hurling 
contemptuous  criticisms,  in  dumb  show,  through  the 
bolted  windows  1  Duleep  Singh  basely  revelled  in  this 

*  I  see  that  Lord  Dalhousie  ("  Private  Letters  &c.,"  p.  320)  made  great  fun 
of  the  idea  of  an  Eastern  monarch  having  Western  armorial  bearings  ;  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  most  Orientals  have  a  hankering  after  the  symbols  of  heraldry, 
and  both  Runjeet  Singh  and  Shere  Singh,  Duleep  Singh's  father  and  brother, 
had  blazoned  coats-of-arms  made  out  by  French  heralds.  Of  these  I  possess 
authentic  copies,  as  well  as  that  of  the  King  of  Oude. 


HIS    ROYAL    HIGHNESS    THE    PRINCE    OF    WALES    (HIS    MAJESTY 
KING    EDWARD    VII.). 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.    JAMES  119 

very  ungallant  escapade,  and  as  he  loved  above  all 
things  to  dabble  with  pots  and  pans,  so  he  was  proud  of 
the  fact,  that  it  was  his  practical  knowledge  that  made 
a  perfect  success  of  the  disputed  plat  / 

The  extraordinary  kindness  of  heart  and  thought- 
fulness  for  others  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  (our  late 
lamented  sovereign)  was  seen  even  in  these  early  years. 
It  was  about  this  same  period  that  he  came,  with  Prince 
Alfred  and  Mr.  Gibbs,  to  visit  the  Maharajah  at  Ash- 
burton  House,  Roehampton.  They  were  all  keen  on 
playing  cricket,  when  the  Prince  of  Wales  learnt  that 
my  eldest  son,  an  Eton  school-boy,  was  confined  to  his 
room  with  a  cold,  and  bitterly  disappointed  at  not  being 
able  to  play  with  the  princes  as  he  had  hoped  to  do. 
Nothing  would  serve  His  Royal  Highness  but  to  leave 
the  cricket  field  immediately,  and,  since  he  was  not 
permitted  to  visit  the  invalid  in  his  room,  stand  for 
half-an-hour  under  his  open  window,  exchanging 
opinions  and  school-boy  confidences.  Is  it  any  wonder 
that,  in  after  days,  his  people  loved  him  so  ?  Moreover, 
to  give  pleasure  to  the  enforced  prisoner,  the  royal 
brothers  arranged  to  submit  themselves  to  be  photo- 
graphed by  Duleep  Singh  on  the  lawn,  in  full  view  of  the 
windows  ;  and  those  photographs,  you  may  be  sure, 
are  now  treasured  possessions  with  me  !  Duleep  Singh 
had  already,  with  the  Prince  Consort's  assistance,  taken 
several  negatives  at  Osborne  of  the  royal  children, 
in  fancy  dress  and  in  his  Indian  costumes. 

H.R.H.  Prince  Alfred  (Grand-Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg- 
Gotha)  was  shyer  than  his  elder  brother,  and,  on  one 
occasion,  considerably  nonplussed  by  my  little  boy, 
Harry,  aged  five  years,  who  marched  boldly  up  to  him, 
on  being  presented,  exhibiting  a  pair  of  new  shoes,  of 
which  he  was  inordinately  proud,  and  demanding 


120        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

pointedly—  "  Does  your  mama  give  you  as  nice  shoes 
as  these  ?  " 

It  was  that  same  eldest  boy  of  mine — also  named 
"  Edward  "  —who,   a   year   or   two   later,   was   always 
twitted  by  the  family  for  the  extraordinary  manner  in 
which  he  did  the  honours  to  royalty,  in  the  person  of 
the   Princess  Mary  (the  late  Duchess  of  Teck)  in  his 
father's  absence.    We  were  then  all  living  in  one  of  the 
Queen's  houses  at  Kew,  next  door  to  Cambridge  House. 
An  epidemic  of  "  mumps  "  broke  out,  and  the  whole 
family,  except  Sir  John,  who  was  away,  and  my  boy 
Edwy,  were  laid  low  with  it.   One  afternoon  unexpectedly 
Princess  Mary  came  to  the  door,  and  the  butler  was 
ushering  her  upstairs  when,  knowing  the  horror  of  the 
Royal  Family  for  any  possible  infectious  disorder  of  the 
throat,  and  in  quarantine  myself,  I  bade  Edwy  fly  and 
meet  her  at  the  door,  to  give  her  warning.    He  tore  down 
at  break-neck  speed,  but  was  so  flabbergasted  at  meet- 
ing her  face  to  face  on  the  stairs,  that  all  his  manners, 
and  his  carefully  prepared  message,  fled  from  him,  and 
he  could  only  gasp  out  :    "  M-m-m-mumps,  your  Royal 
Highness  !  "    For  an  instant  she  gazed  in  consternation, 
thinking  the  boy  had  lost  his  wits  ;    then  his  meaning 
flashing  on  her,  she  turned  and  fled  incontinently,  down 
the  stairs  and  out  of  the  house,  while  peal  after  peal  of 
that  cheery,  ringing  laugh  of  hers,  that  all  who  had 
ever  heard  never  forgot,  came  in  gusts  from  the  far 
distance  !     The  very  sight  of  the  boy  after  that  was 
enough  to  restart  her  laughter  ! 

Church  House  and  Cambridge  House  adjoined  so 
closely  that  the  windows  of  one  wing  of  the  former 
actually  overlooked  the  royal  garden,  and  though  I 
strictly  forbade  any  of  our  household  to  look  out  in 
that  direction,  we  could  not  help  hearing  our  dear 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.   JAMES  121 

Princess  Mary's  voice  and  laugh,  when  romping  and 
playing  with  her  nephews  and  nieces,  and  her  constant 
calls  for  "  Dolf  !  "  or  "  Dolly  !  "  her  favourite— the 
present  Grand-Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  I  believe  ? 
—rather  a  preternaturally  solemn  and  stolid  child.  All 
the  royal  residences  had  private  doors  into  Kew  Gardens, 
and  at  the  hours  when  the  public  were  excluded  we 
used  them  as  if  they  were  our  own  grounds.  Often  did 
we  meet  Princess  Mary  racing  round  with  a  nephew 
carried  pick-a-back,  and  the  old  Duchess  of  Cambridge 
taking  her  airing  in  her  pony-chair.  She  was  once 
greatly  diverted  by  my  little  girl,  aged  three,  whom  she 
stopped  to  speak  to.  The  child  made  her  curtsey  duti- 
fully, as  bidden  by  her  nurse,  but  stoutly  refused  to 
relinquish  the  slice  of  bread-and-butter  she  was  at  the 
moment  engaged  upon,  and  with  great  solemnity  waved 
it  in  the  Duchess's  face,  while  going  through  the  evolu- 
tion ! 

A  coachman  who  was  in  our  service  at  Kew,  and 
afterwards  in  London,  named  William  Turley,  was 
recommended  by  my  husband  to  Sir  Dighton  Probyn, 
V.C.,  and  ultimately  became  private  coachman  to  the 
Princess  of  Wales  (Queen  Alexandra). 

He  was  a  very  honest,  trustworthy  man,  but  I  often 
wondered  whether,  in  the  royal  service,  he  made  out  his 
accounts  in  the  original  fashion  he  used  to  do  with  us  ! 
He  had  an  unbounded  talent  for  phonetic  spelling. 
His  first  monthly  stable  bill  puzzled  my  husband  not 
a  little  !  On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  paper  appeared 
a  column  of  figures,  and  on  the  right-hand  side  a  row 
of  capital  "A" 'si' 

"  What  does  this  mean,  Turley  ?   "  asked  Sir  John. 

"  That's  A,  Sir  John  !  " 

"  So  I  see.    But  what  is  '  A  '  for  ?  " 


122         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  'Ay  for  the  'osses,  Sir  John ! "  said  honest  William, 
with  an  inflection  of  reproachful  surprise  at  his  master's 
denseness. 

If  Princess  Mary's  laugh  was  infectious,  no  one  had 
a  keener  sense  of  the  ludicrous  than  my  beloved  mistress, 
Queen  Victoria.  I  shall  never  forget  the  first  drawing- 
room  after  the  Duchess  of  Kent's  death.  For  my 

sins,  I  had  to  present  a  certain  Lady  D .     Scarcely 

had  I  entered  the  throne-room,  and  heard  her  name 
announced  in  front  of  me,  when,  to  my  horror,  I  saw  her 
whisk  round  in  Her  Majesty's  face,  and  tear  back  the 
way  she  had  come,  into  the  gallery  behind,  of  course 
turning  her  *back  on  the  Sovereign  and  everyone  !  all 
present  staring  in  petrifaction,  the  pages  racing  after 
her  with  their  staves,  frantically  trying  to  hook  up  her 
train,  as  it  swung  from  side  to  side,  nearly  upsetting  the 
bystanders,  while  a  long  tail  of  false  hair,  which  I  had 
vainly  striven  to  pin  up  for  her  in  the  entrance  hall, 
became  again  unfixed  and  streamed  wildly  in  the  air, 
making  her  look  more  than  ever  like  a  madwoman. 
Picture  my  consternation  and  annoyance  ! 

But  how  the  Queen  and  the  Prince  Consort  laughed  ! 
As,  overwhelmed  with  confusion,  I  was  making  my 
curtsey,  Her  Majesty,  shaking  with  merriment,  whis- 
pered :  "  What  is  the  matter  with  your  friend,  Lady 
Login  ?  What  did  she  take  us  for  ?  "  And  the  only 
excuse  the  silly  idiot  could  offer,  when  I  asked  her  what 
she  meant  by  her  behaviour,  was,  "  Oh,  it  was  so  awful 
to  see  them  all  in  black  !  " 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  episode  in  which  I  was 
concerned  with  Her  Majesty  took  place  about  this  time. 

The  Maharajah,  by  the  Queen's  desire,  gave  sittings 
to  Mr.  Winterhalter  for  a  full-length  picture  by  that 
artist,  which  now,  I  believe,  hangs  in  the  gallery  at 


THE  COURT  OF  ST.    JAMES  123 

Buckingham  Palace.  He  was  then  about  sixteen  or 
seventeen  years  of  age  and  a  very  handsome  youth, 
slight  and  graceful.  Mr.  Winterhalter,  wishing  the 
picture  to  be  a  permanent  portrait  of  the  young  Oriental 
prince  in  his  full  dress,  has  given  to  the  sitter  the  height 
he  judged  he  would  attain  when  he  reached  manhood. 
This  calculation  unfortunately  proved  incorrect,  as 
the  Maharajah  never  grew  any  taller  than  he  then  was. 

The  sittings  took  place  at  Buckingham  Palace  ;  the 
Queen  and  Prince  Consort  were  much  interested  in  the 
progress  of  the  work,  and  frequently  visited  the  room 
arranged  as  a  studio.  My  husband  or  I  usually  accom- 
panied the  Maharajah. 

On  one  of  these  occasions,  when  the  painter  was 
engaged  on  the  details  of  the  jewels  that  Duleep  Singh 
was  wearing,  Her  Majesty  took  the  opportunity  to  speak 
to  me  aside  on  the  subject  of  the  Koh-i-noor,  which  had 
only  recently  been  returned  to  her  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  Amsterdam  diamond-cutters,  and,  of  course, 
was  greatly  changed  in  size,  shape  and  lustre.  She  had 
not  yet  worn  it  in  public,  and,  as  she  herself  remarked, 
had  a  delicacy  about  doing  so  in  the  Maharajah's 
presence. 

"  Tell  me,  Lady  Login,  does  the  Maharajah  ever 
mention  the  Koh-i-noor  ?  Does  he  seem  to  regret  it, 
and  would  he  like  to  see  it  again  ?  Find  out  for  me 
before  the  next  sitting,  and  mind  you  let  me  know 
exactly  what  he  says  !  " 

Little  did  Her  Majesty  guess  the  perturbation  into 
which  her  command  threw  a  loyal  subject !  How 
thankful  I  was  that  the  second  query  followed  close 
on,  and  covered  up  the  first,  which  would  have  been 
most  embarrassing  to  answer  truthfully,  as  there  was 
no  other  subject  that  so  filled  the  thoughts  and  con- 


i24        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

versation  of  the  Maharajah,  his  relatives  and  depen- 
dants !  For  the  confiscation  of  the  jewel  which  to  the 
Oriental  is  the  symbol  of  the  sovereignty  of  India, 
rankled  in  his  mind  even  more  than  the  loss  of  his 
kingdom,  and  I  dreaded  what  sentiments  he  might 
give  vent  to  were  the  subject  once  re-opened  ! 

The  time  passed,  and  no  good  opportunity  arose  of 
sounding  him  on  the  matter,  till  the  very  day  before  the 
next  sitting  was  due,  when,  as  we  were  riding  together 
in  Richmond  Park,  in  desperation,  I  ventured  to  turn 
the  conversation  round  to  the  altered  appearance  that 
the  cutting  was  said  to  have  given  to  the  famous 
61  mountain  of  light,"  and  remarked,  as  casually  as  I 
could,  "  would  he  have  any  curiosity  to  see  it  now  in  its 
new  form  ?  "  "Yes,  indeed  I  would  !  "  he  affirmed 
emphatically  ;  "  I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  hold  it 
again  in  my  own  hand  !  "  This  reply,  knowing  how 
keen  were  his  feelings  on  the  matter,  startled  me  con- 
siderably, and  it  was  in  much  trepidation  that  I  asked 
the  reason  for  this  great  desire  on  his  part  ?  "  Why  ?  " 
was  his  answer.  "  Why,  because  I  was  but  a  child,  an 
infant,  when  forced  to  surrender  it  by  treaty  ;  but  now 
that  I  am  a  man,  I  should  like  to  have  it  in  my  power  to 
place  it  myself  in  her  hand  !  " 

I  cannot  tell  you  my  delight  and  relief  at  his  answer, 
and,  lest  he  should  add  anything  that  might  qualify 
or  spoil  such  a  charming  and  chivalrous  sentiment,  I 
hurriedly  turned  the  conversation,  and  with  a  light 
heart  awaited  the  morrow's  interview  with  Her  Majesty. 

She  came  across  to  me  at  once  on  entering  the  room, 
the  Maharajah  being  on  the  platform,  posing  for  the 
artist,  asking  eagerly  if  I  had  executed  her  commands  ? 
and  right  glad  I  was  to  be  able  to  give  his  answer.  The 
Queen  seemed  as  pleased  as  I  had  been  at  Duleep  Singh's 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.   JAMES  125 

response  to  my  question,  and,  signalling  to  the  Prince 
Consort,  who  was  engaged  in  conversation  with  the 
painter  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  they  held  a  hurried 
consultation  in  whispers,  despatching  one  of  the  gentle- 
men-in-waiting  with  a  message.  For  about  half-an- 
hour  they  both  remained,  watching  the  progress  of  the 
portrait  and  conversing  with  those  present,  when  a 
slight  bustle  near  the  door  made  me  look  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  behold,  to  my  amazement,  the  gorgeous 
uniforms  of  a  group  of  beef-eaters  from  the  Tower, 
escorting  an  official  bearing  a  small  casket,  which  he 
presented  to  Her  Majesty.  This  she  opened  hastily, 
and  took  therefrom  a  small  object  which,  still  holding, 
she  showed  to  the  Prince,  and,  both  advancing  together 
to  the  dais,  the  Queen  cried  out,  "  Maharajah,  I  have 
something  to  show  you  !  "  Turning  hastily — for,  in 
the  position  he  was  in,  his  back  was  towards  the  actors 
in  this  little  scene — Duleep  Singh  stepped  hurriedly 
down  to  the  floor,  and,  before  he  knew  what  was  happen- 
ing, found  himself  once  more  with  the  Koh-i-noor  in 
his  grasp,  while  the  Queen  was  asking  him  "  if  he  thought 
it  improved,  and  if  he  would  have  recognised  it  again  ?  '' 
Truth  to  tell,  at  first  sight,  no  one  who  had  known  it 
before  would  have  done  so,  diminished  to  half  its  size,  and 
thereby,  in  Oriental  eyes,  reft  of  much  of  its  association 
and  symbolism.  That  this  was  what  he  felt  I  am  inwardly 
convinced  ;  yet,  as  he  walked  with  it  towards  the 
window,  to  examine  it  more  closely,  turning  it  hither  and 
thither,  to  let  the  light  upon  its  facets,  and  descanting 
upon  its  peculiarities  and  differences,  and  the  skill  of 
the  diamond-cutter,  for  all  his  air  of  polite  interest  and 
curiosity,  there  was  a  passion  of  repressed  emotion  in 
his  face,  patent  to  one  who  knew  him  well,  nnd  evident, 
I  think,  to  Her  Majesty,  who  watched  him  with  sym- 


126        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

pathy  not  unmixed  with  anxiety — that  I  may  truly 
say,  it  was  to  me  one  of  the  most  excruciatingly  uncom- 
fortable quarters-of-an-hour  that  I  ever  passed  !  For 
an  awful  terror  seized  me,  lest  I  had  unwittingly  de- 
ceived Her  Majesty  as  to  his  intentions,  seeing  him 
stand  there  turning  and  turning  that  stone  about  in  his 
hands,  as  if  unable  to  part  with  it  again,  now  he  had  it 
once  more  in  his  possession  ! 

At  last,  as  if  summoning  up  his  resolution  after  a 
profound  struggle,  and  with  a  deep  sigh,  he  raised  his 
eyes  from  the  jewel,  and — just  as  the  tension  on  my  side 
was  near  breaking-point,  so  that  I  was  prepared  for 
almost  anything — even  to  seeing  him,  in  a  sudden  fit 
of  madness,  fling  the  precious  talisman  out  of  the  open 
window  by  which  he  stood  1  and  the  other  spectators' 
nerves  were  equally  on  edge — he  moved  deliberately 
to  where  Her  Majesty  was  standing,  and,  with  a  defer- 
ential reverence,  placed  in  her  hand  the  famous  dia- 
mond, with  the  words  :  "  It  is  to  me,  Ma'am,  the  greatest 
pleasure  thus  to  have  the  opportunity,  as  a  loyal  subject, 
of  myself  tendering  to  my  Sovereign  the  Koh-i-noor  !  " 
Whereupon  he  quietly  resumed  his  place  on  the  dais, 
and  the  artist  continued  his  work. 

Of  all  those  present  on  that  memorable  occasion, 
I  believe  that  I  am  the  sole  survivor,  for  the  late  Lady 
Ely,  the  Lady-in- Wai  ting,  was  the  only  other  lady 
there,  and  both  Sir  Charles  Phipps  and  the  equerry  are 
dead.  The  officer  and  escort  from  the  Tower  had  already 
left  the  room. 

In  1889,  one  of  my  daughters,  when  in  Amsterdam, 
had  the  privilege  of  being  taken  over  the  factory  of 
the  diamond-cutting  firm  that  did  the  work,  having 
an  introduction  to  the  partners  from  a  leading  financier 
in  the  Dutch  capital,  and  heard  from  them  all  the  details 


HIS    HIGHNESS    THE    MAHARAJAH    DULEEP    SINGH. 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.    JAMES  127 

of  the  process.     Her  introducer,  Monsieur  O ,  who 

was  really  only  a  chance  acquaintance,  gave  her  the 
impression  of  being,  for  a  man  of  such  mark  in  the  world 
of  finance,  extraordinarily  incautious  and  outspoken  to 
a  stranger  and  foreigner,  such  as  she  was.  The  Boer 
Republics  were  already  giving  trouble,  and  he  spoke 
quite  frankly  of  the  support  given  them  in  Holland, 
even  to  mentioning  his  own  share  in  it.  But  when  he 
went  on  to  boast  of  how  he  had  induced  Prince  Bismarck 
to  put  pressure  on  the  Portuguese  Government,  some 
two  years  back,  to  seize  the  Delagoa  Bay  Railway,  even 
to  the  naming  of  dates,  and  quoting  of  the  words  of 
the  telegrams  that  passed,  she  began  to  wonder  if  it 
could  all  be  "  bluff,"  or  whether  he  was  actually  pre- 
suming on  her  supposed  ignorance  of  foreign  and 
colonial  politics,  since  it  explained  much  that  she  knew 
had  puzzled  our  Foreign  Office  at  the  time  ?  As  it 
happened,  she  knew  about  the  Delagoa  Railway  busi- 
ness, and  the  muddle  England  had  made  of  all  her 
interests  in  that  part  of  Africa.  My  friend  Colonel 
Malleson  was  executor  for  the  late  South  African 
magnate  who  had  financed  the  project,  and  he  was 
greatly  bewildered  at  Portugal's  sudden  volte-face. 
This  information,  when  passed  on  to  him  and  then 
to  the  Foreign  Office,  laid  bare  the  whole  intrigue. 

Monsieur  O was  a  strange  mixture  !     In  the  same 

conversation  he  spoke  of  Germany's  deliberate  policy 
(even  then)  to  absorb  Holland,  and  gravely  assured  her 
that  the  Dutch  people  were  only  longing  for  England 
to  counter  this  by  annexing  them  herself  !  It  was  their 
only  hope  !  And  all  this  to  a  chance  acquaintance  at 
an  hotel  table-<Thdte  I 

Castle   Menzies,   in    Perthshire,   the   property  of   Sir 
Robert    Menzies,    was    taken    as    a    residence    for    the 


128         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Maharajah,  and  he  was  there  able  to  entertain  as  his 
guests  many  distinguished  persons,  among  them  the 
chief  officials  at  the  India  House,  and  many  of  the 
Cabinet  Ministers  and  members  of  the  Opposition  in 
Parliament. 

Taymouth  Castle  was  within  a  short  distance,  and 
constant  intercourse  was  kept  up  between  the  two 
houses.  Lord  Breadalbane  was  at  that  time  Lord 
Chamberlain,  and  entertained  a  succession  of  eminent 
personages  to  whom  the  Indian  prince  was  a  great 
object  of  interest.  In  this  way  we  met  Archbishop  Tait 
(then  Bishop  of  London),  Dr.  Samuel  Wilberforce, 
Bishop  of  Oxford,  Lord  Clarendon,  Lord  Stratford  de 
Redcliffe,  and  Mr.  Delane,  Editor  of  The  Times,  with 
whom  and  his  successor,  Mr.  G.  W.  Dasent,  my  husband 
kept  up  an  interesting  correspondence  during  and  after 
the  Mutiny. 

With  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  the  philanthropist, 
Login  was  on  very  friendly  terms,  and  many  were  the 
notes  inviting  him  to  St.  Giles  for  "  Indian  talks," 
as  Lord  Shaftesbury  called  them,  when  they  discussed 
the  best  policy  to  be  pursued  in  that  dependency  of  the 
British  Crown,  including  the  famous  "  Oude  Proclama- 
tion/' and  the  question  of  education  for  the  natives. 

I  mentioned,  some  time  back,  Sir  William  Sleeman's 
injunctions  to  the  Maharajah  to  remember,  if  ever  he 
visited  the  county  of  Kent,  that  the  inhabitants  of  that 
part  of  England  were  of  the  same  race  as  the  Jats,  who 
people  the  Punjab,  and  that  he  and  they  equally  descend 
from  the  Getae  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  He  had  an 
opportunity  of  bearing  this  in  mind  when  the  Ex- 
Governor-General,  Lord  Hardinge,  who  had  treated 
him  and  his  people  with  such  generosity  and  considera- 
tion in  the  First  Sikh  War,  asked  our  whole  party  to  stay 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.   JAMES  129 

with  him  at  South  Park,  near  Penshurst.  The  Maha- 
rajah's horses  were  sent  down  beforehand,  so  that  we 
were  able  to  take  many  rides  about,  and  thoroughly 
explore  the  whole  neighbourhood. 

Lord  Hardinge  was  then  Commander-in-Chief  in 
England,  in  succession  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and 
a  fine,  hale-looking  old  man,  with  the  remarkable  bright- 
blue  eyes  peculiar  to  his  family.  He  received  with  a 
grand,  old-world  courtesy,  the  ex-Sovereign,  whose 
armies  he  had  vanquished  in  three  bloody  and  hardly- 
contested  fights,  in  which  the  British  troops  were  peri- 
lously near  defeat,  yet  whose  crown  and  kingdom  he 
had  magnanimously  spared. 

This  had  been  Duleep  Singh's  first  impression  of 
English  country  life,  while  he  was  still  residing  at  Roe- 
hampton  ;  but  later  on  he  accompanied  us  to  Scotland 
for  a  short  visit,  before  his  residence  at  Castle  Menzies 
was  decided  on,  and  from  Edinburgh,  we  went  for  a  few 
days  to  stay  with  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Morton  at 
Dalmahoy,  and,  on  the  return  journey,  stopped  at 
Hickleton  Hall  in  Yorkshire,  with  Sir  Charles  Wood 
(afterwards  Lord  Halifax),  aslo  at  Wentworth,  with  Earl 
Fitzwilliam,  and  at  Teddesley,  Lord  Hatherton's  place 
in  Staffordshire,  so  that  he  very  soon  became  acquainted 
with  the  homes  of  the  English  nobility. 

Later  on,  both  he  and  ourselves  were  to  pay  many 
visits  to  Teddesley,  and  on  one  of  them,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  the  christening  of  my  little  daughter,  we 
were  much  amused  at  the  arrangements  in  the  family 
pew  at  Penkridge  Church,  which  was  furnished  as  a 
drawing-room,  with  easy  chairs  and  a  regular  fire-place  ! 
As  soon  as  the  sermon  commenced,  to  the  scandalised 
horror  of  my  children,  his  lordship  got  up,  carefully 
drew  all  the  curtains  round,  so  that  the  congregation 


130        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

could  not  look  in  (the  clergyman  alone,  mounted  in  the 
pulpit,  had  a  view  over  the  top  of  the  screen),  poked 
the  fire  vigorously,  took  his  stand  on  the  hearth-rug 
with  his  back  to  it,  pulled  The  Times  out  of  his  pocket, 
and  read  it  steadily  throughout  the  discourse,  turning 
over  the  sheets  with  a  great  rustle  when  he  thought  the 
preacher  ought  to  come  to  an  end  ! 

This  sort  of  arrangement  was  not  unusual  in  those 
days,  for  Sir  Edward  Cust,  when  proposing  to  show  the 
Maharajah  Claremont  House,  in  April,  1856 — "The 
French  Royal  Family  are  away,  and  I  am  sure  the 
King  of  the  Belgians  would  be  pleased  " — suggested 
that  he  should  go  down  on  the  Sunday  to  Esher  Church 
to  attend  the  morning  service  at  eleven  o'clock.  "  The 
Royal  Closet  might  interest  the  Prince,  as  it  is  all 
panelled  in  cedar  and  painted,  and  is  entered  by  a 
separate  door  and  staircase,  so  that  H.H.  might  arrive 
at  any  time  of  the  service  (!)  " 

The  Royal  pew  at  Kew,  where  later  on  we  were 
allotted  one  of  the  Queen's  houses,  was  very  much  on 
the  same  lines.  A  special  staircase  led  up  to  a  corridor, 
off  which  opened  three  doors,  the  centre — folding  ones, 
surmounted  by  the  Royal  coat-of-arms — led  into  the 
Royal  pew,  occupied  by  the  late  Duchess  of  Cambridge 
and  her  children.  The  one  on  the  left  was  given  to 
H.R.H.'s  equerry  and  family,  and  the  other  to  ourselves 
and  party.  These  three  formed  the  gallery  at  the  west 
end  of  the  church,  and  were  exactly  like  the  boxes  now 
in  the  Albert  Hall,  separated  by  low  balustrades  uphol- 
stered in  crimson  velvet,  over  which,  I  regret  to  say, 
my  children  were  frequently  detected  climbing  ! 

Our  residence  at  Kew  was  not  in  consequence  of 
my  husband's  position  as  Guardian  and  Superintendent 
of  the  Establishment  of  the  Maharajah,  but  connected 


THE   COURT  OF  ST.    JAMES  131 

with  an  appointment  which  I  held  personally  from 
H.M.  Queen  Victoria,  and  of  whcih  I  shall  have  more  to 
say  presently. 

We  were  there  under  the  aegis  of  the  Lord  Chamber- 
lain's Department,  by  whom  the  house  was  furnished 
for  us,  down  to  the  details  of  glass  and  crockery. 

Church  House,  Kew,  was  next  door  to  Cambridge 
House,  the  residence  of  Queen  Victoria's  aunt  by  mar- 
riage, and  numerous  were  the  neighbourly  kindnesses 
we  received  from  her  household,  and  the  acts  of  con- 
sideration shown  by  the  Duchess  and  the  Princess. 

I  was  still  an  invalid  when  we  first  went  into  resi- 
dence, and  immediately  Baron  Knesebeck  was  com- 
missioned by  H.R.H.  to  invite  Sir  John  to  dinner  that 
evening,  conditionally  "  on  his  being  able  to  leave  Lady 
Login  without  anxiety."  Sir  George  Couper,  the 
Duchess  of  Kent's  equerry,  was  known  to  us  from  the 
first  through  the  kindness  of  Lord  Dalhousie.  We 
therefore  were  the  recipients  of  many  invitations  to 
Frogmore,  and  also  to  "  small  musical  parties "  at 
Clarence  House,  at  which  the  Queen  was  sometimes 
present.  Sir  George  Couper  was  one  of  those  who  fell 
a  victim  to  the  Maharajah's  passion  for  taking  portraits 
of  all  notabilities  who  fell  in  his  way,  though  in  his  case 
the  likeness  was  pronounced  a  not  unflattering  one. 

Although  Duleep  Singh,  to  his  credit,  appeared  to 
prefer  the  plain-speaking  of  his  friends  to  the  flattery 
of  unthinking  people,  he  would  not  have  been  human 
if  his  head  had  not  sometimes  been  turned  by  the  adula- 
tion often  lavished  upon  him  by  women  of  rank  in 
English  society.  His  character  at  this  time  was  above 
reproach,  and  though  amiable  in  disposition,  there  was 
naturally  still  underlying  all  a  strain  of  indolence  and 
indifference  to  suffering  which  is  innate  in  the  Oriental, 


132        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  which  Western  education  only  overcomes  with 
difficulty. 

An  incident  which  occurred  when  the  house  at  Castle 
Menzies  was  full  of  guests  for  the  shooting  brought 
this  out  in  a  somewhat  amusing  way. 

There  had  been  a  great  deal  of  "  chaff  "  at  dinner 
about  a  cat,  which  someone  of  the  party  had  shot  when 
discharging  their  guns  on  the  way  home,  near  the  village 
of  Weem.  My  husband  had  "  hoped  it  wasn't  a  poor 
woman's  pet  !  "  Duleep  Singh  "  didn't  care  if  it  was  ; 
it  had  no  business  there  !  " 

In  the  drawing-room  afterwards,  some  of  the  ladies, 
discussing  the  affair,  declared  that  the  Maharajah  had 
shown  symptoms  of  a  cruel  disposition  ;  whereupon 
Lady  Hatherton,  who  had  an  intense  admiration  for 
him,  undertook  to  combat  this  idea  by  proving  his 
positive  gentleness  and  amiability,  and  as  she  was  an 
excellent  amateur  actress,  dressed  herself  for  the  part 
of  the  "  poor  woman  who  had  lost  her  cat,"  convinced 
that  she  had  only  to  present  her  story  immediately  to 
arouse  his  compassion. 

On  the  entry  of  the  gentlemen,  therefore,  a  poor, 
weeping  woman  was  found  in  the  billiard-room,  "  waiting 
to  see  His  Highness."  So  pathetically  did  she  relate  the 
story  of  the  loss  of  her  favourite  and  only  companion, 
her  "  puir  cattie,"  that  young  Alec  Lawrence,  Sir 
Henry's  son,  was  moved  almost  to  tears,  and  stepping 
forward,  entreated  her  to  "  cry  no  more  !  It  distressed 
him  to  think  of  the  accident.  Would  she  accept  ten 
shillings  from  him  as  a  small  compensation  ?  etc." 
This  was  not  what  Lady  Hatherton  wanted,  so  she 
redoubled  her  efforts  to  gain  some  sign  from  the  Maha- 
rajah. 

He  stood  unmoved,  save  that  his  eyes  blazed  the 


THE   COURT  OF   ST.    JAMES  133 

while  with  anger.  At  last,  losing  patience,  he  burst  out, 
shaking  his  billiard-cue  in  her  face  :  "  Yes,  cry  !  Cry 
till  you  are  tired  !  Don't  let  your  brutes  cross  my 
path.  Not  a  penny  shall  you  get  from  me  !  "  Then, 
laying  no  gentle  hand  on  her  arm,  "  Begone,  I  say  !  " 

At  this  moment  Lord  Hatherton,  recognising  his 
wife,  and  thinking  the  joke  had  gone  quite  far  enough, 
addressed  her  by  name,  and  she,  to  the  Maharajah's 
consternation,  dropped  her  disguise,  which  had  been  so 
perfect  that  none  had  suspected  it. 

Possibly  the  contrast  between  his  own  conduct  and 
that  of  young  Lawrence,  might  have  been  more  apparent 
to  Duleep  Singh  had  he  not  been  assured  by  her  ladyship, 
when  he  tried  to  apologise  for  his  discourtesy,  that  she 
"  had  only  admired  his  princely  air  of  command,"  and 
felt  "  he  was  every  inch  a  king,  when  pointing  her  to 
the  door,  etc.  !  " 

Charades  and  round  games  were  very  favourite 
diversions  in  the  evening,  and  occasionally  the  younger 
spirits  indulged  in  regular  romps.  On  one  occasion, 
when  I  was  confined  to  my  room,  and  had  asked  a  very 
elderly,  and,  as  I  imagined,  most  staid  and  proper, 
lady  to  act  hostess  in  my  place,  I  heard  a  tremendous 
commotion  in  the  drawing-room  after  dinner  !  I  was 
told  afterwards  that  the  ladies  found  the  dinner  so 
boring,  and  the  men  so  dull,  that  after  the  latter 
remained  when  the  cloth  was  drawn,  the  former  relieved 
their  spirits  by  a  game  of  "  follow-my-leader  "  over 
the  chairs  and  sofas,  instigated  by  the  aforesaid  deputy 
of  mine,  Mrs.  Partridge,  wife  of  the  Queen's  portrait 
painter,  who  must  have  been  well  over  sixty  at  the 
time,  but  very  light  and  agile  !  She  had  vaulted  over 
the  back  of  a  wide  "  Chesterfield  "  with  ease  ;  but 
Lady  Gomm,  wife  of  the  Field-Marshal,  an  enormous 


134        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

woman,  and  of  a  masterful  disposition,  had  attempted 
to  follow,  got  stuck  on  the  top,  and  it  required  the 
united  efforts  of  the  whole  party  of  ladies  to  get  her 
hauled  off  again,  just  as  the  door  opened  and  the 
gentlemen  solemnly  stalked  in  ! 

A  year  or  two  after,  I  looked  down  from  a  gallery  at 
St.  James's  Palace,  having  the  entree  for  the  drawing- 
room,  on  the  mob  of  ladies  and  their  attendant  squires 
who  had  come  in  by  the  ordinary  entrance.  They  were 
herded  together  in  a  series  of  roped  enclosures.  Suddenly 
we  saw  a  lady  (whom  I  recognised  as  Lady  Gomm),  in 
defiance  of  the  gentlemen-at-arms,  gather  up  her  train 
and  fallals  most  skilfully,  take  a  run,  and  deftly  clear 
one  of  the  barriers,  all  standing  !  her  diminutive  hus- 
band, in  full  uniform,  creeping  under  the  ropes,  unable 
to  emulate  the  hardihood  of  his  "  Commander-in- 
Chief  !  "  The  incident  was  portrayed  in  the  following 
week's  Punch.  Evidently  her  ladyship  had  gone  into 
training  since  her  former  performance  ! 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    MUTINY.        CORRESPONDENCE    WITH     SIR     CHARLES 

PHIPPS 

You  can  imagine  what  the  news  of  the  Indian  Mutiny 
meant  to  us  !  All  our  dearest  friends  were  involved, 
and  we  had  been  for  so  many  years,  and  so  lately, 
living  in  the  very  district  where  it  showed  itself  in  its 
worst  form.  With  what  breathless  interest  we  watched 
the  struggle  for  the  defence  of  the  Residency  at  Luck- 
now,  every  foot  of  which  was  so  familiar  to  us  ! 

Thinking  we  were  to  be  only  for  two  years,  at  the 
most,  in  England,  we  had  left,  as  had  also  the  young 
Maharajah,  much  valuable  property  and  furniture 
at  Futtehghur,  in  the  charge  of  the  European  steward, 
Sergeant  A.  Elliott,  of  the  Bengal  Sappers,  who  had 
been  one  of  my  husband's  assistants  in  the  Toshkhana 
at  Lahore. 

Elliott's  letters  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Mutiny  gave 
such  graphic  accounts  of  all  that  occurred,  that  Login 
forwarded  one  or  two  of  them  to  Colonel  Phipps,  for 
the  information  of  the  Prince  Consort,  he  being  then 
Private  Secretary  both  to  H.R.H.  and  also  to  H.M. 
Queen  Victoria.  His  brother  Edmund  had  married  my 
first  cousin. 

Colonel  Phipps  wrote  to  Login,  July  24th,  1857,  that 
these  letters  had  aroused  such  interest  that  he  was  to 
request  that  they  might  be  forwarded  as  they  came, 
"  as  he  could  not  do  him  a  greater  favour  in  the  present 
awful  crisis  in  India,  than  give  him  the  benefit  of  the 


136        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

views  and  opinions  of  one  so  well  acquainted  with  the 
country  as  himself."  Suddenly  poor  Elliott's  letters 
ceased,  however,  and  our  worst  fears  were  confirmed  ! 
He,  his  wife  and  children,  Mr.  Walter  Guise,  the  Maha- 
rajah's tutor,  together  with  the  other  European  resi- 
dents of  Futtehghur,  to  the  number  of  over  two  hundred, 
had  started  in  boats  for  Cawnpore,  just  a  few  days  before 
its  capitulation  and  the  Massacre,  and  were  fallen  upon 
and  slaughtered  by  the  Nana's  men  before  they  got 
there.  All  our  subsequent  knowledge  came  from 
Bhajun  Lai,  the  Brahmin,  who  remained  loyal  to  the 
British  Government,  and  did  his  utmost  to  save  the 
residue  of  the  Maharajah's  property  and  servants.  From 
him  and  from  our  friends  amongst  the  native  nobility, 
we  had  information  not  easily  accessible  to  most 
Europeans. 

I  can  never  express  the  grief  we  felt  when  the  tragedy 
culminated  in  the  loss  of  that  brave  and  gentle  spirit 
Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  whose  wisdom  and  strength  of 
purpose  was  the  rallying-point  of  the  defence  of  the 
British   Government,    in    Oude    and    the    North-West 
Provinces,   and  who   had   been   named   by   the   Home 
authorities  (such  was  the  confidence  felt  in  his  personal 
magnetism  and  sway  over  the  minds  of  the  natives), 
though  the  order  never  reached  his  hands,  provisional 
Governor-General  of    India,  in    the  event  of  any  mis- 
fortune overtaking  the  actual  Viceroy.     Struck  by  a 
stray  bullet  at  the  post  of  danger,  he  was  carried  in  to 
die  in  the  very  house  in  which  he  had  so  often  been  our 
guest,  and  on  the  verandah  of  which  he  and  my  husband 
had  used  to  pass  hours  elaborating  schemes  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  native  regiments,  and  the  better  government 
of  the  Indian  Empire  ! 

Much  of  Login's  time  was  taken  up  in  answering  ques* 


THE  MUTINY  137 

tions  from  public  men  and  officials  in  England,  whose 
ignorance  on  Indian  affairs  often  made  them  estimate 
wrongly  the  consequences  of  the  different  measures 
taken  by  the  military  and  civil  authorities.  In  parti- 
cular he  was  at  much  pains  to  disabuse  Mr.  John  Bright, 
whose  interest  he  specially  desired  to  arouse,  as  an 
advocate  for  sympathetic  legislation,  and  better  educa- 
tional advantages  in  India,  of  certain  misconceived 
ideas  he  had  formed  of  the  native  character,  and  also 
of  a  circumscribed  and  commercial  view  of  the  object 
of  our  rule  in  India. 

John  Bright  wrote  from  Rochdale  in  September, 
1857,  that  he  was  "  oppressed  by  the  magnitude  of  the 
Indian  question.  The  cruelties  perpetrated  by  the 
Sepoys,  and  the  scarcely  less  horrid  cruelties  inflicted 
by  our  countrymen,  under  the  name  of  punishment  or 
vengeance,  will  leave  a  desperate  wound,  which  time 
can  never  heal.  .  .  .  The  loss  of  India  would  not  ruin 
England,  but  the  effort  and  the  cost  of  keeping  it  may 
do  so  ;  and  the  crimes  we  have  committed  there  must 
be  atoned  for,  in  some  shape,  by  ourselves  or  our  chil- 
dren. .  .  .  '  He  signed  himself,  as  ever  in  his  cordial 
way,  "  always  very  sincerely  yours,  JOHN  BRIGHT." 

My  husband,  in  reply,  pointed  out  that  these  atrocities 
were  not  of  uncommon  occurrence  in  the  East,  in  coun- 
tries to  which  our  influence  had  not  extended,  and 
although  the  dread  of  consequences  under  our  rule  had 
prevented  their  manifestation  in  our  own  dominions, 
there  was  scarcely,  he  averred,  a  man,  woman,  or  child 
among  them  to  whose  imagination  they  were  not 
perfectly  familiar. 

But  he  was  more  anxious  to  induce  Mr.  Bright,  instead 
of  bewailing  past  and  gone  misdeeds  of  the  Indian 
Government,  to  concentrate  his  energies  in,  and  out  of, 


138        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Parliament,  on  correcting  existing  evils,  of  which  he 
considered  the  faulty  system  of  education,  or  rather 
no  education,  of  our  native  subjects,  and  especially  of 
the  absurdly  large  native  army  we  maintained,  was  one 
of  the  chief. 

In  the  same  way,  we  had  evaded  our  responsibilities 
with  regard  to  the  princes  and  chiefs  of  India,  paying 
them  pensions  greater  than  the  revenues  of  many 
European  States,  which  we  allowed  them  to  squander 
in  all  forms  of  extravagance,  idleness  and  vice,  and 
never  insisted  that  their  children  and  dependents  should 
be  properly  educated,  and  they  themselves  fulfil  their 
duties  as  rulers.  It  was  thus  we  had  bred  up  for  our  own 
undoing  the  infamous  Nana  Sahib,  the  miserable  old 
Mogul  Emperor,  and  swarm  of  Delhi  princes.  We 
had  had  in  our  hands,  as  Paramount  State,  but  had 
never  exercised,  the  "  right  of  presentation,"  whereby 
the  Delhi  Emperors  claimed  to  control  the  succession  in 
all  the  minor  principalities,  only  allowing  a  fit  person 
(generally  a  son,  though  not  always-  the  eldest)  to 
occupy  the  "  guddee  "  on  the  death  of  any  reigning 
prince.  Doubtless  this  right  had  in  later  times  been 
regarded  chiefly  as  a  source  cf  revenue,  by  making  it 
possible  to  exact  a  heavy  nuzzur,  or  tribute,  from  the 
successor  who  received  the  sumnud  of  election  ;  but  it 
also  made  it  simpler  for  the  Padishah,  if  he  chose,  to 
absorb  into  his  own  dominions,  with  no  further  formality, 
the  territory  of  any  ruler  without  direct  heirs. 

The  friendship  with  John  Bright  continued  through 
the  remaining  years  of  my  husband's  life,  and  after 
his  death  I  had  frequent  evidences  of  it  on  my  own 
and  my  children's  behalf,  even  up  to  his  own  last  ill- 
ness, when  he  wrote  expressing  his  disappointment 
that  weakness  prevented  his  writing,  as  he  had  wished, 


THE  MUTINY  139 

a  preface  to  the  account  of  my  husband's  life  and  work, 
which  I  was  then  publishing.* 

Amongst  other  people  whose  good  offices  he  at  this 
time  tried  to  enlist  in  the  cause  of  India  was  Mr.  Delane, 
Editor  of  The  Times,  and  later,  Mr.  G.  W.  Dasent,  of  the 
same  paper.  To  the  former  he  wrote  on  the  subject  of 
the  use  of  the  Roman  character  in  Oriental  languages, 
in  which  Lord  Shaftesbury  and  Sir  Charles  Trevelyan 
were  much  interested,  and  on  Indian  finance  and  other 
matters. 

At  that  period,  you  must  remember,  no  other  officer 
of  the  East  India  Company  had  been  brought  into  such 
constant  and  personal  contact  with  the  Court.  In 
consequence  of  this,  and  of  his  intimacy  with  Colonel 
the  Hon.  Sir  Charles  Phipps,  my  husband  became  the 
medium  of  communicating  unofficially  various  views  and 
opinions  of  Indian  officers  on  the  crisis. 

It  was  thus  that  there  originated  a  long,  and  very 
confidential,  correspondence  on  Indian  affairs  between 
my  husband  and  Her  Majesty's  Private  Secretary, 
which  led  to  his  being  asked  for  hints  as  to  future  policy 
and  the  need  of  reform  in  various  departments.  Login 
warmly  defended  the  civil  administration  of  the  Com- 
pany's government,  urging  that  under  it  the  native 
population  were  more  contented  and  had  enjoyed  more 
peace  and  prosperity  than  ever  known  in  their  previous 
annals,  and  contended  that  the  attacks  made  upon  it 
in  Parliament  by  men  capable  only  of  seeing  things 
from  an  English  point  of  view,  and  full  of  prejudice 
against  the  Company's  rule,  had  so  aroused  the  loyalty 
of  the  Company's  servants  that  they  were  inclined  to 
screen  any  defects  that  admitted  of  improvement, 
while  the  really  weak  point  in  the  Company's  adminis- 

*   "Sir  John^Login  and  Duleep  Singh." 


140        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

tration,  which  was  at  the  bottom  of  all  the  trouble,  viz., 
the  false  policy  pursued  towards  the  native  army,  was 
hardly  ever  alluded  to  by  these  Parliamentary  critics  I 

He  suggested  the  reduction  in  numbers  of  native, 
and  the  increase  of  European,  corps.  That  the  latter 
should  not  be  solely  dependent  on  native  commissariat 
contractors,  and  should  be  placed  in  charge  of  the 
arsenals,  that  camps  for  them  be  formed  at  hill  stations, 
where  they  might  be  fully  equipped  to  take  the  field 
at  short  notice.  That  the  native  army  should  contain 
a  due  proportion  of  men  of  all  castes  (not  high-caste 
only  as  heretofore),  and  that  in  every  company  there 
should  be  an  admixture  of  Sjkhs,  Goorkas  and  Mahom- 
medans,  and  that  service  beyond  seas  and  performance 
of  fatigue  duty  be  included  in  the  terms  of  enlistment. 

It  was  on  receiving  these  suggestions  that  Sir  Charles 
Phipps  wrote  : 

"  Though  overwhelmed  with  business,  as  you  may  sup- 
pose, during  the  visit  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress  " 
his  letter  is  dated  August  yth,  1857 — "  I  must  write  one 
line  to  thank  you  again  for  your  most  interesting  letters, 
and  to  beg  you  will  continue  to  enlighten  me  upon 
Indian  affairs,  which  I  know  that  you  understand 
better  than  most  people.  .  .  .  Have  you  ever  turned 
in  your  mind  what  will  be  the  best  plan  for  the  future 
formation  of  an  efficient  army  in  India  ?  " 

Acting  on  this,  Login  prepared  a  memorandum  on 
the  re-organisation  of  the  Indian  army,  which  provided 
for  the  formation  of  a  staff  corps.  European  officers 
who  have  not  passed  the  examination  in  Urdu,  or  who 
are  under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  to  be  posted  to 
European  regiments  first  for  two  years,  to  be  well 
grounded  in  drill  and  discipline.  Pensions  to  be  liberally 
offered  to  induce  the  retirement  of  all  officers  over  35 


THE   MUTINY  141 

year's  service.  The  dress  of  the  whole  native  army  to 
be  made  more  suitable  to  the  climate  and  habits  of  the 
men,  and  better  educational  advantages  offered  to  both 
the  children  of  European  non-commissioned  officers  and 
men,  and  to  the  Sepoys,  if  they  were  disposed  to  avail 
themselves  of  them. 

Of  the  scheme  suggested,  Sir  Charles  made  one  or 
two  criticisms,  in  a  letter  of  August  i8th,  and  remarking 
that  it  seemed  to  him  now  impossible  to  justify  the 
raising  of  a  British  army  in  India  to  serve  anybody 
but  the  Queen,  added  :  "  I  feel  confident,  from  what  I 
hear  and  see  around,  that  the  rule  of  the  Company  is 
doomed  .  .  .  and  I  am  equally  convinced  that  the 
only  problems  now  to  be  solved  are  the  how  and  the 
when  !  .  .  .  "  He  then  asks  for  Login's  own  opinion 
on  the  real  origin  of  the  Mutiny  itself  ? 

Login,  in  replying  to  this  query,  pointed  out  that 
though  we  had  in  every  way  pampered  the  Sepoys, 
and  rigorously  refrained  from  interfering  with  their 
prejudices  and  caste  observances,  we  had  rigidly 
opposed  all  idea  of  educating  their  minds.  The  real 
cause  of  the  Mutiny  was,  in  his  opinion,  that  the  native 
troops  were  convinced  that  the  introduction  of  education, 
railways,  and  telegraphs,  into  India,  and  the  suppression 
of  immoral  practices,  would  in  time  interfere  with  caste 
customs,  and  that  now,  before  it  was  too  late,  was  the 
moment  to  make  their  stand,  since  they  were  persuaded 
that  their  loyalty  was  of  supreme  importance  to  the 
Government,  who  held  dominion  in  India  on  their 
sufferance  alone  !  "  Greased  cartridges  "  was  only  a 
rallying-cry,  serving  for  Hindoos  and  Mahommedans 
alike  !  The  older  Hindustani  Sepoys  also  resented  the 
enlistment  of  new  recruits  for  general  service,  and  of 
Sikhs  and  Punjabis  ;  while  the  finishing  stroke  was  the 


1 42        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

annexation  of  Oude,  since  as  long  as  Oude  was  a  native 
state,  by  special  agreement,  British  Sepoys  were  exempt 
from  taxation,  but  this  grievance  was  not  one  to  be  put 
forward  to  the  general  community,  and  the  cry  of 
"  greased  cartridges  "  answered  their  purpose  better  ! 

When  Sir  Charles  Phipps  next  requested  my  husband 
to  state  his  views  on  the  best  form  of  Imperial  Govern- 
ment for  India,  he,  in  obedience  to  this  desire,  drew  up 
an  elaborate  scheme  which  provided  for  a  department 
of  State  at  home,  under  a  Cabinet  Minister,  assisted 
by  a  Council,  for  whom  he  should  be  spokesman  and 
responsible  to  Parliament,  and  specifying  also  the 
composition  and  functions  of  this  Indian  Council  of 
State.  Other  details  referred  to  the  composition  and 
powers  of  the  Legislative  Council  in  Calcutta,  and  of 
the  reports  to  be  laid  periodically  before  Parliament, 
one  of  which  should  be  "  on  the  moral  and  material 
progress  of  India." 

"  You  will  not  be  surprised,"  remarks  Colonel  Phipps, 
in  his  voluminous  reply  dated  Balmoral,  September  I4th, 
J^575 " that  I  hesitated,  and  took  time  to  consider,  before 
I  attempted  to  enter  upon  a  subject  which  you  have 
evidently  considered  so  deeply,  and  understand  so  well, 
as  that  of  the  transfer  of  the  supreme  power  in  India 
from  the  Directors  of  the  East  India  Company  to  the 
Crown.  .  .  .  But  I  must  thank  you  for  the  free  and 
unrestrained  manner  in  which  you  have  entered  upon 
the  different  subjects.  Without  such  sincerity,  a  cor- 
respondence such  as  ours  would  be  a  waste  of  time.  .  .  ." 
"  I  have  never  kept  copies  of  my  letters,  and  I  should 
be  very  much  obliged  to  you  if  you  would  either  let  me 
have  the  originals  to  take  copies,  or  have  copies  taken 
for  me — not  for  their  own  value,  but  because  your 
letters  lose  some  of  their  value  without  those  to  which  they 
are  in  answer.  " 


THE   MUTINY  143 

While  engaged  in  this  correspondence  with  Sir  Charles 
Phipps,  Login  wrote  to  Sir  James  C.  Melvill,  secretary 
to  the  Court  of  Directors,  explaining  to  him  (for  the 
information  of  the  Board)  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  correspondence  had  arisen,  and  forwarding 
copies  of  all  his  letters  as  they  were  despatched,  ending 
by  saying  : 

"  As  I  think  it  is  not  unlikely  that  these  opinions 
are  made  known  in  a  high  quarter,  although  I  cannot 
presume  to  think  they  are  likely  to  have  much  weight, 
I  consider  it  my  duty,  situated  as  I  am,  to  let  you  know 
what  I  have  done.  I  hope  that  you  will,  whether  you 
approve  of  my  opinions  or  not,  be  assured  of  my  desire 
to  do  nothing  which  I  cannot  freely  communicate  to 
you.  ...  I  have  also  had  frequent  conversations 
with  Mr.  Bright  on  the  subject  of  India,  whilst  he  was 
here  on  a  visit,  and  have  done  my  best  to  modify  his 
views.  .  .  .  From  all  the  opportunities  of  observation 
which  I  have  lately  enjoyed,  I  am  satisfied  that  the 
transfer  of  the  Indian  Government  to  the  Crown  has 
been  determined  upon,  and  that  the  bow  and  the  when 
have  only  to  be  considered.  I  have,  therefore,  thought 
it  my  duty  to  meet  Colonel  Phipps's  wishes,  by  giving 
such  information  as  I  am  able  to  do  on  various  points 
connected  with  the  transfer.  ...  I  have  no  doubt 
that  I  may  be  considered  very  presumptuous  in  all  this  ; 
but  the  opportunities  afforded  me  of  expressing  my 
opinion  have  not  been  of  my  seeking,  and  I  think  I  do 
right  to  avail  myself  of  them." 

It  is  gratifying  to  note,  from  the  following  quotation 
irom  the  "  Life  of  the  Prince  Consort,"  that  the  Queen 
attached  value  to  Sir  John  Login's  opinions  on  Indian 
affairs.  Writing  to  Lord  Derby  (then  Prime  Minister) 
in  reference  to  Lord  Ellenborough's  secret  despatch 
to  Lord  Canning,  April,  1858,  and  of  his  second  despatch, 
May  5th,  Her  Majesty  says  : 


144        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  The  despatch  now  before  me,  for  the  first  time,  is 
very  good  and  just  in  principle,  but  the  Queen  would 
be  most  surprised  if  it  did  not  entirely  coincide  with 
the  views  of  Lord  Canning,  at  least  as  far  as  he  has 
hitherto  expressed  any  in  his  letters.  So  are  also  the 
sentiments  written  by  Sir  John  Lawrence  (in  a  private 
letter  which  Lord  Derby  had  sent  for  Her  Majesty's 
perusal)  in  almost  the  very  expressions  frequently  used 
by  Lord  Canning.  Sir  John  Login,  who  holds  the  same 
opinion,  and  has  great  experience,  does  not  find  any 
fault  with  the  proclamation,  however  seemingly  it  may 
sound  at  variance  with  those  opinions  ;  and  he  rests 
this  opinion  on  the  peculiar  position  of  affairs  in  Oude." 

The  correspondence  with  Sir  Charles  Phipps  at  this 
period  was  almost  entirely  on  Indian  matters.  But 
occasional  remarks  on  current  affairs  and  other  little 
pieces  of  information  crop  up.  Thus,  with  reference 
to  Lord  Canning's  Oude  Proclamation,  comes  in  this 
paragraph  on  a  point  of  constitutional  law  (September 
2nd,  1858)  : 

"  In  this  country  the  Sovereign  can  only  go  a  certain 
distance  in  the  control  or  contradiction  of  the  Govern- 
ment. A  measure  discussed  and  agreed  to  in  Cabinet 
can  only  be  rejected  by  the  Sovereign  upon  such  grounds 
as  would  justify  a  change  of  Ministry,  which  must  be 
the  result,  in  the  event  of  both  parties  adhering  resolutely 
to  their  opinions.  The  Government  is  the  responsible 
body  upon  the  issue  of  all  Proclamations." 

Again,  on  February  lyth,  1857,  he  announces  the 
probable  date  of  Her  Majesty's  accouchement,  and 
continues  : 

"  There  is  great  talk  to-day  of  the  attack  upon  Sir  C. 
Lewes'  budget  which  is  to  be  made  upon  Friday  by 
D 'Israeli  and  Gladstone.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that 
the  Government  appears  to  be  much  alarmed  as  to  the 


THE   MUTINY  145 

result.  The  visit  of  the  young  Princes  to  India*  is  only 
amongst  the  possibilities  of  future  years,  but  is  quite 
in  an  unshaped  state  at  present,  and  may  indeed  never 
come  to  pass,  though  it  would  be  a  very  good  thing 
to  do." 

Readers  of  the  Queen's  "  Journal  "  will  remember 
the  accident  to  the  Princess  Royal,t  which  occurred 
about  this  time,  caused  by  the  sleeve  of  her  muslin 
dress  catching  fire  from  the  candle  which  she  was  using 
when  sealing  a  letter  ;  and  many  were  the  rumours 
spread  abroad  of  serious  injury  to  her  Royal  Highness. 
The  following  note  from  the  Prince  of  Wales  was 
written  in  answer  to  the  Maharajah's  inquiries  on  hear- 
ing of  the  accident : 

"BUCKINGHAM  PALACE, 

"July  i6th,  1856. 
"  MY  DEAR  MAHARAJAH, 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  neglected  writing  to  you 
till  to-day,  but  I  have  been  so  busy  that  I  have  not  had 
a  moment's  time. 

"  Princess  Royal's  arm  is  a  great  deal  better  now,  and 
she  thanks  you  very  much  for  having  inquired  after  it. 
She  really  has  borne  it  very  well.  A  minute  more  and 
it  must  have  proved  fatal. 

"  I  saw  Sir  John  Login  the  other  day,  who  gave  me 
very  good  accounts  of  you.     Will  you  remember  me  to 
him.    We  are  going  to  spend  two  nights  at  the  camp  of 
Aldershot,  and  are  then  going  on  to  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
"  I  remain, 

"  Yours  affectionately, 

"ALBERT  EDWARD." 

Shortly  after  the  tidings  of  the  Indian  Mutiny  reached 
this  country,  and  while  all  trembled  with  anxiety  as 

*  This  is,  I  think,  the  first  intimation  of  a  project  never  fulfilled  until  twenty 
years  had  passed,  and  then  not  exactly  as  here  suggested, 
f  H.I.M.  the  late  Errpress  Frederick  of  Germany. 


146         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

to  what  news  next  mail  might  bring,  I  was  one  morning 
told  that  two  men  on  horseback  had  arrived  at  the 
Castle,  from  Kinloch,  and  one  of  them  craved  a  private 
interview  on  matters  of  importance,  which  he  firmly 
refused  to  communicate  to  any  intermediary.  Coming, 
as  they  did,  from  the  home  of  my  childhood,  I  at  once 
sent  for  the  man,  and,  on  his  entrance,  recognised  one 
of  my  brother,  General  Charles  Campbell's,  tenants, 
Donald  MacCulloch,  an  old  acquaintance,  who,  shut- 
ting the  door  cautiously,  and  speaking  in  a  whisper, 
said,  "  We  just  thocht  we  wad  come  ower  the  hill,  to 
see  if  ye  were  a'  richt,  for  there's  no  trustin'  thae  black 


men  noo  ! 


Seeing  I  looked  puzzled,  he  asked,  in  a  hoarse  whisper, 
pointing  with  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder,  "  Is  he 
keeping  quate  ?  If  there's  ony  fear  o'  his  brakin'  oot, 
there's  a  wheen  o'  us  ready  to  come  ower  the  hill  and 
sattle  him  for  ye,  gin  ye  gie  the  word ! "  To  his  great 
relief  he  was  told  that  the  "  black  Prince  "  had  only 
two  native  servants,  and  that  both  he  and  they  were 
very  peaceably  disposed — -would  he  like  to  see  the 
Prince  ?  he  had  been  in  that  room  only  a  few  minutes 
ago. 

The  poor  man  absolutely  jumped  !  "  What  !  is  he 
loose  ?  I  never  saw  but  ae  black  man  in  my  life,  and 
that  was  yer  uncle  Sir  Patrick's  naygro,  carrying  his 
bag  on  the  moors.  I  was  but  a  laddie  then,  but  I 
still  shake  when  I  mind  o'  the  Admiral  cryin'  on  me, 
'  Donald,  here's  auld  Clootie  wi'  his  poke  come  for  ye  ! ' : 

Knowing  how  the  Maharajah  would  appreciate  the 
joke  that  fifty  Highlanders  were  preparing  to  "  stalk  " 
him,  in  the  event  of  his  showing  symptoms  of  "  rising  " 
on  his  own  account,  I  went  in  search  of  him,  to  break 
to  him  what  was  in  store,  and  to  request  him  to  assure 


THE   MUTINY  147 

the  man,  by  his  peaceable  demeanour,  that  he  had  for 
the  present  no  intention  of  running  amok,  and  single- 
handed  attempting  to  massacre  the  forty-odd  other 
inmates  of  the  Castle  !  He  promptly  fell  into  such 
convulsions  of  laughter  that  he  could  hardly  speak, 
and  really  nearly  gave  the  man  a  fit  in  sheer  terror, 
by  tumbling  headlong  into  the  room,  rolling  his  eyes, 
and  gnashing  his  teeth  at  him,  in  the  interval  of  his 
explosions  of  mirth,  while  he  kept  on  reassuring  him  in 
faultless  English,  far  better  than  his  own,  that  "  he 
really  wasn't  a  cannibal !  and  was  quite  harmless  !  " 

The  brave  Donald  gradually  recovered  his  equani- 
mity when  he  discovered  that  the  Prince  was  very  little 
"  blacker  "  than  himself,  and  finally  went  off  home 
quite  happy,  on  foot,  having  made  a  capital  bargain  and 
sold  his  sturdy  little  black  mare  to  the  Maharajah  for 
an  excellent  price. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE    PRINCESS    VICTORIA    GOURAMMA 

MY  husband  found  that  as,  according  to  native  ideas, 
Duleep  Singh  was  already  of  marriageable  age  when 
he  first  came  under  his  care,  it  behoved  him  to  lose  no 
time  in  setting  on  foot  enquiries  for  a  suitable  partie 
for  his  ward. 

In  June,  1850,  he  heard  of  a  native  Princess  who 
appeared  to  be  just  the  very  thing  he  was  seeking. 
The  ex-Rajah  of  Coorg,  who  since  his  deposition  had 
been  residing  at  Benares  (even  then  a  sort  of  head- 
quarters for  political  prisoners  of  rank),  had  two  or 
three  daughters,  one  of  whom — the  child  of  his  favourite 
wife,  now  dead — he  was  especially  devoted  to  ;  and  as 
he  was  a  great  admirer  of  English  manners  and  ways  of 
living,  and  had  complete  control  over  the  child's  up- 
bringing, she  being  motherless,  he  had  asked  for  and 
obtained  permission  to  send  her  to  England  for  her 
education. 

From  many  quarters,  including  Major  W.  M.  Stewart, 
Agent  in  charge  of  the  native  Princes  at  Benares,  Sir 
C.  Macgregor  at  Lahore,  and  members  of  the  Viceroy's 
staff,  Login  heard  eulogistic  descriptions  of  this  little 
Princess  of  eight  years  of  age  !  He  was  told  she  was 
of  very  fair  complexion,  and  extremely  good-looking 
(her  mother  had  been  of  Circassian  extraction),  with 
every  indication  of  high  lineage,  and  intelligent.  She 
was  habitually  attired  in  English  dress,  and  looked 
exactly  like  an  European.  She  had  not  been  brought 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    149 

up  in  caste  observance,  and  was  accustomed  to  take 
meals  with  the  English  officials  and  their  families.  Lord 
Dalhousie  himself  had  been  rather  attracted  by  a 
younger  sister  of  hers,  only  six  years  of  age,  who  was  an 
exceedingly  pretty  child.  But  she  was  being  brought 
up  in  native  style,  and  wore  native  dress,  and  ulti- 
mately became  a  wife  of  Jung  Bahadour. 

The  Rajah  of  Coorg  was  himself  much  liked  by 
Englishmen,  for  whom  he  had  a  great  admiration  ;  but 
for  that  very  reason  was  regarded  with  disfavour  by 
his  own  countrymen.  He  was  considered  to  have  failed 
in  his  duties  as  a  parent,  according  to  Hindoo  ideas,  as 
he  had  not  yet  married  off  an  elder  daughter,  who  was 
already  twenty  years  of  age,  and  though  popular  with 
the  civilian  officials,  they  considered  him  "  a  mere  child 
in  the  ways  of  the  world,"  because  of  this  openly-avowed 
intention  of  his  of  having  this  daughter  educated  in 
England,  presumably  as  a  Christian,  in  order  that  she 
might  marry  an  English  nobleman  /  for  he  quite  recog- 
nised that  by  crossing  the  "  kala-pani,"  and  breaking 
her  caste,  she  would  be  entirely  debarred  from  marriage 
in  India.  Such  a  notion,  it  was  thought,  was  proof  of 
mental  aberration  ! 

Coorg  is  a  mountain  principality  in  the  south-west 
of  India,  of  which  the  capital  was  known  as  Mudda- 
kerry,  or  Mercara,  and  the  Rajah  had  a  private  and 
special  reason  for  making  his  way  to  England,  which  he 
very  wisely  did  not  put  forward.  His  predecessors, 
who  had  been  for  some  generations  friends  and  allies 
of  the  British  in  India,  and  advanced  them  considerable 
sums  of  money,  held  a  good  deal  of  the  H.E.I.C.'s  stock 
on  which  annual  interest  was  paid  by  the  Madras 
Government.  After  his  accession  in  1821,  owing  to 
some  asserted  contumacy  on  his  part,  this  stock  was 


ISO        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

seized  and  no  interest  paid.  He  then  defied  the  Govern- 
ment and  threatened  rebellion ;  but  on  a  punitive 
expedition  being  despatched  to  Coorg,  he  surrendered 
to  Colonel  James  S.  Eraser,  the  Political  officer,  on 
April  24th,  1834,  and  had  ever  since  remained  a  political 
prisoner  at  Benares. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  England  in  March,  1852, 
he  instituted  a  claim  in  the  English  courts  against  the 
East  Indian  Government,  demanding  the  restitution 
of  this  money.  He  had  been  received  with  much 
distinction,  treated  as  a  royal  person,  invited  to  Court, 
where  he  handed  over  his  daughter  to  Queen  Victoria's 
care,  who  made  arrangements  for  her  education,  and 
instruction  in  the  Christian  faith,  under  the  charge  of 
Mrs.  Drummond,  wife  of  Major  Drummond,  who  had 
been  a  fellow-passenger  with  the  Rajah  and  his  daughter 
on  their  voyage  from  India.  The  baptism  of  this  first 
Indian  convert  of  royal  birth  was  made  a  function  of 
some  splendour  at  Windsor,  the  Rajah  himself  being 
a  witness,  as  well  as  several  members  of  the  India 
House,  and  of  the  Government  of  the  day,  Her  Majesty 
standing  sponsor  and  giving  the  child  her  own  name. 
An  allowance  was  also  arranged  for  the  little  Princess 
out  of  the  Indian  revenues.  It  was  the  ceremonial 
attached  to  this  christening  which  Lord  Dalhousie  had 
stigmatised  as  a  "  tamasha  "  in  his  letter  to  Login  at  the 
time  of  Duleep  Singh's  baptism. 

So  the  poor  old  Rajah  felt  much  insulted  and  humi- 
liated when,  on  the  top  of  all  this  adulation,  the 
Indian  Government  tried  to  compel  his  return  to  India, 
as  a  political  prisoner,  before  his  suit  could  come  up  in 
the  Lord  Chancellor's  Court ! 

The  Queen,  meanwhile,  took  much  interest  in  the 
little  girl's  welfare,  and  saw  her  frequently.  After  we 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     151 

came  to  England  with  the  Maharajah,  Mrs.  Drummond 
(with  the  Queen's  sanction)  brought  her  to  visit  us  at 
Castle  Menzies  and  elsewhere,  and  the  Rajah  conceived 
an  intense  admiration  of  my  husband,  who  he  swore 
was  his  best  friend,  and  consulted  him  continually 
about  his  affairs,  even  to  naming  him,  later  on,  as 
executor  to  his  will. 

Mrs.  Drummond*  was  an  exceedingly  intellectual 
woman,  as  I  need  hardly  say  to  those  of  our  neighbours 
who  knew  her,  and  our  friendship,  up  to  the  present 
day,  and  her  daughters  were  gifted  like  their  mother  ; 
but  poor  little  Princess  Gouramma  had  no  special 
literary  cravings,  and  I  fear  took  small  advantage  of 
the  educational  opportunities  she  enjoyed  !  The  Drum- 
mond girls  were  growing  up,  and  would  soon  be  fit  to 
take  their  place  in  society  ;  but  the  other  occupant  of 
the  schoolroom,  although  nearly  seventeen  years  of 
age,  seemed  still  too  backward  and  too  childish  to  take 
an  intelligent  interest  in  general  matters  ;  and  as  there 
were  indications  that  the  native  instinct  for  duplicity 
and  intrigue  were  appearing  in  her  character,  it  was  not 
surprising  that  Mrs.  Drummond  expressed  a  desire  to 
be  relieved  of  a  charge  which  was  growing  to  be  some- 
what anxious  and  embarrassing. 

It  was  in  a  letter  to  my  husband  from  Osborne,  dated 
September  5th,  1854,  not  so  very  long  after  we  arrived 
in  England,  that  Sir  Charles  Phipps  first  alluded  to  the 
Queen's  wishes  for  an  alliance  between  this  young 
Princess  and  Sir  John's  ward. 

'  The  more  I  think  upon  the  subject,"  he  wrote, 
"  the  more  it  appears  to  me  that  these  two  young 
people  are  pointed  out  for  each  other.  The  only  two 

*  After  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Drummond  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Alex- 
andcr,the  banker,  and  latterly  resided  at  Cheveney,  Hunton,  Kent. 


152        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Christians  of  high  rank  of  their  own  countries,  both 
having  the  advantage  of  early  European  influences, 
there  seems  to  be  many  points  of  sympathy  between 
them.  They  are  both  religious,  both  fond  of  music, 
both  gentle  in  their  natures.  I  know  that  the  Queen 
thinks  that  this  would  be  the  best  arrangement  for 
both  their  happiness,  provided  that  they  were  to  like 
each  other — of  course,  without  this  no  happiness  could 
exist.  Of  course  the  Queen  takes  a  great  interest  in 
the  little  Princess,  as  Her  Majesty  considers  Herself  as 
more  than  a  godmother  to  her." 

Then,  nearly  four  years  later,  on  May  I4th,  1858.  Sir 
John  was  consulted  about  a  "  successor  to  Mrs.  Drum- 
mond  "  !  Could  he  suggest  anybody  ?  It  was  "  so 
difficult  to  find  a  person  with  the  desired  qualifications," 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  character  and  habits,  accus- 
tomed to  live  with  native  royalties  and  enter  into  their 
ideas,  etc.  .  .  .  Finally,  finding  that  hints  were  not 
taken  up,  for  frankly,  I  had  no  wish  to  undertake  the 
office,  with  the  cares  of  a  young  family  on  my  hands, 
and  my  own  eldest  girl  at  home  in  the  schoolroom,  the 
question  was  put  tc  me  direct,  as  a  personal  request 
from  Her  Majesty ;  and  how  could  I  evade  my  duty 
as  a  loyal  subject  ? 

That  my  unwillingness  in  the  matter  had  not  been 
very  successfully  concealed  from  my  beloved  Sovereign 
and  Mistress  is  evident  from  a  remark  of  her  private 
secretary,  writing  on  her  behalf  from  Balmoral,  on 
September  i6th,  1858,  ten  days  after  I.  received  the 
Princess  into  my  charge.  "  The  utmost  consideration 
is  due  to  you  for  your  certainly  most  disinterested,  and 
not  very  spontaneous,  undertaking  of  a  most  difficult 
task  (!)  " 

Personally,  I  found  the  little  Princess  most  amiable 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    153 

and  engaging,  and  in  no  way  intractable,  while  she 
showed  a  real  affection  for  both  me  and  my  husband,  and 
never  resented  or  disregarded  our  necessary  restrictions. 

She  had  been  residing  for  some  time  at  Ryde  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  for  the  benefit  of  her  health,  when  Mrs. 
Drummond  brought  her  over  to  join  me  at  Albany 
Villas,  Brighton,  on  September  6th,  1858.  Previously, 
they  had  been  living  at  Kew  ;  and  it  was  to  Kew  that 
we  were  to  take  her  as  soon  as  Church  House  could  be 
got  ready  for  us  by  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  department. 

I  had  previously  to  this  received  special  instructions 
from  Her  Majesty  that  I  was  "  to  write  freely  to  Her 
personally  anything  I  wished  to  say  about  the  Princess 
Gouramma " ;  rather  an  alarming  prospect  to  one 
unversed  in  the  peculiar  style  of  address  customary  with 
the  Sovereign  in  the  English  Court  !  And  I  had  scarcely 
contemplated  the  possibility,  when  I  was  called  upon  to 
put  the  command  into  execution,  after  the  Princess 
had j  been  only  four  days  with  me.  This  august  and 
confidential  correspondence  continued,  at  short  inter- 
vals, throughout  the  following  eight  months. 

"  To  HER  MOST  GRACIOUS  MAJESTY, 

>c  Lady  Login  desires  respectfully  to  present  her 
most  humble  duty  to  the  Queen,  and  her  grateful 
thanks  for  the  gracious  permission  accorded  her  of 
addressing  Her  Majesty  personally  on  the  affairs  of  the 
Princess  Gouramma. 

"  A  few  days  after  Lady  Login  was  honoured  with  an 
audience  by  Her  Majesty,  she  had  a  very  private 
conversation  with  the  Princess,  who  professed  her 
intention  of  concealing  nothing,  but  of  opening  her 
heart  on  the  subject  "  (of  a  foolish  scrape  into  which 
she  had  been  led  some  time  before,  and  of  which 
some  details  had  become  known  to  Her  Majesty,  who 
had  desired  me  to  endeavour  to  get  to  the  bottom  of 


154        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

it,  if  possible.  I  elicited  that  certain  acquaintances  of 
the  Princess  had  been  mixed  up  in  the  matter).  .  .  . 

"  Lady  Login  is  therefore  very  anxious  to  ascertain 
Her  Majesty's  sentiments  and  wishes  on  this  subject, 
and  whether  any  arrangement  can  be  made  that  may 
prevent  her  again  being  thrown  in  contact  with  these 
people  ?  .  .  .  . 

"  When  Lady  Login  had  the  honour  of  an  audience, 
Her  Majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to  express  an  inten- 
tion to  determine  at  an  early  period  the  Princess's 
future  provision,  in  the  event  of  an  offer  of  marriage, 
and  ...  it  appears  .  .  .  that  it  would  be  well  to 
have  this  matter  .  .  .  soon  decided. 

"  The  Princess  arrived  here  on  the  6th  ;  she  seems  to 
be  in  excellent  health,  and  appeared  to  have  benefited  by 
her  residence  at  the  seaside.  And  from  the  pleasure 
sh,e  evinces  at  the  new  arrangements  for  her,  Lady 
Login  would  fain  hope  that  all  will  go  on  satisfactorily. 

"  Lady  Login  trusts  to  the  Queen's  great  kindness 
to  forgive  her  for  having  trespassed  so  long  on  Her 
attention,  and  hopes  the  subject  of  her  letter  may  be 
considered  of  sufficient  importance  to  excuse  her. 

"BRIGHTON,  Sept.   io*£." 

In  reply  I  received  the  following  : 

"BALMORAL,  Sept.  i6tb,  1858. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The  Queen  has  shown  me  your  letter  of  the  loth, 
and  has  directed  me  to  answer  it  according  to  Her 
Majesty's  commands. 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  am  desired  to  inform  you  that 
Her  Majesty  is  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  writing 
to  Her  so  fully,  and  without  reserve,  upon  the  subject 
of  the  Princess's  past  conduct,  disposition,  and  pros- 
pects, and  would  wish  you  always  to  do  so.  .  .  .  The 
only  effectual  mode  of  action  the  Queen  can  see  ... 
would  be  by  the  original  plan  of  taking  her  for  a  short 
time  abroad.  New  scenes,  new  pursuits,  and  new  ideas, 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     155 

would  be  thus  created  .  .  .  she  would  be  left  entirely 
to  the  influence  of  your  good  sense — in  which,  I  may  say, 
without  flattery,  I  have  great  confidence  .  .  .  and 
the  Queen  is  disposed  to  think,  that  such  an  entire 
change  of  scene,  and  life,  might  be  attended  with  the 
happiest  results. 

"  With  regard  to  the  proper,  and  most  important, 
question  which  you  ask,  as  to  her  future  prospects, 
the  Queen  desires  me  to  say  that  She  thinks  that  She 
can  arrange  that  her  present  provision  shall  be  continued 
to  her  by  the  Indian  Government  for  life.  Her  Majesty 
is  not  sure  that  the  best  chance  for  the  Princess  of  a 
matrimonial  connection,  might  not  be  with  some  foreign 
Prince,  or  Nobleman  of  rank.  To  this  the  Queen  would 
not  object,  provided  that  the  gentleman's  position  was  a 
creditable  one,  and  that  his  own  character  was  such, 
that  the  Queen  might  feel  satisfied  that  She  had  properly 
discharged  the  duties  for  which  She  has  made  Herself 
responsible.  .  .  . 

"...  The  Queen  begs  that  upon  the  first  appearance 
of  the  formation  of  any  mutual  attachment  between  the 
Princess  and  any  gentleman,  you  would  communicate 
all  particulars  to  Her  Majesty,  so  that  She  might  at 
once  give  Her  opinion  upon  it. 

"  Pray  tell  me  what  you  think  of  the  feasibility  of  a 
short  tour  upon  the  Continent  ?  I  am  sure  I  need  not 
say  .  .  .  that  the  subject  is  of  too  much  importance 
not  to  call  for  the  simplest  candour  and  unreserved 
openness.  .  .  ." 

.  Scarcely  had  this  subject  been  discussed,  and  disposed 
of,  when  I  had  again  to  address  Her  Majesty  personally 
on  October  2nd,  in  order  to  inform  her  that  Princess 
Gouramma  had  had  an  attack  of  internal  haemorrhage 
and  spitting  of  blood,  though  apparently  at  the  time 
in  perfect  health,  and  suffering  from  no  cold  or  cough. 
I  enclosed  the  report  of  Dr.  Edward  Ormerod,  of  Brighton, 
whom  I  had  called  in  at  once.  He  regarded  the  matter 


156        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

rather  seriously,  but  the  Princess  had  evidently  no  idea 
there  could  be  any  danger,  for  she  informed  me  that  she 
had  had  a  slight  attack  of  the  same  kind  at  Ryde,  but 
had  not  thought  it  necessary  to  inform  Mrs.  Drummond  ! 

The  interest  and  the  maternal  care  that  Queen 
Victoria  lavished  upon  her  god-daughter,  at  this,  and 
at  all  times,  was  remarkable,  and  it  was  marvellous  how, 
amid  all  her  cares  and  duties,  she  found  the  time  to 
examine  and  comment  on  all  the  details  sent  at  short 
intervals  by  her  desire.  As  soon  as  the  attack  was 
subdued,  the  Queen  urged  the  removal  of  the  Princess 
to  the  Continent,  and  I  had  to  point  out  that  some  little 
delay  was  inevitable,  first,  in  order  that  the  Princess, 
who  had  passed  the  age  of  seventeen,  should  be  prepared 
for  confirmation  before  she  left  England,  and  secondly, 
that  I  might  see  my  younger  children  comfortably 
settled  in  the  house  provided  for  us  by  the  Queen, 
at  Kew,  and  which  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  workmen 
had  not  yet  been  able  to  get  ready  for  occupation. 

It  seemed  to  me  very  essential,  under  the  circum- 
stances, that  the  Princess's  confirmation  should  be  no 
longer  delayed.  It  was  desirable  to  rouse  her  somewhat 
indolent  will,  and  spiritual  aspirations,  to  give  her  more 
sense  of  responsibility  with  her  growing  years,  and  to 
deepen  and  widen  her  too  frivolous  inclinations.  I  felt 
that  this  preparation  could  best  be  done  under  the 
Rev.  Vaughan  Elliott,  while  we  were  quietly  living  at 
Brighton,  and  that  she  might  easily  return  there  later, 
to  receive  the  rite  from  the  Bishop  of  Winchester,  when  he 
made  his  tour  of  the  diocese  for  the  purpose. 

I  was  very,  very  anxious  to  do  all  in  my  power  to 
avoid  any  fuss  or  display  in  the  young  girl's  confir- 
mation, as  had  been  the  case  with  her  baptism.  To  one 
of  her  nature  it  was  apt  to  obliterate  the  religious 


THE    PRINCESS    VICTORIA    GOURAMMA    OF    COORG. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    157 

solemnity  of  the  act.  Unfortunately,  I  was  not  entirely 
successful  in  my  purpose. 

The  Royal  Family,  I  notice,  view  the  rite  of  Con- 
firmation largely  as  a  social  event,  as  marking  the 
young  boy  or  girl's  entrance  into  society,  and  not 
simply  as  a  religious  act,  as  do  most  English  Church 
people.  I  know  not  if  this  aspect  is  German  in  its 
origin  ? 

Her  Majesty  took  a  very  deep  and  tender  concern 
in  all  the  instruction,  and  the  arrangements.  All 
Mr.  Elliott's  questions  and  examination  papers  were 
forwarded  for  her  consideration,  and  I  think,  from  some 
remarks  of  Sir  Charles  Phipps  in  his  letters,  they  were 
regarded  as  unduly  searching  and  comprehensive. 
But  the  suggestion  that  the  young  Princess  might  form 
one  of  a  band  of  candidates  going  up  to  receive  the 
Apostolic  "  laying  on  of  hands,"  was  very  decidedly 
objected  to.  Hers  must  be  a  "  private  confirmation  " 
in  so  far  as  she  was  to  be  the  single  candidate,  but  it 
must  take  place  in  public,  and  in  the  Royal  Church  at 
Kew,  and  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  was  applied 
to  to  perform  the  rite. 

He,  however,  represented  that  the  Bishop  of  Win- 
chester, as  Diocesan,  was  the  proper  person,  and  that 
prelate  was  instructed  to  hold  himself  in  readiness,  and 
communicate  with  me,  as  to  the  date,  as  soon  as  it  was 
definitely  ascertained  that  Her  Majesty — who  had 
first  announced  her  intention  of  coming  to  Kew  for  the 
purpose — had  finally  decided  that  she  would  not  her- 
self be  present.  By  the  Queen's  desire,  however.  Lady 
Hardinge  and  Sir  James  Weir-Hogg,  both  of  whom  had 
acted  as  god-parents  at  her  baptism  (and  the  latter 
was  her  legal  guardian  on  behalf  of  the  Indian  Govern- 
jnent),  were  invited  to  the  ceremony,  as  well  as  several 


158         LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

friends  and  members  of  the  congregation,  and  especially 
H.H.  the  ex-Rajah  of  Coorg,  the  father  of  the  young 
girl,  who  had  also  witnessed  her  baptism,  and — rather 
to  our  consternation — eagerly  availed  himself  of  the 
invitation  !  Truly  an  odd  juxtaposition  of  incongruous 
elements — a  Hindoo  offering  his  sanction,  and  con- 
gratulations, to  his  daughter,  on  taking  upon  herself  her 
baptismal  vows  as  a  Christian  ! 

All  these  notabilities,  including  the  Bishop  of  Win- 
chester, who  arrived  beforehand  to  have  a  private 
interview,  and  examination,  of  the  candidate,  repaired 
after  the  service  to  Church  House  for  a  reception  and 
refreshments. 

Her  Majesty  had  asked  beforehand  my  opinion  as 
to  the  most  suitable  present  for  her  to  give  her  god- 
daughter on  her  confirmation.  I  was  uncertain  whether 
to  recommend  some  devotional  book,  or  something 
which  she  could  have  in  use  at  all  times,  to  remind  her 
of  a  solemn  occasion,  and  of  the  Queen's  affectionate 
and  maternal  solicitude  for  her  well-being.  We  were 
just  preparing  to  cross  to  the  church  on  the  other  side 
of  the  road — the  Bishop  having  already  gone  to  robe — 
when  a  mounted  messenger  from  Windsor,  in  the  Royal 
livery,  came  spurring  up  to  the  door,  having  been  delayed 
on  the  road,  and  handed  in  a  packet  addressed  to  me, 
containing  a  set  of  coral  and  diamond  ornaments 
(necklace  and  earrings)  from  Her  Majesty  to  the  Prin- 
cess, and  the  following  letter,  written,  at  her  instruction, 
by  Sir  Charles  Phipps  : 

"  WINDSOR  CASTLE, 

"Jan.  loth,  1859. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  I  send  to  you  by  the  Queen's  command,  a  present 
from  Her  Majesty  to  the  Princess  Gouramma,  upon  the 
occasion  of  her  confirmation. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    159 

"  The  Queen  hopes  that  these  ornaments,  instead 
of  gratifying  the  vanity  of  the  young  Princess,  may 
serve,  when  she  looks  at  them,  frequently  to  remind  her 
of  the  high  duties  and  responsibilities,  which  she  has  this 
day  taken  upon  her. 

"  The  Queen  is  pleased  to  believe  that  your  young 
charge  feels  deep  affection  and  gratitude  to  Her  Majesty, 
and  that  this  feeling  will  be  a  constant  motive  to  her,  so 
to  conduct  herself  as  to  justify  the  continued  regard 
and  protection  of  Her  Majesty — but  the  Queen  hopes 
that,  from  this  day,  the  Princess  will  feel  the  far  higher, 
and  holier  aspirations,  which  should  fill  her  soul  with  the 
desire  to  please  that  Almighty  Being,  whose  service 
she  this  day  takes  upon  her,  and  before  Whom  the 
Queen,  and  the  Princess,  will  equally  have  to  answer 
for  the  part  which  they  have  each  taken,  in  obtaining 
for  the  latter  the  blessed  hopes  of  Christianity. 

i  The  Queen  directs  me  to  send  many  messages  of 
kindness  to  the  Princess,  and  to  assure  her  that  it  gives 
Her  Majesty  sincere  pleasure  when  you  are  able  to  give 
a  satisfactory  report  of  her. 

"  Sincerely  yours, 

«C.  B.  PHIPPS." 

I  could  not  refrain  from  quoting  this  letter  in  full, 
as  I  think  nothing  could  more  clearly  show  the  sense  of 
personal  responsibility  which  moved  the  mind  of  the 
Sovereign,  in  her  dealings  with  this  one  young  girl, 
of  a  different  race,  from  a  distant  portion  of  her 
dominions,  not  yet  recognised  as  an  integral  part  of  the 
Empire,  and  also  exhibit  the  greatness  of  heart  and 
sympathy,  mingled  with  a  true  Christian  humility,  of 
the  beloved  Queen  whom  we  have  lost. 

I  greatly  doubt,  however,  whether  the  recipient  of 
those  jewels  did  not,  owing  to  their  advent  at  this 
moment,  have  her  mind  directed  less  to  the  ideas  with 
which  her  sponsor  desired  them  to  be  concerned,  than 


i6o        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

to  a  contemplation  and  satisfaction  in  the  "  pomps  and 
vanities  "  she  had  promised  to  renounce  !  And  that 
their  arrival  afforded  unbounded  delight  to  the  little 
Rajah  of  Coorg  there  could  be  no  question  !  He  plumed 
and  preened  himself,  with  satisfaction,  the  whole  after- 
noon, and  doubtless  felt  that,  with  this  signal  mani- 
festation of  "  the  Padishah's  "  favour,  and  the  realisation 
of  his  great  wish  to  see  his  daughter  placed  under  my 
roof,  although  the  Maharajah  was  now  technically  no 
longer  my  husband's  ward  (he  had  a  separate  establish- 
ment, and  house  of  his  own,  but  continued  constantly 
to  visit  us,  and  we  him),  he  might  fairly  consider  that 
his  ambitious  adventure,  in  leaving  his  own  country 
and  braving  the  perils  of  the  deep,  was  not  in  vain  ! 
Poor  Veer  Rajundur  Wudeer  !  he  was  a  most  amiable 
and  polite  specimen  of  a  native  ruler,  and  appeared 
genuinely  attached  to  his  little  daughter — who,  on  her 
part,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  seemed  very  indifferent  in  her 
manner  to  him — but  he  never  could  refrain  from  theatri- 
cal posing  in  the  public  view,  and  there  was  one  daguer- 
reotype in  his  daughter's  possession,  taken  specially 
as  a  souvenir  to  keep  him  in  her  memory,  which  always 
aroused  in  me  an  access  of  ribald  mirth.  The  Rajah 
was  depicted — as  it  were,  in  the  full  limelight — his  eyes 
raised  to  Heaven  in  pious  invocation,  while  his  out- 
stretched hands  pointed  to  his  daughter,  seated  with 
downcast  eyes  (and  with  a  very  sulky  expression  !) 
by  his  side.  This  was  intended  to  typify  the  agony 
of  a  father  handing  his  child  over  to  the  protection  of 
the  British  people  ;  but  think  what  histrionic  talent 
must  have  come  into  play,  to  rehearse  all  that  for  the 
lengthy  period  then  required  to  produce  a  photographic 
negative  !  He  was  the  father  of  eleven  children,  but 
I  am  bound  to  say,  never  showed  for  any  of  the 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    161 

others   an   iota   of  the   affection   he  lavished  on   little 
Gouramma. 

As  to  the  Princess's  own  character  at  that  time,  I 
wrote  to  Sir  Charles  Phipps  that  I  was  fully  sensible  that 
her  "  future  conduct  would  exercise  a  great  influence 
for  good  or  for  evil  on  the  females  of  India.  I  am  most 
anxious,"  I  said  then,  "  with  God's  help,  to  do  my  part 
in  endeavouring  to  train  her  in  such  a  way  as  shall  do 
credit  to  her  Christian  profession.  Should  the  result 
of  our  experimental  tour  on  the  Continent  be  such  as  to 
lead  the  Queen  to  desire  that  a  prolonged  residence 
should  be  made,  we  shall  endeavour,  at  any  personal 
inconvenience,  to  meet  Her  Majesty's  wishes,  if  we  can 
find  a  suitable  place  where  we  can  take  our  children  " 
(my  eldest  girl,  two  or  three  years  junior  to  the  Princess 
in  age,  though  far  in  advance  of  her  in  education  and 
accomplishments,  had  been  sent  to  a  boarding-school 
in  Brighton),  "  though  of  course  my  husband  is  natu- 
rally anxious  at  present  to  be  in  England,  in  case  some 
work  may  be  found  for  him  in  which  his  knowledge  of 
India  may  be  turned  to  account.*  It  is  rather  early 
yet  to  give  an  opinion,  but  in  justice  to  the  Princess 
I  must  say,  that  I  have  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied 
with  her  since  she  has  been  under  my  charge.  She  says 
that  she  is  very  happy,  and  certainly  appears  so.  She 
evidently  enjoys  riding  on  horseback,  and  can  ride  a 
good  distance  without  feeling  fatigue.  Although  Mrs. 
Drummond  prepared  me  for  it,  I  am  much  disappointed 
in  her  attainments,  particularly  in  her  music,  in  which 
I  had  fancied  she  excelled.  It  is,  like  all  her  other 
studies,  a  great  labour  to  her  ;  however,  she  seems 
quite  aware  of  her  deficiency,  and  anxious  to  do  her 

*  This  of  course  referred  to  the  correspondence  on  India  with  Sir  C.  Phipps,  of 
which  mention  has  been  made. 

L.L.R.  M 


1 62         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

best  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  I  tell  her  she  is  too  old 
to  be  forced,  and  unless  she  works  with  her  own  good- 
will, all  will  be  useless.  She  really  seems  anxious  to 
please  me,  and  to  gain  my  good  opinion,  and  in  this 
I  fervently  hope  she  may  succeed." 

I  had  received  Her  Majesty's  summons  to  an  audience 
at  Windsor  on  the  8th  November>  to  give  my  report  on 
the  Princess,  but  at  the  veryjast  moment  had  to  send  a 
messenger  to  Sir  Charles  Phipps,  to  beg  that  I  might  be 
pardoned  for  not  appearing,  as  my  baby,  about  seven 
months  old,  had  been  seized  with  serious  illness.  I 
cannot  tell  you  what  kind  letters — more  than  one — 
were  written  me  by  Her  Majesty's  desire.  "  One  line 
to  assure  you,  though  I  am  sure  unnecessary,  how  sorry 
the  Queen — as  well  as  all  of  us — was  to  hear  of  the 
cause  of  Lady  Login's  absence  to-day."  And  again, 
to  the  same  effect,  and  to  inquire  for  the  child,  on 
the  nth.  On  the  I5th  Sir  Charles  wrote  to  arrange 
another  interview,  and  to  make  it  all  easy,  I  was  to 
go  first  to  his  apartments,  and  he  conducted  me  to  the 
presence. 

When  the  arrangements  were  in  progress  for  our  visit 
to  the  Continent  with  the  Princess,  I  asked  if  I  might 
be  allowed  a  further  audience  to  receive  full  instruc- 
tions ?  This  was  at  once  accorded,  and  I  was  bidden 
to  bring  the  Princess  Gouramma  with  me  to  luncheon 
at  I  p.m.  on  January  2/th,  1859,  a  memorable  date  in 
the  history  of  Europe  as  it  proved,  and  I  too  was,  as 
it  turned  out,  to  have  a  dramatic  announcement — at 
first  hand — of  an  event  which  has  had  an  overpower- 
ing influence  on  the  destinies  of  many  millions.  It  was 
in  this  wise. 

After  the  luncheon,  at  which  Her  Majesty  talked 
in  a  most  kindly  and  gracious  manner  with  all,  and  my 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    163 

interview  with  her,  during  which  my  charge  was  enter- 
tained by  the  royal  children,  we  took  our  leave,  and  the 
gentleman  conducting  us — for  we  had  been  prevented 
seeing  Sir  Charles  and  Lady  Phipps  this  time,  owing 
to  "  mumps  "  in  his  family — proposed  that,  as  it  was 
early  in  the  afternoon,  we  might  like  to  see  some  of 
the  galleries  and  State  apartments  ?  We  were  pass- 
ing through  an  immense  saloon,  when  suddenly  there 
was  heard  the  sound  of  opening  doors,  and  the  rush 
of  hurrying  feet,  accompanied  by  a  whispered  cry, 
"  The  Queen  !  The  Queen  !  "  Our  guide  at  once 
motioned  us  to  stand  aside,  and,  at  the  same  moment,  a 
door  at  the  further  end  of  the  apartment  was  flung 
wide,  and  now  the  cry  came  in  stentorian  tones,  while 
the  Lord  Chamberlain  appeared,  running  backwards 
with  extraordinary  agility,  to  keep  pace  with  the 
Sovereign  whom  he  was  ceremoniously  ushering — thus 
showing  that  it  was  an  errand  of  state  that  she 
.  was  on. 

For  the  Queen,  whom  we  had  so  lately  parted  from 
in  calm  dignity,  was  flying  with  the  eagerness  of  a  young 
girl,  and  so  rapid  was  her  movement,  and  so  joyous 
her  expression,  it  was  plain  that  her  suite  had  much 
difficulty  in  keeping  pace  with  her  speed.  Catching 
sight  of  me  in  the  distance,  as  she  came  up  the  long 
room,  she  suddenly  waved  aloft  a  telegraph  form  that 
she  was  holding  in  her  hand — ominous  missive  usually, 
in  those  far-off  days  —  and  called  out  in  triumphant 
tones,  unheeding  the  shocked  expression  of  her  atten- 
dants at  such  unconventionally  :  "  Lady  Login  ! 
Lady  Login  !  I  am  a  grandmother  /  /  " 

Thus  she  herself  announced  to  me  the  birth  of  her 
first  grandchild,  the  first  comer  in  the  line  of  succession  to 
the  British  Crown,  whose  advent  she  was  hastening  to 


1 64        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

communicate,  with  all  due  etiquette  of  Minister  in 
attendance,  to  her  Consort,  Prince  Albert,  in  his  apart- 
ments. I  actually  was,  in  this  way,  a  recipient  of  the 
news  from  her  own  lips,  before  the  grandfather  knew 
it,  and  within  an  hour  of  the  actual  event,  which  took 
place,  as  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II. 's  horoscope  is  careful 
to  inform  us,  at  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  January 
zyth,  Anno  Domini  1859  • 

Many  a  time  since  has  that  scene  recurred  to  my 
mind,  more  especially  on  a  brilliant  summer's  day, 
thirty  years  later,  when  I  stood  on  the  after-bridge  of 
my  son's  ship,  H.M.S.  Anson — his  first  as  Commander — 
at  the  head  of  the  line  of  the  Channel  Fleet,  lying  out  at 
Spithead,  ready  to  receive  the  new  German  Emperor 
on  his  first  State  visit  to  his  grandmother.  I  heard  the 
muttered  criticisms  of  the  group  of  naval  officers  of 
high  rank  who  stood  around,  as  the  original  Hohen- 
zollern — followed  by  her  escort  of  two  old-fashioned 
German  cruisers,  standing  high  out  of  the  water, 
black,  and  with  open  ports  bristling  with  guns,  in  con- 
trast with  the  grey  hulls  and  low  freeboard  of  our  own 
ships — swept  round  across  our  bows,  close  alongside, 
and  under  our  counter  (to  avoid  an  idiotic  yacht  that 
got  right  in  the  way,  in  defiance  of  orders),  piloted  by 
the  Trinity  Yacht  and  the  Enchantress.  I  marvelled 
to  see  the  German  seamen  stand  shoulder-to-shoulder 
round  their  vessels,  whilst  ours  barely  manned  the  sides 
with  hands  clasped  and  arms  extended,  and  asked  if 
the  visitors  had  not  extra  complements  on  board  ? 
I  remember  the  Flag-Captain's  answer.  "  Double- 
manned,  did  you  say  ?  Why,  they're  Zr^/^-manned  ! 
If  they  attempted  to  fight  those  ships,  they  would  be 
tumbling  over  each  other  !  " 

Ours  was  the  first  ship  to  greet  the  E'mperor  on  that 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    165 

occasion,  as  he  stood  smiling  with,  gratification  on  the 
bridge  of  his  yacht,  returning  the  salutes  of  officers  and 
men,  of  the  guns,  and  of  the  ensigns,  our  band  mean- 
while playing  the  "  Heil !  Dir  in  Siegerkranz  !  "  while 
the  blue-jackets  gave  the  regulation  cheers.  Well  I 
know  how,  even  in  those  days  (1889),  there  was  present  a 
feeling  of  antagonism,  a  certain  grim  repression  amongst 
us  all,  owing  doubtless  to  his  known  unfilial  treatment  of 
his  mother,  the  Princess  Royal  of  England  !  Among 
the  many  guests  on  board  the  second  Flagship  were 
some  foreign  diplomats,  and  I  remember  how  one  lady, 
wife  of  an  English  politician,  noticing  the  somewhat 
cold  and  supercilious  air  with  which  the  naval  men  on 
board  scanned  the  warlike  aspect  of  the  foreign  war- 
ships, observed  in  rebuke  to  the  company  in  general : 
"  Why  do  you  criticise,  and  make  remarks,  as  if  they 
could  be  anything  but  our  friends  and  allies  ?  "  and  the 
chilling  silence,  and  looks  askance,  with  which  the  obser- 
vation was  received. 

My  husband's  gallant  old  friend  and  colleague  of 
the  first  Afghan  War,  Sir  Frederick  Abbott,  was  one 
of  our  party  on  board  ;  and  returning  to  Ryde  in  the 
torpedo  boat  that  had  taken  us  out  to  the  ship,  one  of 
the  petty-officers  put  into  words,  in  answer  to  a  question 
of  Sir  Frederick's  young  son,  the  under-current  -of 
sentiment  prevailing,  at  that  period,  in  the  British 
Fleet.  "  Look  like  business,  do  they,  sir  ?  Fully 
armed,  eh  ?  My  word,  sir,  won't  they  make  rattling 
good  targets  /  /  " 

This  was  Kaiser  Wilhelm's  first  view  of  the  new 
Anson,  a  ship  which  was  the  object  of  his  liveliest 
curiosity,  being  of  an  entirely  new  type  in  those  days, 
and  the  first  built  with  only  military  masts.  Later  on, 
he  was  to  inspect  her  most  exhaustively,  in  his  own 


1 66        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

harbour  of  Kiel,  descending  to  the  lowest  depths  of  the 
engine-room  and  torpedo-flat,  rather  to  the  terror  of 
his  suite,  who  knew  the  danger  of  a  slip  on  the  steep 
steel  ladders,  his  imperfect  left  arm  giving  him  no  grasp 
on  that  side.  To  diminish  risk,  by  Admiral  Sir  R. 
Tracey's  direction,  my  son,  as  Commander,  was  deputed 
to  immediately  precede,  and  act  as  cicerone,  to  H.I.M., 
in  order  that,  in  case  of  accident,  his  bulk  and  strength 
might  interpose  and  avert  a  fall.  All  on  board  the 
Anson,  however,  knew  that  the  Kaiser,  in  characteristic 
fashion,  had  taken  an  opportunity  of  a  close  and 
private,  though  necessarily  superficial,  survey  of  the 
ship  already,  a  few  weeks  previous,  when  the  Channel 
Fleet  entered  Bergen  harbour,  at  a  time  when  the 
Emperor's  yacht  also  lay  there,  on  one  of  his  earlier 
flying  trips  to  Norway.  Scarcely  had  the  Anson 
anchored,  when  a  boat  put  off  from  the  Hohenzollern, 
containing  the  commanding-officer  of  the  latter,  come  to 
visit  the  Rear- Admiral  and  Captain.  He  was  of  course 
received  with  all  the  honours,  and  went  below  to  the 
Admiral's  quarters,  leaving  his  galley's  crew  in  their 
craft  alongside.  These  pulled  very  slowly  to  and  fro 
about  the  ship,  scanning  her  build  and  armament  with 
attention,  while  a  cluster  of  disrespectful  and  irrepres- 
sible youngsters,  from  the  Anson^s  gun-room,  hung  over 
the  side, ,  making  observation  of  the  visitors  in  their 
turn,  and  some  audible  remarks  as  to  "  cheek  " ;  for  too 
close  scrutiny  "  a  1'imprevu  "  is  not  regarded  as  good 
naval  manners  ! 

Suddenly  the  attention  of  a  "  reefer,"  rather  smarter 
than  his  fellows,  was  attracted  to  the  presence  of  a 
gentleman  in  blue  serge  yachting  dress,  sitting  in  the 
stern-sheets  of  the  galley,  smoking  silently  in  a  non- 
chalant attitude,  but  unmistakably  making  good  use 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     167 

of  his  powers  of  vision,  aided  by  binoculars,  in  the  posi- 
tion he  was  in.  A  quiet  hint  brought  all  the  boys'  eyes 
to  bear  on  this  individual,  and  their  sudden  silence 
attracted  the  officer  of  the  watch,  when  an  unguarded 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  observed,  revealed  the 
well-known  lineaments  of  "  William  the  Unexpected ! " 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE    PRINCESS    VICTORIA    GOURAMMA    (continued) 

WE  went  abroad  with  the  Princess  in  the  February  of 
1859,  and  travelled  through  Italy,  making  little  stop 
till  we  reached  Rome.  We  were,  of  course,  furnished 
with  introductions  to  many  people  of  note,  and  to  our 
Ambassadors  at  the  different  Courts  ;  but  as  this  was 
our  second  visit — having  made  an  extended  tour  with 
the  Maharajah  in  1856 — we  had  already  many  acquaint- 
ances in  various  parts  of  the  peninsula. 

The  Maharajah  had  left  England  a  little  while  before, 
having  as  companion  a  very  distinguished  traveller 
in  the  East,  who  afterwards  made  a  great  name  for 
himself  as  a  discoverer  in  the  upper  regions  of  the 
Nile,  being  rewarded  with  a  knighthood.  They  were 
to  go  first  to  Vienna,  where  letters  were  written  to  the 
Ambassador  on  H.M.'s  behalf,  to  show  all  attention  to 
the  Maharajah,  and  Baron  Ki.igel  sent  by  my  husband's 
request  the  name  and  address  of  a  bird-fancier  in 
Vienna  the  Maharajah  wanted  to  look  up.  For  the  idea 
of  the  trip  was  a  shooting  excursion  in  Hungary,  Tran- 
sylvania, and  all  down  the  Danube  to  Constantinople ; 
and,  as  ever,  his  great  craze  was  for  all  sorts  of  sport, 
especially  shooting  birds,  wherever  he  went,  he  wanted 
specimens  of  each  kind,  to  rear,  and  study  their  habits. 

Her  Majesty  had  been  very  anxious  that  he  should 
take  a  gentleman  with  him,  as  some  sort  of  equerry  or 
attendant,  but  this,  in  spite  of  strong  hints  through  Sir 
Charles  Phipps,  he  steadily  declined  to  do. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     169 

Feeling  thus  quite  free  to  devote  ourselves  to  the 
welfare  and  encouragement  of  Princess  Gouramma, 
and  to  the  developing  of  her  mind  and  interest  in  various 
pursuits,  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  would  be  more  amusing 
and  lively  for  her  to  take  my  young  daughter  with  us, 
who,  though  some  years  her  junior,  was  a  clever  child, 
had  a  great  talent  for  both  music  and  drawing,  and 
would  take  full  advantage  of  the  opportunities  of 
studying  these,  and  the  languages  of  the  countries 
we  should  visit.  Thus  she  would  gain  as  great  educa- 
tional advantages  as  if  she  had  remained  at  home  at 
school — whither  it  had  been  a  great  wrench  to  send  her, 
as  I  had  done,  never  having,  in  any  other  case,  parted 
with  my  daughters  for  that  purpose — and  at  the  same 
time,  the  young  Princess,  finding  her  junior  so  far  ahead 
in  application,  would  be  spurred  into  emulation  arid 
interest  on  her  own  account.  The  plan  answered  admir- 
ably, and  as  she  was  really  fond  of  my  "  Lena,"  and 
pleased  to  be  treated  as  a  grown-up,  while  the  other 
was  a  school-room  girl,  she  seemed  to  thoroughly  enjoy 
the  changes  of  scene,  and  improved  immensely  in 
intelligence  and  deportment.  During  part  of  the  time, 
my  eldest  son,  then  an  Eton  boy,  was  also  of  the  .party, 
so  that  occasionally  the  liveliness  of  our  company  might 
be  termed  exuberant,  not  to  say  boisterous,  which  con- 
dition of  affairs  chimed  in  exactly  with  what  the  little 
lady  revelled  in  ! 

On  arriving  in  Rome,  we  took  an  apartment  at  No.  56, 
Capo  la  Casa,  and  many  old  and  new  acquaintances 
came  to  see  us.  Amongst  others,  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  who  was  in  Rome  that  winter,  with  his  governor, 
General  Bruce,  honoured  us  with  a  visit,  and  invited 
my  husband  to  dine  with  him  at  his  hotel.  During  the 
Carnival,  he  came  to  our  balcony  in  the  Corso  (we  had 


1 70        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

hired  one  there  for  the  three  days,  as  was  the  custom), 
with  a  bouquet  for  the  Princess  Gouramma,  and  after 
watching  the  procession  for  some  time  with  us,  passed 
on  to  the  balcony  of  the  next  house,  which  was  occupied 
by  the  Prussian  royal  family. 

Very  much  to  our  surprise,  we  found  that  the  Maha- 
rajah Duleep  Singh  had  hurried  away  from  Constan- 
tinople and  was  here  in  Rome  awaiting  our  appearance  ! 
His  expedition  had  been  rather  a  fiasco,  his  guide — an 
old  habitue  of  Oriental  cities — had  not  proved  a  wise 
counsellor  to  a  young  and  inexperienced  charge.  The 
Maharajah  was  not  happy,  and  seized  the  first  oppor- 
tunity to  come  and  join  us  in  Rome,  and  we,  seeing 
him  thus,  had  hopes  that  he  came  with  the  intention 
of  seeking  the  society  of  the  young  Princess,  with 
whom,  he  wrell  knew,  there  was  a  wish  he  should  ally 
himself.  He  had  expressed  himself  to  me  in  July,  1858, 
as  "  so  very  glad  to  hear  that  the  Queen  has  asked 
you,  and  you  have  agreed,  to  take  charge  of  the  young 
Coorg  Princess.  I  am  sure,"  he  continued,  "  that  you 
will  make  her  very  happy,  and  treat  her  with  that 
motherly  kindness  which  I  myself  have  had  the  good 
luck  to  experience.  .  .  .  Tell  me  when  to  expect 
Edwy ;  he  will  enjoy  fishing,  ..."  ending,  as  usual 
then,  and  for  many  years,  "  Love  to  all.  Yours  affec- 
tionately, DULEEP  SINGH." 

All  seemed  to  promise  therefore  that  matters  were 
proceeding  even  better  than  could  be  wished,  and, 
towards  the  end  of  March,  I  sat  down  to  write 
to  Her  Majesty,  as  directed,  for  her  personal  con- 
sideration, the  following  report  on  the  Princess's 
conduct  and  doings.  I  give  a  few  extracts  only,  as 
the  correspondence  had  to  be  detailed,  and  is  rather 
voluminous  : 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     171 

"  MADAM,  .  .  . 

"...  I  think  I  may  venture  to  say  that  the  object 
Your  Majesty  had  in  view  in  sending  the  Princess 
abroad  for  a  short  time  has  been,  in  a  great  measure, 
obtained  ;  for  she  is,  in  a  pleasing  way,  acquiring 
knowledge  on  subjects  of  which  she  was  deplorably 
ignorant,  and  about  which  she  felt  before  quite  indif- 
ferent. There  remains  still  much  to  be  desired,  but  as 
the  Princess  is  very  docile,  and  really  does  her  best  to 
improve  herself,  and  seems  most  desirous  to  please 
me,  I  feel  that  the  time  has  not  been  lost  since  she  left 
England. 

"  She  is  very  much  steadier  than  she  was,  and  con- 
ducts herself,  when  in  society,  with  great  modesty  and 
proper  dignity.  I  have  only  once  had  occasion  to  reprove 
her  seriously  for  levity  of  conduct.  Her  manners  at  the 
Carnival  were  excellent,  though  she  enjoyed  it  heartily, 
and  regretted  its  short  duration.  We  made  arrange- 
ments that  she  should  see  all  that  it  was  desirable  that 
she  should  see  without  attracting  much  attention,  and 
I  think  she  was  little  known  or  observed,  except  in  an 
unobjectionable  manner.  I  have  engaged  the  services 
of  a  Parisian  lady  as  French  teacher  during  our  stay 
here,  and  the  Princess  is  very  industrious.  As  she 
seemed  anxious  to  learn  sketching  from  nature,  so  as  to 
be  able  to  sketch  like  our  little  girl,  I  have  got  the  best 
English  drawing-master  here  to  go  out  with  her.  .  .  . 
Though  she  has  little  or  no  talent  for  drawing,  .  .  . 
it  is  as  well  to  cultivate  it  if  possible. 

:£  She  seems  to  have  enjoyed  her  sojourn  here 
thoroughly,  and  I  regret  much,  for  her  sake,  that  it 
will  soon  be  over,  for  I  feel  that  her  mind  and  interest 
are  opening,  and  although  it  is  rather  harassing  to  have 
to  instruct  her  by  constant  explanations,  and  by 
trying  to  emphasize  facts  on  her  memory  (for  she  cannot 
read  for  herself),  yet  I  am  encouraged  to  go  on  by  seeing 
a  visible  improvement. 

"  The  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh  is  with  us  constantly. 


172        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

and  although  I  should  wish  to  be  very  careful  in  taking 
up  an  impression  regarding  his  feelings  towards  the 
Princess,  I  cannot  be  blind  to  the  fact  that  he  enter- 
tains very  different  sentiments,  in  many  respects,  to 
his  former  ones. 

"  I  have  avoided  throwing  the  Princess  in  his  way, 
and  quite  agreed  with  the  determination  he  at  first 
expressed,  of  not  getting  their  names  mixed  up  together. 
But  by  degrees  he  has  come  back  to  us  on  the  old  foot- 
ing, and  constantly  spends  his  evenings  with  us  in 
familiar  intercourse,  without  any  invitation,  and  the 
circumstance  of  our  boy  and  girl  being  with  us  brings 
him  more  into  contact  with  the  Princess.  He  has  been 
talking  to  me  more  than  once  of  his  future  prospects, 
marriage,  etc.,  .  .  .  and  seems  fully  alive  to  the 
difficulties  in  his  way  of  marrying  an  Englishwoman  of 
the  birth  and  rank  to  support  his  position.  The  great 
interest  that  Your  Majesty  takes  in  the  Princess  is  not 
without  its  effect  upon  him,  and  even  the  kind  attention 
shown  her  and  us  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  is  remarked 
upon  by  him,  as  proof  of  Your  Majesty's  favour.  .  .  . 

4  ...  I  am  anxious  to  receive  Your  Majesty's 
commands  upon  the  manner  in  which  Your  Majesty 
wishes  the  Princess  to  be  introduced  into  society  on 
her  return  home,  as  this  will  naturally  influence  the 
period  of  our  stay  abroad.  When  I  had  less  hope  of 
the  Princess  becoming  a  credit  to  Your  Majesty's 
gracious  kindness,  I  was  disposed  to  think  it  would  be 
well  to  make  as  little  exception  in  her  favour  as  possible, 
with  regard  to  the  manner  of  being  received  at  Court. 
But  circumstances  have  considerably  altered,  and,  as 
I  see  that  any  distinction  conferred  on  the  Princess 
has  great  weight  with  the  Maharajah,  it  only  remains 
for  Your  Majesty  to  determine  whether  she  is  to  go 
through  the  formality  of  a  presentation  or  not.  .  .  ." 

How  all  these  fair  hopes  were  totally  and  unex- 
pectedly dashed  to  the  ground,  and  a  most  bewildering 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     173 

and  uncomfortable  denouement  revealed  itself,  will  best 
appear  if  I  venture  to  quote  from  a  letter  with  which  I 
found  myself  compelled  to  follow  up  the  preceding,  only 
two  or  three  days  later.  At  the  period  at  which  it  was 
written,  naturally,  its  contents  could  only  be  regarded 
as  exceedingly  private  and  confidential,  but  the  many 
decades  that  have  since  elapsed,  make  it  possible,  without 
indiscretion,  to  make  known  some  portion  of  them. 

"To  HER  MOST  GRACIOUS  MAJESTY  THE  QUEEN. 

"  MADAM, 

"  When  I  had  the  honour  to  address  Your  Majesty 
so  lately,  I  did  not  anticipate  the  necessity  of  so  soon 
again  doing  so,  but  as  I  am  very  greatly  concerned 
at  the  purport  of  a  conversation  I  have  just  had  with 
the  Maharajah,  I  am  desirous  of  losing  no  time  in  making 
it  known  to  Your  Majesty. 

"  The  Maharajah  had  met  the  Princess  Gouramma, 
a  few  evenings  ago,  at  a  small  party,  and  I  observed 
that  he  sat  by  her  talking  for  some  time.  The  next 
day  he  asked  for  a  private  interview  with  me,  and, 
after  saying  that  he  thought  the  Princess  much  improved 
in  manner  and  appearance,  and  that  he  felt  a  sincere 
interest  in  her  as  his  countrywoman,  he  said  that  he 
considered  it  only  right  and  honourable  on  his  part  to 
tell  me  at  once  that  he  could  not  ask  her  to  be  his  wife  ; 
that,  from  what  he  had  observed  of  her  lately,  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  that  she  was  not  calculated  to  make 
him  happy,  as  he  did  not  feel  the  confidence  in  her  .  .  . 
he  would  in  an  English  girl. 

"  I  was  much  distressed  at  this,  for  I  had  hoped  that 
she  was  conducting  herself  so  as  to  make  a  favourable 
impression,  .  .  .  but  he  said  repeatedly,  '  I  could  never 
marry  her  !  I  could  never  feel  more  than  pity  for  her  ! 
She  would  not  be  a  safe  wife  for  me  !  I  don't  seem  to  trust 
her  !  and  I  dread  so  any  trouble  after  marriage  !  ' 

"  He  then  went  on  to  say  that  he  felt  very  unhappy 


174        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

about  himself,  that  he  saw  the  necessity  of  altering 
many  things  in  his  own  conduct,  and  of  endeavouring 
to  live  more  as  became  his  profession  of  Christianity, 
and  his  position  in  society  ;  but  that  his  temptations 
were  so  great,  and  he  felt  himself  so  weak  to  withstand 
them,  that  unless  he  could  have  some  definite  object 
in  view,  and  some  reward  to  strive  after,  he  feared  for 
the  future  ;  .  .  .  that  up  to  this  time  his  life  had  been 
aimless,  that  he  felt  he  had  no  ties  to  bind  him,  no  home 
or  kindred  that  he  could  claim  as  his  own,  but  that 
if  this  could  be  altered — if  a  hope  could  be  held  out  to 
him  that  he  might,  at  some  future  period,  be  permitted 
to  try  and  win  the  love  of  one  whom  he  had  known  and 
loved  from  her  childhood,  he  would  undergo  any  pro- 
bation it  was  thought  fit  to  impose  on  him,  and  strive, 
with  God's  help,  to  make  himself  worthy  of  her  !  .  .  . 
(Here  he  named  a  young  relative  of  my  husband,  who 
had  her  in  his  care  and  charge.)  .  .  . 

"  On  observing  the  effect  this  utterly  unexpected 
announcement  had  upon  me,  he  became  so  confused  and 
nervously  excited,  that  he  could  not  express  his  meaning 
clearly,  and  therefore  begged  I  would  give  him  no 
reply  at  present,  but  allow  him  to  come  next  day  and 
talk  it  over  calmly,  and,  in  the  meantime,  if  we  should 
feel  .  .  .  inclined  to  reject  his  desire  (as  he  feared 
might  be),  that  we  would  reflect  deeply  on  the  effect  such 
a  decision  would  have  on  him. 

"  I  hope  I  need  not  assure  Your  Majesty  that  neither 
my  husband,  nor  myself,  had  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
the  Maharajah's  sentiments  towards  -  — ,  and  that  we 
were  quite  unprepared  for  his  request,  which  caused 
us  the  greatest  anxiety  and  pain  on  her  account,  even 
more  than  on  the  Maharajah's  ;  and  though  we  felt 
ourselves  in  a  very  peculiar  position  towards  him,  as 
his  only  Christian  parents,  and  in  a  great  degree  bound 
to  give  him  every  aid  we  could,  still,  at  the  same  time, 
this  young  girl's  happiness  and  welfare  must  be  para- 
mount with  us. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    175 

"  When  he  came  the  next  morning,  he  said  much  of 
the  great  difficulty  he  should  always  find  in  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  real  disposition  and  character 
of  any  young  lady  he  might  meet  in  society  ; 
that  in  no  other  family  could  he  be  domesticated  as 

he  was  with  us  ;  that  he  had  known 's  temper  and 

disposition  thoroughly,  and  watched  her  closely,  and 
had  long  felt  that  .  .  .  she  was  in  every  respect  what 
he  wished  for  in  his  wife  ;  her  truthfulness  and  purity 
he  could  rely  on,  and  her  religious  feelings  he  reverenced. 
But  if  we,  whom  he  trusted  and  regarded  as  parents, 
could  not  accept  him  into  the  family  ;  if  we,  who  had 
taken  him  from  his  own  country  and  people,  and  cut 
him  off  (though  at  his  own  request)  from  all  prospect 
of  mixing  with  his  own  race,  should  refuse  to  regard 
him  as  one  of  ourselves,  to  whom  could  he  look  ? 

"  I  earnestly  hope  that  in  the  reply  that  we  have 
given  we  have  been  rightly  directed,  and  that,  with 
God's  blessing,  the  event  may  result  in  good.  We  have 
told  the  Maharajah  that  in  our  peculiar  situation,  and 
as  Christians,  we  cannot  altogether  refuse  his  request, 
though  we  must  adopt  such  measures  as  shall,  as  far 
as  possible,  render  our  present  concession  harmless  to 
the  other  person  involved,  ...  as  she  must  be  our 
first  consideration  ;  that  in  the  earnest  hope  that  this 
may  lead  him  to  higher  views  of  the  duties  of  his  position, 
and  of  his  Christian  profession,  if  it  was  found  that  for 
the  next  three  years  his  conduct  gave  us  confidence  in 
his  sincerity,  and  in  the  depth  of  his  present  feelings, 
and  in  the  event  of  his  obtaining  Your  Majesty's  gracious 
approval,  we  would  allow  him  to  plead  his  own  cause 
with  the  young  girl,  who  would  then  be  of  age  sufficient 
to  make  the  decision  for  herself.  In  the  meantime,  he 
bound  himself,  on  his  honour,  not  in  any  way  to  make  her 
aware  of  his  sentiments — we,  on  our  part,  being  careful 
that  they  shall  see  as  little  as  possible  of  each  other  in 
the  interim. 

((  We  have  told  him  that  we  make  this  promise,  and 


176        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

hold  out  this  inducement  to  him,  solely  in  the  hope  that, 
before  this  period  expires,  he  will  see  his  true  position 
more  clearly,  and  meet  with  someone  more  suitable  in 
every  respect,  ...  as  we  in  no  wise  covet  such  a 
destiny  for  our  charge.  .  .  .  We  felt  that  to  deprive 
him  of  all  hope,  considering  the  position  we  have  held 
towards  him,  would  have  been  both  unchristian  and 
injudicious,  and  might  have  led  him  to  become  utterly 
careless. 

'  There  were  many  circumstances  which  I  cannot 
detail  by  letter,  which  have  strengthened  us  in  resolving 
on  this  reply.  My  first  impulse  was  to  return  straight 
to  England,  instead  of  going  on  to  Naples,  in  the  hope 
of  being  permitted  personally  to  lay  everything  before 
Your  Majesty.  On  second  thoughts,  knowing  how 
much  Your  Majesty  desired  that  the  Princess  should  be 
as  long  abroad  as  possible,  and  that  her  health  would 
be  benefited  by  a  stay  at  the  seaside,  I  have  decided  to 
adhere  to  our  first  intention.  Need  I  express  to  Your 
Majesty  with  what  deep  anxiety  I  shall  await  at  Naples 
the  expression  of  Your  Majesty's  opinion  on  the  course 
we  have  thought  it  our  duty  to  pursue  with  respect  to 
the  Maharajah  ? 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Madam,  with  most  dutiful 
and  grateful  respect, 

"  Your  Majesty's  most  humble  and  most  devoted 
servant, 

"  LENA  LOGIN. 

"ROME,  March  31^,  1859." 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  our  utter  consternation 
at  the  bombshell  thus  exploded  by  the  Maharajah, 
shattering  all  the  ideas  and  arrangements  formed  in 
the  minds  of  exalted  personages  interested  in  his 
future  !  It  was  so  entirely  unlocked  for  as  to  leave  us 
almost  speechless  with  astonishment ;  and,  as  I 
expressed  it,  in  writing  privately  to  Sir  Charles  Phipps 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    177 

at  the  time,  "  he  would  readily  believe  that  such  an 
alliance  was  not  what  we  would  seek  "  for  the  young 
lady  in  question.  Hoping  that  the  period  of  probation 
would  give  time  for  him  to  change  his  mind  and  look 
elsewhere  for  a  wife,  we  refused  to  allow  him  to  consider 
himself  bound  in  any  way  by  anything  he  had  said, 
and  stipulated  that  all  that  had  passed  must  be  kept 
entirely  secret. 

This,  of  course,  made  it  more  difficult  to  account  to 
our  acquaintances  for  the  extraordinary  vagueness  that 
suddenly  enveloped  all  our  plans  and  movements,  until 
we  received  instructions  from  England.  One  step 
only  I  thought  it  right  to  take  at  once,  and  that  was  to 
inform  the  poor  little  Princess  of  the  unfortunate 
impression  that  her  manner  had  conveyed  to  the  Maha- 
rajah. I  really  felt  quite  sorry  for  her  ;  she  was  so 
abashed  to  find  what  a  gentleman's  opinion  of  her 
really  was,  that  I  felt  every  hope  that  the  lesson  might 
prove  an  effectual  cure.  It  had  a  most  salutary  effect 
upon  her  in  many  ways,  and  the  improvement  in  her 
dignity  was  noticed  by  everyone.  I  was  extraordinarily 
pleased,  and  touched,  by  the  humility  with  which  she 
received  my  lecture. 

Naturally,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  inform  the  Queen  that, 
as  one  of  the  chief  reasons  for  my  selection  as  the  Prin- 
cess's chaperone  was  removed,  since  there  could  no 
longer  be  a  question  of  marriage  between  her  and  the 
Maharajah,  I  was  quite  prepared  to  meet  Her  Majesty's 
wishes,  should  she  wish  to  place  her  in  other  care  ; 
but  had  no  desire  to  relinquish  the  charge  I  had  under- 
taken to  fulfil.  I  also  suggested  that,  if  the  Queen 
wished  it,  I  could  arrange  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
some  of  the  members  of  the  Prussian  Court,  in  atten- 
dance on  King  Frederick  William  IV.,  then  staying  in 


178         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Rome,  as  the  Queen  had  before  hinted  that  a  foreign 
nobleman  might  make  a  suitable  match  in  her  case  ? 
It  is  easy  to  imagine  with  what  trepidation  I  awaited 
Her  Majesty's  reply  to  my  communication,  which, 
owing  to  some  delay,  did  not  reach  me  until  April  24th, 
by  which  time  we  had  left  Naples  and  were  staying  at 
Sorrento  ! 

"  BUCKINGHAM  PALACE, 

"April  Sth,  1859. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The   Queen   has   received   and   read   with   great 
interest  your  letters  of  the  26th  and  3ist  March. 

"  Her  Majesty  fully  comprehends,  and  sympathises 
with,  the  conflicting  feelings  with  which  you  must  have 
received  the  unexpected  declaration  of  the  Maharajah, 
and  Her  Majesty  thinks  that,  considering  all  the  cir- 
cumstances, the  decision  at  which  you  arrived  was 
not  only  the  soundest  and  most  prudent,  but  also  the 
kindest  and  the  most  likely  to  be  beneficial  towards 
the  Maharajah. 

"...  If  his  attachment  to  this  young  lady  is 
deeply-rooted  and  really  sincere,  it  may  afford  him  a 
sufficient  object  to  strengthen  and  render  permanent 
his  good  resolutions,  and  thus  establish  a  strong  motive 
for  good,  so  much  wanting  in  an  indolent  and  self- 
indulgent,  though  generous,  honourable,  and  upright 
nature,  such  as  his.  The  Queen  has  therefore  no  doubt 
that  you  answered  him  both  wisely,  and  in  accordance 
with  that  affectionate  regard  which  you  and  Sir  John 
have  ever  shown  him.  .  .  . 

"  Her  Majesty  hopes  that  the  conversation  which 
you  have  had  with  the  Princess  .  .  .  may  have  a 
good  effect,  and  that  a  marriage  with  some  other  eligible 
person  may  be  effected.  It  would  be  desirable  that  any 
such  prospect,  with  a  person  whom  you  would  approve, 
should  be  in  every  way  encouraged.  It  is  most  probable 
that  union  with  a  sensible  and  kind  husband,  whom 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    179 

she  could  respect  and  look  up  to,  might  have  the  most 
desirable  effect  upon  her  character.  The  Queen  entirely 
approves  of  your  decision  not  to  return  home  immedi- 
ately, and  is  quite  of  opinion  that  a  little  longer  stay 
abroad  is  likely  to  be,  in  every  way,  the  best  plan  for 
her. 

"  With  regard  to  her  presentation  at  Court,  the  Queen 
thinks  that  whenever  it  shall  be  decided  that  she  is  to 
come  out  in  London,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  her  to 
be  presented  at  Court  at  all.  Having  been  for  many 
years  under  Her  Majesty's  protection,  such  a  ceremony 
would  not  be  required  ;  but  the  Queen  thinks  that  the 
decision  as  to  her  coming  out  at  all  this  year,  must 
depend  very  much  upon  the  report  which  you  are  able 
to  make  upon  your  return  to  England.  It  does  not,  at 
present,  seem  improbable,  that  it  may  be  thought  prudent 
to  delay  for  another  year  her  general  introduction  into 
Society.  As,  from  her  rank,  and  the  peculiarities  of  her 
position,  she  will  be  very  much  watched  .  .  .  any- 
thing unusual  in  her  manner  would  be  made  subject 
of  general  remark,  and  might  have  a  most  prejudicial 
effect  upon  her  prospects,  which  must,  for  her  happiness 
and  future  welfare,  be  directed  to  secure  a  suitable 
marriage. 

"  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  be  able  thus  to  convey 
to  you  the  entire  approbation  of  the  Queen  of  the  course 
you  have  pursued,  under  circumstances  of  certainly 
unusual  difficulty. 

"  With  kindest  remembrances  to  Sir  John, 
"  Believe  me,  dear  Lady  Login, 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  B.  PHIPPS." 

At  the  same  time  Sir  Charles  wrote  privately  to  my 
husband  to  the  same  effect,  saying  "  how  completely 
the  Queen  approves  of  the  answer  returned  to  the 
unexpected  announcement  of  the  Maharajah,"  with 
respect  to  whose  character  he  enlarged  at  some  length. 


i8o         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  With  regard  to  the  Princess,  the  Queen  becomes 
anxious  that  she  should  find  a  good  husband,  as  H.M. 
thinks  that  that  is  the  best  chance  for  her  happiness. 
Whatever  way  the  proposal  of  the  Maharajah  may  end, 
I  assure  you  that  my  first  wish  is  that  it  may  conduce 
to  the  real  happiness  of  yourself,  Lady  Login,  and  your 
family,  and  that  you  may  all  reap  the  reward  of  all  the 
kindness  and  benevolence  that  you  have  displayed." 

I  replied  to  Sir  Charles  Phipps'  letter  conveying  Her 
Majesty's  approval  of  my  conduct,  on  April  25th,  and 
told  him  how  "  I  could  not  express  my  gratitude  for  the 
condescending  kindness  with  which  Her  Majesty  had 
entered  into  our  feelings,  and  so  fully  appreciated  the 
motives  which  had  influenced  us."  The  Maharajah 
had  written  me  a  letter  from  Rome  (where  he  had 
remained  on  our  departure  for  Naples)  full  of  penitence 
and  good  resolutions,  saying  that  he  meant  to  return  to 
England,  and  apply  for  permission  for  a  short  tour  in 
India.  I  had  great  hopes,  I  told  Sir  Charles,  that  the 
Maharajah's  plain  speaking  had  had  a  most  salutary 
effect  upon  the  Princess.  ...  "  She  is,  in  many 
respects,"  I  wrote,  "  so  amiable,  and  so  easily  made 
happy,  that  there  seems  a  very  fair  prospect  that  she 
will  turn  out  well.  We  hope  to  be  in  England  within 
a  fortnight,"  I  added,  "  and  I  trust  I  may  shortly  after- 
wards be  permitted  the  honour  of  explaining  in  person, 
to  Her  Majesty,  my  reasons  for  thinking  that  the  intro- 
duction of  the  Princess  should  not,  if  possible,  be 
delayed  for  another  year.  I  fear  her  father's  presence 
in  England  will  be  a  great  obstacle  to  her  making  a 
good  marriage  ;  but  perhaps  his  affairs  may  be  arranged 
by  the  Indian  Council,  so  as  to  admit  of  his  speedy  return 
to  India. 

"  I  have   the  honour  to  enclose  a  letter  from   the 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    181 

Princess  Gouramma  for  the  Princess  Alice,  and  I  have 
also  taken  the  liberty  to  enclose  one  or  two  letters  to 
be  forwarded  by  post  to  their  addresses." 

A  letter  from  the  Maharajah  reached  me  at  Sorrento, 
in  which  he  referred  with  enthusiasm  to  its  being  "  the 
happiest  time  of  my  life  when  I  am  married,"  and 
asks  to  be  told  the  Queen's  reply  to  my  letter  as  soon  as 
received.  He  makes  a  little  pathetic  reference  to  his 
lonely  life,  and  having  "  no  one  who  cares  for  me," 
and  then  goes  on  :  "  As  there  is  no  Miss  P.  this  year  to 
buy  a  bracelet  for,  perhaps  you  will  buy  a  pair  of  ear- 
rings and  bracelet  ...  for  someone  else,  whose 
name,  I  fear,  I  dare  not  mention  ?  "  This  was  the 
only  effort  to  break  the  conditions  laid  down,  save  once 
again,  four  months  later,  when  he  sent  a  note  to  be  given 
to  the  young  lady,  and  when  it  was  returned  unopened, 
remarked,  that  he  had  written  to  ask  permission  and  I 
had  said  nothing,  so  he  "  took  for  granted  he  might  1  " 
He  then  coolly  suggested  that  to  make  up  for  his 
disappointment  I  should  bring  her  with  me  when  I 
went  to  stay  with  him  at  Mulgrave  Castle,  and  promised 
that  I  should  "  see  nothing  in  his  conduct  that  would 
give  me  the  slightest  suspicion  "  (whatever  he  meant  by 
that  1),  and,  as  he  put  it,  "  if  I  do  anything  that  will 
not  please  you,  surely  you  can  tell  me  ?  "  A  post- 
script at  the  end  requested  a  lock  of  hair  !  though  he 
adds  naively  :  "  I  ask  this  although  I  don't  expect  to 
get  it !  " 

This  was  by  no  means,  I  may  state  here,  the  first 
occasion  on  which  the  Maharajah's  matrimonial  pro- 
jects had  caused  perturbation  in  our  minds.  Our 
former  visit  to  Rome  had  likewise  been  marked  by  a 
very  violent  "  attack  of  the  heart,"  and  the  memory 

*  Their  letters  went  in'the  Embassy  bag,  by  Queen's  Messenger. 


1 82         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

of  it  actually  remained  impressed  on  his  recollection 
for  over  a  year,  to  judge  by  a  letter  that  he  wrote  me  in 
May,  1858,  referring  to  another  beauty  he  had  been 
presented  to  in  Sardinia  !  But,  as  a  rule,  his  love 
affairs  were  so  exceedingly  transient,  that  we  had  every 
expectation  that  the  period  we  had  placed  upon  any 
further  reference  to  this  one  would,  when  passed,  find 
him  with  a  fresh  object  of  attraction,  and  the  former 
image  entirely  obliterated. 

Strangely  enough,   this   did  not   prove   entirely  the 
case.     In  spite  of  various  intermediate  episodes  and 
"  affairs,"  quite  openly  and  naively  alluded  to  in  his 
letters — in  one  case  in  this  self-same  year  it  was  the 
beautiful  daughter  of  a  marquis  ;    in  another  letter,  in 
October,  1862,  he  writes  that  he  has  found  "  one  who 
will  make  him  a  good  wife,"  though  he  had  not  yet 
summoned   up   courage   to   propose  ! — he   nevertheless 
returned    to  his  declared  intention   from   these   excur- 
sions into  other  regions,  very  persistently  for  over  four 
years,  not  relinquishing  the  quest  until  satisfied  that  he 
had  his  answer  personally,  and  finally  !     I  may  truly 
say,  that  his  various  projects  of  matrimony  gave  con- 
stant and  perplexing  occupation,  and  food  for  thought, 
to  myself  and  his  intimate  friends,  including,  as  I  need 
not  specify,  the  highest  in  the  land,  up  to  the  time  of 
his  actual  marriage  in  1864. 

Already,  before  our  departure  for  Italy,  on  January 
28th,  1859,  t^ie  day  a^ter  our  audience,  and  the  birth 
of  the  present  Emperor  of  Germany,  Sir  Charles  Phipps, 
in  writing  to  my  husband,  said  of  Her  Majesty's 
impression  of  her  god-daughter  :  "  I  am  sure  both  Lady 
Login,  and  yourself,  would  have  been  pleased  had  you 
heard  the  Queen  speak  last  night  as  She  did,  of  the 
improvement,  in  every  respect,  which  She  observed  in 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     183 

the  Princess  Gouramma,  most  of  which  She  attributed 
to  Lady  Login's  judicious  management."  And  when 
she  saw  her  again,  on  our  return  to  England  in  the 
spring,  she  expressed  herself  as  still  more  satisfied 
with  her  appearance  and  manner. 

I  was  anxious,  however,  to  be  relieved  soon  of  my 
charge,  both  on  account  of  the  awkwardness  of  our 
constant  association  with  the  Maharajah,  who  was 
continually  pressing  me  to  come  and  act  hostess  for 
him,  at  Mulgrave  Castle,  and  Auchlyne  in  Perthshire, 
bringing  the  children  with  me,  to  whom  he  was  very 
much  attached  ;  and  also  because  I  felt  these  latter 
were,  now  growing  of  an  age  to  require  my  undivided 
attention.  I  had  represented  this  to  Her  Majesty, 
and  she  graciously  accepted  my  resignation,  to  take 
place  when  she  had  found  another  lady  suitable  for  the 
position.  On  May  i6th  I  was  informed  that  Lady 
Catherine  Harcourt  had  consented  to  undertake  the 
charge,  and  I  was  summoned  to  an  audience  of  Her 
Majesty  two  days  later. 

It  was  arranged  that  I  was  to  take  the  Princess  to  a 
State  Concert  on  May  3oth,  and  there  make  the  acquain- 
tance of  Lady  Catherine,  and  that  the  Princess  should 
make  her  appearance  at  the  State  Ball  on  June  gth, 
under  the  joint  chaperonage  of  Lady  Catherine  and 
myself,  and  at  the  Drawing-room  of  the  nth  should 
be  in  the  sole  charge  of  Lady  Catherine  Harcourt.  The 
latter,  however,  was  unable  to  attend  the  Drawing-room, 
and  the  Princess  consequently  made  her  debut  in  the 
Royal  Circle  under  my  escort,  and  her  transfer  to  her 
new  chaperone,  postponed  till  June  23rd,  had  to  be 
again  deferred,  owing  to  the  fact  that  her  father,  the 
ex-Rajah  of  Coorg,  was  then  dying  in  London,  and 
begged  that  she  might  remain  nearer  him  for  a  time, 


1 84        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

so  as  to  come  over  occasionally  to  see  him,  which  would 
not  be  so  easy  if  she  joined  Lady  Catherine,  then  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight. 

I  took  the  daughter  over  from  Kew  once  or  twice 
to  see  the  poor  old  man,  but  it  was  a  very  painful 
business.  He  was  really  fond  of  her,  but  she  seemed  to 
be  quite  indifferent,  and  showed  very  little  feeling. 
He  could  speak  no  English,  and  she  seemed  to  have 
entirely  forgotten  her  native  tongue,  so  that  actually 
I  had  to  act  as  interpreter  between  father  and  daughter  ! 
On  one  of  these  occasions,  the  old  Rajah  took  the 
opportunity  to  make  over  to  his  daughter  the  jewels 
that  he  had  set  aside  as  her  portion,  and  this  was  the 
cause  of  much  correspondence  afterwards,  as  Colonel 
Harcourt  thought  the  terms  of  the  will  implied  that 
she  was  also  to  share  at  her  father's  death  ;  and  this, 
I  am  positive,  was  just  what  the  old  man  meant  to  avoid. 

Her  Majesty,  however,  did  not  approve  of  the 
Princess  visiting  much  her  father's  abode ;  in  fact, 
Sir  Charles  Phipps  told  me  plainly,  that  intercourse 
between  them  had  always  been  discouraged  since  Her 
Majesty  had  taken  her  under  her  protection.  I  was 
therefore  directed  that,  as  the  Rajah  seemed  in  no 
immediate  danger,  I  should  hand  her  over  to  Lady 
Catherine  at  once,  as  she  was  now  ready  to  receive  her, 
and  she  could  be  sent  for  when  necessity  arose,  if  her 
father  took  a  sudden  turn  for  the  worse.  Rather  to 
my  dismay,  I  discovered  that  it  was  the  intention  of 
Lady  Catherine  that  she  should  be  placed  once  more 
under  the  supervision  of  a  governess,  a  Miss  Sharp, 
who  came  to  escort  her  to  her  new  home.  I  rather 
feared  the  result  on  one  of  her  temperament,  after 
having  been  treated  as  grown-up,  and  allowed  to  take 
part  in  Court  functions.  It  was  a  hazardous  experiment, 


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THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     185 

at  her  age,  to  show  any  want  of  confidence  in  one  of 
her  race  and  antecedents. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  July,  1859,  that  she  left 
my  charge,  and  on  the  27th  or  28th  I  received,  by  special 
messenger,  the  very  signal  honour  of  a  letter  from  my 
beloved  Sovereign,  written  by  her  own  hand — the 
envelope  also  directed  by  herself  to  "  The  Lady  Login," 
and  endorsed  "  The  Queen."  It  was  couched  in  the 
following  terms  : 

"  OSBORNE, 

"  July  27th,  1859. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  Princess  Gouramma  having  now  finally  been 
given  over  to  Lady  Catherine  Harcourt,  I  wish  to  express 
to  you  my  sense  of  the  great  improvement  which  I 
find  in  her  since  she  has  been  under  your  charge,  and  I 
thank  you  for  all  the  kind  and  affectionate  care  you 
took  of  her,  and  the  trouble  you  gave  yourself  in  watch- 
ing over  this  interesting  child.  May  she  turn  out  as 
we  could  wish  ! 

"  With  the  Prince's  kind  remembrance  and  ours  to 
Sir  John  Login,  believe  me, 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  VICTORIA  R." 

It  was  sealed  with  her  private  coat-of-arms,  twin 
shields  of  England  and  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  and  bore 
the  royal  monogram  interlaced  surmounted  by  the 
Imperial  crown.  Well  was  I  repaid  by  such  an  honour 
for  any  trouble  and  anxiety  I  had  been  put  to ! 

Five  days  later  came  another  royal  messenger  with 
a  jeweller's  packet  and  a  letter  from  Sir  Charles  Phipps  : 

"  OSBORNE, 

«  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN,  "  AuSusi  2nd>  l859- 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  you  were  so  much  pleased 
with  the  Queen's  letter. 


1 86         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  I  have  now  received  Her  Majesty's  commands  to 
forward  to  you  the  accompanying  bracelet,  as  a  more 
durable  mark  of  her  appreciation  of  the  readiness  with 
which  you  undertook  a  charge,  at  a  time  when  it  was  in- 
convenient to  yourself,  and  of  the  admirable  manner  in 
which  you  discharged  the  duties  which  thereby  devolved 
upon  you. 

<£  With  kindest  remembrances  to  Sir  John, 
"  Ever  sincerely  yours, 

"C.  B.  PHTPPS." 

The  bracelet,  a  plain  gold  "  gipsy  "  band,  set  with 
three  fine  stones — emerald,  diamond  and  ruby — is 
engraved  inside  :  "  To  Lady  Login,  V.R.,  1859." 

I  have  mentioned  the  case  that  Veer  Rajundur  Wudeer 
had  going  on  in  the  English  Courts  against  the  Indian 
Government,  and  that  the  latter  endeavoured  to  insist 
upon  his  return  to  India  as  a  political  prisoner  before 
the  suit  could  be  tried.  They  had  to  yield  to  the 
agitation  their  action  excited  in  Parliament.  He  had 
appealed  to  the  Queen  to  be  allowed  to  remain  and 
bring  his  sons — he  had  seven,  but  only  one  they  called 
"  legitimate "  --to  England,  to  be  educated.  Her 
Majesty  referred  the  matte**  to  the  Governor-General 
for  his  comments,  and  Sir  Charles  Wood  (afterwards 
Lord  Halifax)  requested  the  Governor-General,  on 
June  3Oth  of  this  year,  to  send  a  speedy  reply  on 
account  of  the  Rajah's  health.  None  came  before 
the  Rajah's  death,  which  occurred  on  September  24th, 
and  on  the  3oth  September,  Sir  Charles  acquainted 
Lord  Canning  of  this  fact,  and  also  informed  him  that 
Login  had  been  appointed  executor  under  the  Rajah's 
will.  He  begged  him  to  lose  no  time  in  sending  his 
decision  on  the  provision  for  the  children,  and  the 
Ranees  and  concubines  of  himself,  his  father  and  his 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    187 

uncle,   all  living  in  actual  penury  at   Benares  !    Two 
"  female  servants,"  dignified  by  the  English  Press  with 
the  title  of  "  Ranees,"  were  over  with  the  poor  old  man 
in  this  country — which  was  one  reason  that  the  Queen 
was  not  anxious  for  the  Princess  Gouramma  to  have  too 
close  an  intercourse  with  her  father's  household  here. 
To   our   English   ideas   it   would   be   an   extraordinary 
"interior"  into  which  to  allow  a  young  girlto  pene- 
trate.    We  old   Indians   perhaps  grow  to  view  these 
things  with  a  more  understanding  eye,  and  I  could  not 
help  feeling  that  it  was  unsympathetic,  not  to  say  some- 
what   unfair,    thus    to    presume    on    the    old    Rajah's 
voluntary  act  in  depriving  himself  of  the  education  of 
his  daughter,  for  her  own  good,  as  he  thought.    He  was, 
according  to  the  standard  of  native  ideas,  by  no  means 
a   bad  man,  though  viewed  through  English  eyes  he 
might  be  indeed  a  hoary  reprobate  !     Still,  he  remained 
her  father  through  all,  and  she  owed  to  him  the  fact  of 
her  present  opportunities  of  Christian  teaching. 

At  the  moment  of  the  Rajah's  death  my  husband  was 
in  Scotland,  and  took  time  to  consider  before  he  con- 
sented to  act  as  executor.  Mr.  Montgomery  Martin,  who 
was  on  the  spot,  alone  acted  at  the  time,  placed  seals  on 
all  the  property,  and  had  the  Rajah  interred  at  Kensal 
Green  Cemetery,  a  Wesleyan  minister,  Mr.  McArthur, 
reading  over  the  body,  before  it  left  the  house,  part  of 
the  Church  of  England  burial  service  !  This  extra- 
ordinary travesty  of  funeral  rites  shocked  everybody, 
even  those  who  could  not  help  perceiving  the  grim 
grotesqueness  of  the  whole  ceremony  ! 

As  soon  as  the  intelligence  of  the  Rajah's  death 
reached  Benares,  the  two  principal  Ranees  immediately 
took  measures  to  carry  out  their  expected  duty, 
promptly  swallowed  poison,  and  died  before  the  Civil 


1 88         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Officer  in  charge  arrived  with  a  doctor !  The  third 
remaining  Ranee,  and  one  concubine,  endeavoured  to 
commit  suicide  by  starvation,  but  were  prevented,  and 
recovered.  On  the  arrival  of  Mr.  F.  B.  Gubbins,  the 
civilian,  to  take  possession,  as  directed,  of  all  the  late 
Rajah's  jewels  and  effects,  it  was  found  that  all  had 
disappeared  and  been  buried !  They  were,  however,  under 
pressure,  discovered,  dug  up,  and  placed  under  guard 
in  the  portico  of  the  house.  After  repeated  applications 
from  Sir  C.  Wood,  Lord  Canning  apportioned  3,000 
rupees  per  month  for  the  support  of  the  family  in 
India,  who  apparently  consisted  of  eighteen  or  twenty 
persons,  exclusive  of  servants,  the  Princess  Gouramma 
having  already  (i6th  August,  1860)  had  £1,000  a  year 
settled  on  her  for  life  by  the  India  Office  in  England. 
Sir  H.  Bartle  Frere  wrote  most  strongly  to  the  Governor- 
General,  on  "  the  flippant  manner "  in  which  Mr. 
Gubbins  detailed  the  occurrences  in  his  despatch,  and 
the  want  of  consideration  shown  to  a  native  princely 
family.  "  It  is  difficult  for  anyone  who  does  not  per- 
sonally know  it,  to  understand  how  utterly  different 
this  race  is  from  us,"  he  remarks,  "  and  even  from  most 
Indian  races,  in  all  their  motives  and  modes  of  action  ; 
but  there  is  much,  even  in  these  few  papers,  to  illustrate 
the  wideness  of  the  gulf  which  separates  us,  and  the 
difficulty  of  judging  them  by  European  standards.'1  * 

One  of  the  daughters  was  a  wife  of  Jung  Bahadour, 
the  Prime  Minister  of  Nepal,  and,  I  fear,  had  anything 
but  a  happy  life,  but  anyhow,  she  was  not  in  actual 
penury,  as  were  the  remainder.  Occasionally  I  received 

*  The  whole  correspondence,  including  Lord  Canning's  despatches  and  Sir 
John  Login's  representations,  were  published  in  the  Blue  Book  ordered  to  be 
printed  by  the  House  of  Commons,  July  2ist,  1863.  Sir  John  W.  Kaye  was  then 
Political  Secretary  to  the  India  Office.  Sir  Roundell  Palmer  (afterwards 
first  Earl  Selborne),  Mr.  Leith,  and  Mr.^Schomberg,  were  counsel  for  the  Rajah 
of  Coorg. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    189 

appeals  from  them,  or  their  agents,  up  to  the  year  1882. 
In  April,  1881,  a  most  pathetic  and  quaintly-worded 
missive  reached  me  from  Secunderabad,  written  by  one 
"  B.  Sashagorri  Rai,"  on  behalf  of  Prince  Somasuckni 
Wadeer,  and  the  family  of  the  late  Rajah.  It  reminded 
me  of  "  the  parental  affection  and  sincere  feelings 
entertained  by  Sir  John  Login  towards  the  family," 
and  stated  that  "  ever  since  the  patron's  demise  the 
affairs  of  the  family  were  ceased  to  bring  forward," 
and  they  were  reduced  to  "  lowest  ebb  !  Generally 
dependants  appeal  to  the  mercy  of  their  mother,  in  the 
absence  of  their  father,"  the  writer  continues,  "...  I 
am  impatiently  waiting  for  motherly  instructions !  .  .  . 
I  regret  poverty  is  pinching  at  the  Rajah's  family,  the 
maintenance  was  reduced  for  few  rupees.  ...  If 
anything  to  be  done  for  them,  no  other  than  yourself, 
Madam,  are  liberal  enough  to  patronise.  The  good 
feeding  given  to  the  children  by  their  mother  shall  be 
rewarded  in  double  when  they  are  successful  ( ! !).  I 
entirely  depend  on  your  early  instructions."  As  I  was 
at  that  date  in  constant  touch  with  the  India  Office,  I 
did  my  best  to  urge  the  case  on  their  attention,  but 
cannot  tell,  alas  !  whether  my  representations  had  any 
effect. 

Princess  Gouramma's  sojourn  under  Lady  Catherine 
Harcourt's  charge  did  not  prove  altogether  successful. 
The  girl's  temper  became  sullen  and  obstinate  at  what 
she  regarded  as  an  indignity,  in  being  once  more  relegated 
to  a  governess  and  the  schoolroom.  She  resented  also 
the  dulness  of  her  daily  life,  and  partly  from  ennui, 
partly  out  of  revenge,  began  once  more  to  indulge  in 
her  passion  for  intrigue  and  secrecy.  Of  course  her 
mischievous  propensity  came  to  light,  and  was  regarded 
as  abnormally  heinous  by  Lady  Catherine  and  her 


190         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

husband,  they  not  having  had  experience  of  the 
Eastern  character,  and  so  asked  to  be  relieved  of 
their  charge.  She  was  then  put  under  the  care  of  Sir 
James  Weir  Hogg,  the  guardian  appointed  by  the 
Lord  Chancellor,  and  moved  nearer  London,  with  her 
governess. 

I  could  not  but  feel  sorry  for  Lady  Catherine,  a  most 
conscientious,  kind-hearted  woman,  but  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  smiling  at  her  expression  of  horrified 
reprobation  of  this  young  girl,  in  the  letters  she  wrote 
to  me  at  the  time,  though  I  could  quite  imagine  that 
the  culprit's  air  of  stolid  indifference  would  make 
her  appear  utterly  "  callous,"  and  perverse.  But  my 
sympathy  went  out  even  more  to  the  ignorant  child, 
rigorously  punished  for  faults  due  to  early  up-bringing 
in  an  Indian  zenana,  and  not  wisely  corrected  when 
first  brought  under  the  influence  of  Christian  morality. 
There  was  something  so  exceedingly  attractive,  and 
amiable,  in  her  natural  manner,  that  I  for  one,  regarded 
her  with  a  very  sincere  affection,  and  this  I  believe 
she  genuinely  reciprocated. 

About  six  months  after  she  had  left  the  Harcourts, 
the  Maharajah,  who  concerned  himself  a  good  deal 
about  her  future,  thought  it  would  be  a  splendid  thing 
to  make  up  a  match  between  her  and  one  of  my  brothers, 
Colonel  John  Campbell  (then  a  widower  with  several 
boys),  for  whom  Duleep  Singh  had  a  great  admiration. 
He  accordingly  made  them  acquainted  with  each  other 
— for  they  had  never  met  before — and  he  plumed  him- 
self greatly  on  the  result  when  he  found  them  mutually 
attracted.  Sir  James  Hogg,  her  guardian,  viewed  the 
idea  with  great  satisfaction.  My  brother,  though  so 
much  older  than  the  Princess,  was  still  a  very  handsome, 
soldierly  man,  and  very  popular  in  society. 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA     191 

Nothing  of  all  this  was  however  known  to  me  and  my 
husband,  and  we  were  greatly  surprised  to  hear  from 
Sir  Charles  Phipps  of  the  engagement,  and  that  Her 
Majesty  had  graciously  expressed  her  approval !  Sir 
Charles  in  his  gallant  manner  informed  us  that  he  had 
not  had  "  the  pleasure  of  Colonel  Campbell's  acquaint- 
ance, but  he  should  expect  everything  from  a  brother  of 
Lady  Login.  " 

Well !  they  were  married  in  July,  1 860,  and  went 
soon  after  to  pay  a  long  visit  to  my  eldest  brother  at 
old  Kinloch,  whence  Gouramma  wrote  to  my  husband 
in  a  state  of  ecstatic  happiness.  She  made  my  brother 
a  very  affectionate,  devoted  wife,  and  I  feel  thankful 
to  know  that  these  last  years  of  her  unhappy,  chequered 
existence,  had  their  measure  of  domestic  and  maternal 
joy,  for  a  little  daughter  was  born  to  them  in  London, 
on  July  2nd,  1861,  to  whom  the  name  "  Edith  Victoria 
Gouramma  "  was  given — of  whom  more  anon. 

It  was  pathetic,  the  eagerness  with  which  poor 
Gouramma  identified  herself  with  her  husband's  family  ; 
and  of  all  of  them,  of  course,  she  knew  us  best,  and 
turned  to  us  as  time  went  on.  I  have  many  of  her 
affectionate  letters,  written  latterly  when  strength  was 
failing,  but  when  nothing  would  damp  her  optimism, 
or  make  her  take  even  reasonable  care  of  her  always 
delicate  health. 

I  will  just  quote  here  the  letter  that  she  wrote  to  me 
on  hearing  of  the  sudden  death  of  my  husband,  when 
she  herself  was  ill  already  with  the  last  fatal  malady, 
by  which  she  was  carried  off  only  five  months  later. 
I  went  to  see  her  at  once,  in  spite  of  my  recent  widow- 
hood, when  I  learnt  of  her  illness,  and  shall  never  forget 
how  she  received  me,  sitting  up  in  the  drawing-room 
(though  really  only  fit  for  her  bed  !)  clothed  in  the 


192         LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

deepest  mourning,  and  with  the  little  one,  a  preter- 
naturally  solemn,  quiet  child,  of  two  years,  attired 
also  in  black  from  head  to  foot !  to  testify,  as  she 
informed  me,  how  she  mourned  "  for  that  great,  good 
man,  who  had  been  such  a  true  friend  to  her ! " 

"  27,    PORCHESTER   TERRACE, 

"October  2ist,  1863. 
"  MY  DEAREST  LENA, 

'  I  cannot  express  how  truly  distressed  I  am  to 
hear  of  the  sudden  death  of  dear  Sir  John.  I  loved  him 
better  than  any  relations  I  ever  knew,  and  I  never  can 
forget  his  kindness  to  me.  I  deeply  feel  for  you,  my 
dearest  sister.  I  love  you  more  than  I  ever  did  since 
you  have  written  me  that  kind  and  affectionate  letter. 

"  I  am  much  better  than  I  have  been,  though  still 
very  weak,  and  the  sad  intelligence  coming  on  one  so 
unawares  has  made  me  feel  still  weaker,  and  my  ideas 
so  confused  that  I  don't  know  how  to  express  myself. 

"  May  God  bless  you  and  give  you  comfort  in  your 
great  sorrow,  my  dearest  sister !  John  is  much  grieved, 
and  sympathises  with  you  most  deeply.  I  am  so  much 
distressed  I  can  write  no  more. 

"  Believe  me  ever  your  affectionate  sister, 

"  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA." 

I  at  once  informed  Sir  Charles  Phipps  of  the  critical 
condition  in  which  I  judged  that  the  Princess  then  was, 
and  nothing  could  exceed  the  concern  displayed  by 
Her  Majesty  in  her  illness.  I  was  directed  to  send 
constant,  and  at  one  time,  daily  reports,  as  soon  as  Her 
Majesty  became  aware  that  she  was  in  too  precarious 
a  state  of  health  to  accept  her  gracious  invitation  to 
come  and  visit  her,  either  at  the  Castle  or  at  Osborne. 

With  varying  fluctuations  of  strength  she  lingered 
on  ;  but  the  fatal  disease  had  taken  too  firm  a  hold  for 
a  definite  rally,  and  she  died  of  consumption  at  the 


THE  PRINCESS  VICTORIA  GOURAMMA    193 

early  age  of  twenty-three,  on  March  3ist,  1864.  Her 
last  pencilled  letter  when  very  weak,  was  written  to 
me  on  January  I5th.  Latterly  I  was  much  with  her, 
and  she  implored  me  to  make  her  the  promise  that  I 
would  take  her  little  daughter  into  my  care,  and  bring 
her  up  with  my  own  children  until  she  was  of  age. 

Princess  Gouramma  was  buried  in  Brompton  Ceme- 
tery, and  on  April  8th  the  Queen  wrote  to  express  her 
hope  "  that  the  poor  little  Princess'  grave  will  be 
marked  by  some  suitable  memorial.  H.M.  thinks 
a  marble  or  granite  cross  would  be  the  most  appropriate, 
and  hopes  that,  in  the  inscription,  the  fact  of  her  having 
been  god-mother  to  the  poor  Indian  child, may  not  be 
forgotten.  No  one  knows  better  than  you  what  deep 
interest  the  Queen  took  in  her  welfare.  ...  I  cannot 
help  thinking  of  her,"  interjects  Sir  Charles  in  the 
message,  "  with  the  melancholy  look  which  she  had, 
poor  thing,  when  I  went  down  to  see  her  ill  and  unhappy 
at  the  Harcourts'.  Still,  it  is  a  blessing  that  she  is  at 
rest,  and  that  she  was,  by  your  brother's  goodness, 
enabled  to  die  in  the  hopes  of  a  Christian.  I  send  you 
the  drawing  suggested.  ..."  Again,  later,  "  I 
submitted  ...  to  the  Queen  the  enclosed  draft  for 
the  inscription  on  the  monument,  of  which  H.M. 
approved,  but  said  that  a  text  must  be  added.  .  .  . 
The  Dean  of  Windsor  .  .  .  has  not  yet  found  what 
he  likes.  ...  Of  course  the  enclosed  inscription  is 
only  a  proposal,  and  can  be  altered  as  Colonel  Campbell 
likes.  ...  I  should  be  very  glad  to  hear  that  Colonel 
Campbell's  petition  was  successful "  (for  a  continuance  of 
part  of  the  Princess's  pension  to  her  daughter),  "but  I 
should  rather  be  afraid  the  Secretary  of  State  would 
consider  the  child  as  his,  and  that  they  had  done  all 
that  they  could  in  giving  the  allowance  for  the  poor 


i94        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Princess's  life.  There  can,  however,  be  no  harm  in 
trying,  and  it  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  of 
his  success."  * 

I  seem  to  have  dwelt  at  such  .length  on  the  story  of 
poor  Princess  Gouramma,  so  tragic  in  many  respects 
from  its  changes,  vicissitudes  and  misunderstandings, 
that  I  will  leave  for  the  present  any  further  mention 
of  the  little  daughter  who  bore  her  name,  and  who  in 
some  ways  so  much  resembled  her. 

*  The  inscription  ran  thus  :  "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  the  Princess  Victoria 
Gouramma^  daughter  of  the  Ex-Rajah  of  Coorg,  the  beloved  wife  of  Lieut.- 
Colonel  John  Campbell.  Born  in  India,  July  4th,  1841.  She  was  brought  early 
in  life  to  England  ;  baptised  into  the  Christian  faith,  under  the  immediate 
care  and  protection  of  Queen  Victoria,  who  stood  sponsor  to  her,  and  took  a 
deep  interest  in  her  through  life.  She  died  3Oth  March,  1864.  '  Other  sheep 
I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold  '  (John  x.  16)." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ITALY   AND    MR.    JOHN    BRIGHT 

WE  made  two  tours  in  Italy,  in  the  fashion  of  the  day, 
travelling  in  our  own  carriages,  sometimes  sitting  in 
them,  secured  to  the  deck,  when  on  board  the  steamer, 
or  on  a  truck,  when  travelling  by  rail,  thereby  receiving 
our  full  modicum  of  wind,  dust  and  coal-smoke  ! 

The  first  time  we  left  England,  in  December,  1856, 
the  Foreign  Office  passport  supplied  to  my  husband 
(which  was  vise'd  and  endorsed  at  every  octroi,  guard- 
house, and  town,  we  passed  through,  throughout  the 
whole  journey)  gave  permission  to  travel  in  a  given 
direction,  to  "  Sir  John  Login  ;  his  lady  ;  c  Mr.  Login ' ; 
Mr.  Ronald  Leslie-Melville ;  Mr.  Cawood,  secretary  ; 
Prensanzini,  courier ;  Thornton,  valet ;  and  Clara 
Sanderson,  ladies'  maid."  "  Mr.  Login "  was  quite 
frankly  stated  in  parenthesis  to  be  the  nom  de  voyage 
of  H.H.  the  Maharajah  Duleep  Singh.  Mr.  Ronald 
Melville,  afterwards  the  eleventh  Earl  of  Leven,  was 
then  an  Oxford  undergraduate,  and  close  companion  of 
the  Maharajah. 

We  had  one  or  two  exciting  adventures  when  driving 
on  this  tour ;  once,  when  crossing  the  Estrelles  in  the 
dark,  the  postillion,  who  was  drunk,  galloped  his 
horses  down-hill,  collided  with  a  post,  and  decanted 
the  whole  party,  in  a  heap,  in  the  middle  of  the  road ! 
Again,  having  driven  out  from  Rome  to  Tivoli  with 
the  Brights,  for  a  picnic,  on  coming  home  we  left  the 
two  politicians  (Mr.  John  Bright  and  Sir  John),  too  deep 


196        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

in  a  discussion  on  India  to  be  separated,  to  follow  in 
another  vehicle,  while  we  four — Maharajah,  Miss  Bright, 
Ronald  and  I— went  on  in  the  first.  The  two  young  men 
were  in  high  spirits,  making  a  fearful  noise.  Something 
went  wrong  with  the  harness,  and  the  coachman  got 
down  to  put  it  right,  leaving  the  reins  loose  on  the  box. 
The  voices,  or  something  else,  startled  the  horses,  and 
they  bolted,  leaving  the  coachman  behind  on  the  road  ! 
We  were  only  saved  by  Ronald  Melville's  extraordinary 
agility,  promptness,  and  coolness.  He  clambered  over 
the  box,  and  almost  on  the  backs  of  the  horses,  and, 
seizing  the  reins,  pulled  the  animals  up,  just  in  time. 

At  Cannes  we  found  expecting  us,  my  niece,  Annie 
Campbell  (my  brother  Charles'  *  daughter),  and  the 
Duchess  of  Gordon,  t  who  had  brought  her  up  since  her 
mother's  death,  and  was  very  anxious  to  have  a  chance 
of  a  talk  with  me  over  the  girl's  future.  Here  also  were 
Sir  David  Brewster  and  his  daughter-in-law,  and  the 
Anstruther-Thomsons.  These  all  were  fellow-guests 
at  a  dinner  to  which  we  were  invited,  and  which  proved 
unintentionally  amusing. 

A  certain  Mr.  Woolfield  was  then  the  principal 
British  resident.  He  seemed  to  have  done,  or  got  done, 
everything  wanted  for  the  place,  and  the  foreign  colony 
— built  the  church,  paid  the  chaplain,  and  become  owner 
of  most  of  the  houses.  He  and  his  wife  most  hospitably 
invited  all  our  party  to  dine ;  but  the  Maharajah 
turned  crusty,  "  had  a  cold,"  and  declined  to  go,  to  their 
great  chagrin,  and  the  outspoken  disappointment  of 
their  little  niece  and  adopted  daughter,  who,  when 
brought  in  to  dessert,  surveyed  the  guests  generally 
with  evident  disfavour,  and  demanded  in  penetrating 

*  General  Charles  Campbell  of  Kinloch. 

f  Widow  of  the  last  Duke  of  Gordon — title  extinct. 


ITALY  AND  MR.    JOHN   BRIGHT        197 

accents  :  "  Where  is  the  '  blackamoor '  ?  You 
promised  me  a  '  blackamoor  '  !  "  she  insisted,  to  the 
consternation  of  her  uncle  and  aunt,  at  first  almost  too 
petrified  with  horror  to  cope  with  the  situation.  They 
made  matters  worse  by  scolding  her  for  using  such  a 
"  vulgar  expression  !  Who  ever  could  she  have  heard 
speak  of  the  Prince  in  that  manner  ?  "  They  were 
intensely  relieved  to  find  that  I  could  actually  laugh 
at  such  a  faux  pas.  The  child  now  directed  her 
questions  at  me — "  Is  he  a  blackamoor  ?  "  and  "  What 
is  a  blackamoor  ?  " — and  knowing  how  Duleep  Singh 
would  enjoy  the  joke,  I  invited  her  to  come  next  day 
and  see  for  herself  !  His  enchantment  was  complete 
when  on  arrival  next  morning,  the  young  lady  marched 
up  to  him,  regarded  him  with  attention,  and  finding 
him  no  darker  than  the  Provencal  peasants  she  was 
accustomed  to,  immediately  announced,  "  WThy,  you're 
not  a  blackamoor  at  all !  "  evidently  considering  that 
she  had  been  most  shamefully  hoaxed  ! 

At  Nice  we  found  Lord  and  Lady  Ely,  and  went  to  a 
large  party  at  their  house.  The  Elys  were  great  friends 
with  the  Empress  of  Russia,  and  several  of  her  suite 
were  there.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  English  society 
there  was  very  indignant  at  the  airs  the  Russians  gave 
themselves.  (You  see,  it  was  just  after  the  Crimean 
war  !)  When  the  Czarina  first  came,  she  used  to  go  out 
in  great  state,  with  outriders  preceding  her,  armed  with 
long  whips  which  they  cracked  loudly,  ordering  every 
carriage  to  draw  up  to  the  side  till  Her  Majesty  passed  ! 
The  English  complained  to  the  authorities,  who,  in 
dread  of  their  wholesale  withdrawal  from  the  place, 
induced  Her  Majesty  to  adopt  a  less  overbearing  cere- 
monial on  foreign  soil,  and  to  drive  about  in  a  more 
unassuming  manner.  We  met  her  and  the  Grand- 


198        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Duchess  Helen,  with  their  court  ladies,  driving  home 
from  a  church  function.  All  were  in  full  evening  dress, 
though  the  Empress  appeared  very  ill  and  fragile. 

At  dinner  Lord  Ely  loved  making  jokes — not  always 
the  most  refined — but  it  was  impossible  to  refrain  from 
laughing  at  them  and  him,  his  facial  expressions  were 
so  exceedingly  comic  !  Lady  Ely  introduced  me  to 
Lady  DufTerin,  and  her  son,  then  Lord  in  Waiting  to 
the  Queen.*  He  was  very  amusing,  and  I  could  not 
quite  make  out  whether  his  pretty  lisp  was  real  or 
affected. 

We  expected  to  find  John  Bright  at  Mentone,  but  he 
had  not  yet  arrived.  However,  he  turned  up  at  Genoa, 
and  the  daily  political  discussions  commenced  between 
him  and  my  husband,  to  be  continued  at  Rome  in  the 
intervals  of  the  Carnival,  which  Mr.  Bright  thoroughly 
enjoyed,  entering  wholeheartedly  into  the  spirit  of 
frolic,  insisting  on  my  accompanying  him  and  his 
daughter  in  a  carriage,  up  and  down  the  Corso,  where 
we  ran  the  gauntlet,  pelting  strangers,  the  gallant 
Quaker  handing  bouquets  to  the  ladies  who  took  his 
fancy  !  Two  days  later  he  took  up  his  position  on  our 
balcony  at  the  Hotel  de  Londres,  and  exchanged  shots 
with  Lady  Knatchbull  at  a  window  opposite,  putting 
her  finally  out  of  action  by  a  terrific  shot  with  a  sugared 
almond  !  As  they  were  total  strangers,  I  had  to  intro- 
duce him  to  her,  to  offer  his  apologies  for  his  too  accurate 
marksmanship,  at  the  masked  ball  in  the  evening  ! 
It  was  John  Bright  who  himself  proposed  to  my  husband 
that  we  should  go  and  hear  Dr.  Manning  preach  in  the 
Church  of  San  Carlo  Borromeo.  "  I  don't  suppose,"  he 
wrote,  "  that  he  will  overthrow  your  Presbyterianism, 
any  more  than  the  faith  I  hold  with  the  Society  of 

*  Afterwards  Viceroy  of  India,  when  he  arrested  Duleep  Singh  1 


ITALY  AND  MR.    JOHN  BRIGHT        199 

Friends."  The  subject  of  the  sermon  was  "  The 
Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin."  To  me 
his  arguments  appeared  very  unconvincing,  but  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  his  sincerity  in  his  belief  himself, 
and  he  looked  worn  out  with  penance  and  fasting. 
His  voice  was  painfully  weak,  quite  lost  in  that  great 
church. 

We  had  a  very  merry  dinner  one  night  when  Mr. 
Bright  came  with  his  pretty  daughter  to  our  hotel — 
Colonel  Caldwell  giving  us  histories  of  what  was  done 
in  India  in  Lord  Wellesley's,  and  Lord  W.  Bentinck's 
time,  while  Mr.  Bright  waxed  eloquent  on  the  wrongs 
of  the  unhappy  natives  under  British  domination, 
greatly  to  the  diversion  of  the  Maharajah  Duleep 
Singh.* 

Ideas  of  "  infection  "  were  in  those  days  still  rather 
hazy,  for  at  Florence  I  remember  going  to  call  on  my 
cousin,  Maria  Phipps,f  whose  husband  was  an  attache 
there,  and  after  we  had  been  sitting  talking  some  time, 
she  informed  me  that  Caroline  Norton  J  was  very  ill 
of  small-pox  in  the  house/ !  I  felt  very  uneasy,  but  had 
not  the  courage  to  hurry  off  at  once,  and  almost  wished 
she  had  not  told  me,  once  we  were  inside  ! 

At  a  party  at  Mr.  Forbes',  the  American  clergyman, 
in  Rome,  I  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Beecher-Stowe, 
and  had  a  long  conversation  with  her.  I  found  her  a 

*  Mr.  Bright  was  always  inclined  to  take  a  severe  view  of  the  principles 
guiding  a  British,  or  British-Indian  government.  In  writing  to  Sir  John  Login 
in  December,  1861,  he  remarked  :  "  The  English  Government  knows  nothing  of 
forbearance  and  magnanimity  when  its  opponent  is  weak  or  in  trouble,  or 
General  Peel  could  not  have  said  with  truth,  as  he  did  the  other  day,  '  England 
is  hated  and  detested  by  every  nation  in  Europe.'  The  forbearance  and  modera- 
tion of  the  American  Government  during  its  time  of  trouble  may  preserve  us 
from  war,  but  .  .  .  since  1853-54,  when  the  Russian  War  commenced,  I 
have  had  no  faith  in  the  morality  or  justice  of  our  Government." 

t  Sister-in-law  of  Sir  Charles  Phipps. 

\  The  Hon.  Mrs.  R.  Norton,  the  poetess. 


200        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

most  agreeable  and  amusing  woman,  altogether  a 
younger  and  more  pleasing  person  than  I  had  expected. 
Of  course  you  young  ones  have  all  heard  the  conundrum, 
very  popular  at  that  period  :  "  How  do  we  know 
positively  that  e  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  '  was  the  work  of 
no  mortal  hand  ?  "  and  the  answer,  "  Because  it  was 
written  by  Mrs.  Beecher-Stowe "  (Beecher's  toe!). 
Luckily  I  had  not  yet  heard  it  when  I  met  her  ! 

Rome  always  was  a  place  with  a  pet  story  going  the 
rounds,  and  the  two  staple  ones  when  we  visited  it 
were  the  following. 

A  certain  old  lady,  on  her  first  visit  to  the  Eternal 
City,  wrote  home  to  her  family  "  that  after  all  she  had 
heard  about  it,  she  was  greatly  disappointed  with  the 
place  itself.  It  was  in  such  a  ruinous  condition  that 
she  wondered  the  Pope  was  not  ashamed,  and  did  not 
have  it  either  repaired  or  the  rubbish  carted  away  !  " 

The  other  referred  to  the  well-known  absence  of 
mind  of  Lord  Macaulay,  the  historian  (at  that  time 
simple  "  Mr."  Macaulay),  who  was  spending  the 
winter  amid  the  scenes  of  his  "  Ancient  Lays."  We 
had  known  him  already  slightly  in  India,  but  his 
relations,  the  Trevelyans,  were  intimate  friends.  The 
anecdote  was  going  the  round  of  the  English  colony 
when  we  reached  Rome,  and  one  of  the  attaches  at  the 
Embassy  at  once  passed  it  on  to  us.  Like  all  strangers, 
he  went  by  moonlight  to  see  the  Coliseum,  and,  as  was 
proper  in  a  historian  and  a  poet,  that  the  spirit  of  the 
centuries  might  have  full  sway  within  his  soul,  he 
went  alone  !  As  he  stood,  rapt  and  gazing,  in  the  shadow 
of  the  arches,  a  man  jostled  him,  brushing  rudely  by. 
Instinctively  Mr.  Macaulay  felt  for  his  watch.  It  was 
gone — The  thief  was  still  in  view !  Promptly  the  historian 
gave  chase,  and,  taking  the  law  into  his  own  hands,  as 


ITALY  AND  MR.    JOHN   BRIGHT        201 

might  one  of  his  own  heroes  of  yore,  he,  without  further 
ado,  knocked  down  the  miscreant,  and  repossessed 
himself  of  his  property  !  Feeling  a  little  anxious,  after 
this  adventure,  lest  other  criminals  might  be  about, 
he  thought  it  wiser  to  return  at  once  to  his  hotel,  where 
the  first  thing  that  greeted  him,  ticking  comfortably 
on  his  dressing-table,  was  his  own  gold  watch  !  His 
hand  went  to  his  waistcoat  pocket,  and  drew  out  a 
strange  gold  watch  and  chain  !  !  Horrified  at  this  suc- 
cessful debut  as  a  footpad,  he  hurried  to  the  bureau  de 
police  to  give  up  his  booty,  to  find  himself  confronted 
by  an  enraged  foreigner,  excitedly  describing  the  outrage 
of  which  he  had  been  the  victim,  and  its  perpetrator  ! 

On  Ash-Wednesday  we  were  specially  privileged  to 
attend  the  ceremony  in  the  Sixtine  Chapel  when  the 
Pope  sprinkles  the  ashes  on  the  heads  of  the  Cardinals, 
and  of  any  royalties  then  in  Rome.  The  Maharajah 
refused  to  go,  as  the  hour  was  so  early,  and  the  last 
Carnival  ball  had  worn  him  out  ! '  Sir  John  was  in  full 
political  uniform,  and  the  chamberlains  tried  hard  to 
make  him  take  his  seat  in  the  ambassadors'  pew. 
Fortunately  he  refused,  as  all  the  foreign  representatives 
present  proceeded  after  the  ceremony  to  kiss  the 
Pontiff's  toe  !  I  was,  however,  shown  into  the  tribune 
for  the  wives  of  ambassadors,  and  was  its  sole  occupant 
Presumably  they  were  mostly  bachelors,  for  my  presence 
seemed  to  arouse  the  liveliest  amazement  and  curiosity 
amongst  them  ! 

After  the  Cardinals  had  received  their  sprinkling, 
and  kissed  the  Holy  Father's  hand,  the  King  of  Bavaria 
(Ludwig  I.)  advanced  and  went  through  the  same 
ceremony — save  that  he,  and  all  who  followed  him, 
had  to  kiss  the  right  toe  instead.  Then  came  the  husband 
of  Queen  Christina  of  Spain,  and  I  must  say  I  was 


202        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

rather  shocked — considering  the  sacred  associations  of 
the  whole  service — to  see  how,  on  the  Duke's  return  to 
his  pew,  the  whole  royal  party,  including  the  Queen 
of  Spain  and  her  daughters,  at  once  set  to  work— 
amid  much  smothered  laughter — to  blow  at  his  hair, 
and  dust  off  his  clothes  all  traces  of  the  ashes,  using 
for  the  purpose  not  only  their  handkerchiefs,  but  also 
a  clothes-brush,  with  which  they  had  come  ready  pro- 
vided !  This  occupation,  and  the  merriment  it  caused, 
lasted  them  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  function, 
which,  commencing  at  nine  in  the  morning,  did  not 
conclude  till  nearly  everybody  in  the  church,  including 
the  soldiers  on  duty,  had  been  sprinkled,  and  so  lasted 
until  one  o'clock  !  The  Pope  chanted  the  service  most 
beautifully.  He  had  a  splendid,  clear  voice. 

These  same  royalties,  and  in  addition,  "  Henri 
Cinq,"  the  Comte  de  Chambord,  had  been  at  a  big  ball 
a  few  nights  before,  at  the  Doria  Palace,  which  we  had 
attended,  and  where  we  were  all  presented  to  the 
Princess  Doria,  one  of  the  Shrewsbury  family.  The 
King  of  Bavaria,  and  Queen  Christina,  were  the  two 
crowned  heads  in  Rome  on  that  occasion,  and  our  only 
rencontre  with  the  former  was  that,  when  out  following 
the  Campagna  fox-hounds  in  our  carriage  (they  met 
on  the  Appian  Way,  near  the  tomb  of  Cecilia  Metella), 
we  found  ourselves  just  in  front  of  His  Majesty's 
equipage,  whose  servants  called  out  to  ours  to  let 
him  pass.  Nothing  would  induce  our  coachman  to  do 
this,  although  we  ordered  him  to  give  way,  and  whipping 
up  his  horses,  he  kept  the  "  lead  "  throughout  the  chase  ! 
Though  not  recognised  as  so  mad  as  his  son,  I  believe 
this  monarch  was  decidedly  eccentric,  and  this  sort 
of  treatment  was  scarcely  calculated  to  conciliate  a 
sovereign  of  uncertain  temper  ! 


ITALY  AND  MR.    JOHN   BRIGHT        203 

Rome  seemed  in  those  days  a  sort  of  health-resort  for 
crowned  heads  who  suffered  from  the  weight  of  their 
dignities,  for  on  our  next  visit,  King  Frederic  William  IV. 
of  Prussia  was  the  visitor  round  whom  circled  all  the 
gossip  of  that  most  gossiping  capital. 

The  favourite  on  dit  then  going  the  rounds — I  cannot 
vouch  for  its  truth  ;  but  one  of  the  foreign  diplomats 
is  my  authority — was,  that  it  was  during  his  sojourn 
at  the  Eternal  City  that  his  own  Court  circle  became 
convinced  his  brain  had  really  given  way.  And  the 
following  was  the  occasion  on  which  the  malady  first 
manifested  itself  without  question. 

One  evening,  at  dinner  with  the  gentlemen  of  his 
household — there  was  a  foreign  guest  also  of  some 
importance  present — the  menu  commenced  with 
potage  clair  a  ritalienne,  in  which  floated  a  very 
bountiful  supply  of  very  long  strands  of  vermicelli. 
When  placed  before  His  Majesty,  he  regarded  it  solemnly 
for  some  moments,  with  an  air  of  slight  astonishment, 
then  slowly  raised  the  bowl  in  his  two  hands,  and  with 
the  utmost  gravity,  poured  the  contents  in  a  sort  of 
libation  on  the  crown  of  his  head,  slowly  turning  his  eyes 
round  the  company,  as  if  to  watch  the  effect  upon  them ! 
Knowing  that  their  careers,  if  not  their  lives  almost, 
depended  on  it,  they  managed  to  preserve  a  rigid  self- 
control  in  the  King's  presence,  though  it  required  a 
superhuman  effort  to  resist  the  inclination  to  mirth 
at  the  extraordinary  spectacle  he  afforded,  blinking 
solemn  eyes  at  them,  like  a  ruminating  owl,  while  the 
vermicelli  decorated  his  hair  and  whiskers  and  hung  like 
long  icicles  over  his  forehead  and  eyebrows  !  His  suite, 
I  was  told,  were  hysterical  for  days  afterwards,  and  I 
really  thought  the  Maharajah  would  have  a  fit,  from  his 
convulsions  of  laughter  when  he  heard  the  story.  He, 


204        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  Ronald  Melville,  were  continually  making  feints 
of  trying  the  experiment,  from  that  day  forward, 
whenever  we  happened  to  have  a  guest  at  meals  who 
bored  them  overmuch  with  his  conversation  ! 

Baron  von  Orlich,  the  traveller,  whom  my  husband 
had  known  in  India,  was  another  old  acquaintance 
we  met  again  in  Rome,  and  he  kindly  made  out  for  us 
our  route  on  to  Naples,  along  the  Appian  Way,  so  that 
we  might  not  miss  any  points  of  interest.  He  and 
his  wife  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  us  for  many 
years  afterwards. 

At  Naples  we  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Mar- 
chese  Bugnano  and  his  wife  and  mother  (the  latter  an 
Irish  lady),  and  other  Neapolitan  nobles ;  but  our 
stay  here  was  cut  short  by  the  rampant  political 
propaganda  of  our  courier  Triboux,  a  violent  Republican 
and  Garibaldian,  who  was  discovered  haranguing  the 
populace,  and  inciting  them  to  rebellion  against  the 
Bourbon  King !  On  my  husband  ordering  him  to 
behave  himself  while  in  our  service,  he  became  inco- 
herent with  indignation,  exclaiming  that  he  was  a 
"  free-born  Swiss,"  and  daring  him,  or  anybody,  to 
"touch  his  sacred  pairs-son!!"  lam  afraid  Sir  John 
made  short  work  of  his  "  sacred  person,"  and  he  was 
bundled  off  in  a  hurry,  as  we  did  not  wish  to  be  embroiled 
in  any  political  disputes  ! 

We  were  at  Venice  for  Easter-Day,  and  went  to  see 
the  Pontifical  Mass  at  S.  Mark's,  when  the  Archduke 
Maximilian  (afterwards  Emperor  of  Mexico),  brother 
of  the  Austrian  Emperor,  and  Viceroy  of  Italy,  went  in 
procession  to  the  Duomo.  He  was  a  fair-haired,  simple- 
looking  youth,  and  appeared  nervous  till  the  ceremony 
was  safely  over  without  any  anti-Austrian  demonstration. 

The  Brights  again  joined  us  here,  having  been  detained 


ITALY  AND  MR.   JOHN   BRIGHT        205 

in  Rome  owing  to  Miss  Bright  getting  measles.  Unfor- 
tunately, both  the  Maharajah  and  Ronald  Melville  were 
very  ill  at  Venice  from  malarial  fever,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  we  got  them  away  to  Padua,  leaving  Mr. 
Cawood,  the  secretary,  to  bring  on  our  linen,  which  had 
been  away  at  the  laundry,  as  well  as  some  heavy  luggage, 
unaware  that,  according  to  Austrian  railway  regulations, 
it  was  forbidden  for  a  man  to  be  in  possession  of  female 
attire.  Unable  to  explain  matters  himself  in  Italian, 
they  undid  the  boxes,  shook  my  nice  frilled  petticoats 
in  his  face,  inquiring  sarcastically  if  these  were  usual 
portions  of  his  attire  ?  and  finally  arrested  him  as  a 
thief  in  possession  of  stolen  property  !  It  was  some  days 
before  we  could  get  him  released. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    MAHARANEE    JINDA    KOUR 

MAI  CHUNDA — the  Maharanee  Jinda  Koiir,  as  she 
was  called — Duleep  Singh's  mother,  had  been  for  many 
years  in  Nepal,  where  she  was  held  practically  a  prisoner 
by  Jung  Bahadour,  who  grudged  her  every  penny  of 
the  pension  he  said  he  allowed  her,  and  with  whom  she 
quarrelled  incessantly.  They  were  really  rather  "  birds 
of  a  feather,"  but  that  did  not  make  them  agree  any  the 
better  !  Both  were  unscrupulous,  and  it  would  be  hard 
to  say  which  was  the  craftier  intriguer. 

Colonel  Ramsey,  then  Resident  at  Khatmandoo, 
wrote  Login  in  1860  that  he  considered  "  that  a  more 
unprincipled  scoundrel "  (than  Jung  Bahadour)  "  did  not 
tread  the  earth.  He  would  have  taken  part  against  us 
at  the  time  of  the  Mutiny,  if  it  had  not  been  for  that 
providential  visit  of  his  to  England,  and  the  experience 
he  gained  there  ;  and  for  this  we  have  to  thank  your 
poor  brother,*  who  exerted  such  a  wise  influence  over 
him,  and  persuaded  him  to  the  step.  Jung  has  often 
told  me  so  himself.  .  .  .  The  sister  of  Princess 
Gouramma  of  Coorg,  who  married  Jung  Bahadour  some 
years  ago,  is  now  a  very  fine-looking  young  woman, 
and  seems  happy  enough.  The  other  sister,  whom  he 
also  brought  with  him  from  Benares  in  1853,  was  sadly 
duped,  and  wanted  to  go  back  to  her  brothers.  She  is 
said  to  be  very  unhappy." 

A  private  letter,  from  Sir  John  Kaye  at  the  India 

*  Dr.  James  Dryburgh  Login.    See  ante,  pp.  64,  87,  88. 


THE  MAHARANEE   JINDA   KOUR        207 

House,  informed  Login  in  November  1856,  that  the 
Viceroy  had  received  a  letter  intercepted  by  Jung 
Bahadour,  from  the  Maharajah  to  his  mother,  suggest- 
ing that  she  should  come  to  England  !  Fortunately, 
it  was  easy  to  produce  proof  that  the  letter  was  an 
impudent  forgery.  Up  to  that  time,  Duleep  Singh  had 
shown  not  the  faintest  desire  to  have  communication 
with  his  mother,  but  curiously  enough,  just  about  this 
same  time,  he  had  commissioned  the  Pundit  Nehemiah 
Goreh  to  make  the  journey  to  Khatmandoo  on  his 
behalf,  and  find  out,  at  first  hand,  how  she  really  was 
living  and  conducting  herself. 

Unfortunately,  the  Pundit  bungled  matters,  and 
instead  of  going  himself — the  season  being  unhealthy 
for  crossing  the  Terai — sent  the  Maharanee  a  letter 
through  a  native  banker  visiting  Nepal  on  business. 
Of  course  this  came  to  the  Viceroy's  knowledge,  and 
the  Pundit  was  forbidden  to  open  communications 
with  her,  except  through  the  British  Resident. 

Then  the  idea  occurred  to  Duleep  Singh  of  combining 
pleasure  with  filial  duty,  and  of  going  out  for  a  cold- 
weather  tiger-shoot  to  India,  at  the  same  time  meeting 
his  mother.  Just  at  the  same  period  he  was  in  treaty  for 
the  purchase  of  an  estate  in  England,  and  my  husband 
had  to  send  him  a  letter  about  another  property 
in  Scotland,  to  which  he  had  taken  a  great  fancy, 
and  this  is  the  characteristic  reply  he  sent  from 
Calcutta  : 

"  SPENCE'S  HOTEL,  CALCUTTA, 

"  February,  1861. 

"  Oh  !  it  is  too  cruel  of  you  to  write  to  me,  so  soon 
after  coming  out  here,  about  an  estate  in  Scotland  ; 
for  now  I  cannot  make  up  my  mind  to  stay  a  day  longer 
than  is  necessary  to  see  my  mother  !  Your  letter  has 


208         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

almost  driven  me  wild  ;  so  you  may  expect  to  see  me 
back  sooner  than  I  thought  of  when  I  left.  I  have  got 
the  Shahzadah  here  on  a  visit.  .  .  . 

"  Now  I  must  tell  you  that  India  is  a  beastly  place  !  I 
heartily  repent  having  come  out,  for  I  cannot  get  a 
moment's  peace,  with  people  following  me,  and  all  my  old 
servants  bother  the  life  out  of  me  with  questions.  The 
heat  is  something  dreadful,  and  what  will  it  be  in 
another  month  ?  I  hate  the  natives  ;  they  are  such 
liars,  flatterers,  and  extremely  deceitful  !  I  would  give 
anything  to  be  back  in  dear  England,  among  my  friends. 
I  cannot  think  or  write  about  anything  else  but  this 
property  !  Oh,  buy  it  for  me,  if  possible  !  My  mother 
is  to  be  at  Rani  Gunj  in  ten  or  twelve  days.  I  wish  her 
to  await  me  there,  as  it  is  quieter  than  Calcutta.  I  have 
heard  (not  officially)  that  she  is  to  have  from  two  to 
three  thousand  a  year,  but  will  know  for  certain  when  the 
Governor-General  returns  here. 

"  I  have  not  yet  settled  whether  I  remain  over  the 
hot  weather  here,  going  up  to  the  hills  and  then  return- 
ing to  England.  I  am  to  have  elephants  from  Govern- 
ment for  tiger  shooting.  It  is  already  very  hot.  Shah- 
zadah is  very  anxious  to  come  with  me  to  England,  but 
does  not  expect  to  manage  it. 

"  Yours  affectionately  and  sincerely, 

"  DULEEP  SINGH. 

"  P.S. — My  mother  has  decided  she  will  not  separate 
from  me  any  more,  and  as  she  is  refused  permission  to 
go  to  the  hills,  I  must  give  up  that  intention,  and,  I 
suppose,  we  shall  return  to  England  as  soon  as  I  can  get 
passage." 

In  that  last  sentence  we  recognised  the  first  tokens 
of  the  extraordinary  influence  which  from  the  moment 
of  the  resumption  of  personal  contact,  the  Maharanee 
exercised  over  the  son,  who  in  his  childhood  both 
feared  and  despised  her,  and  in  his  growing  manhood 
had  tried  to  forget  her  existence. 


THE   MAHARANEE    JINDA   KOt)R        209 

There  was,  however,  an  additional  reason  for  this 
sudden  determination  to  return  to  England,  and  it 
illustrated  Duleep  Singh's  sincere  desire  to  prove  his 
loyalty  to  the  British  Government. 

The  Chinese  War  had  just  ended  when  he  landed  at 
Calcutta,  and  many  of  the  Sikh  regiments  were  return- 
ing home.  The  word  passed  round  the  troopships,  as 
they  entered  the  Hooghly,  that  their  deposed  Sovereign, 
Runjeet's  son,  was  actually  in  the  city !  •  The  men 
flocked  about  his  hotel  in  thousands,  and  were  so 
demonstrative  in  their  joy  and  greetings,  that  the 
officials  became  much  alarmed,  and  Lord  Canning 
requested  Duleep  Singh,  as  a  favour  to  the  Government, 
not  in  any  way  as  a  command,  to  relinquish  the  sporting 
trip  up-country  which  he  had  originally  planned,  and 
in  preparation  for  which  he  had  gone  to  great  expense, 
and  to  return  to  England  with  his  mother,  by  the  next 
home-going  steamer.  It  was  indeed  a  great  sacrifice 
to  ask,  but  the  young  Sikh  Sovereign  accepted  it 
chivalrously  and  without  a  murmur. 

He  wrote  to  us  on  the  passage,  begging  Sir  John  to 
secure  a  house  for  his  mother  in  London,  close  to  where 
we  were  then  living,  at  Lancaster  Gate,  so  that  the 
Maharanee  might  have  somewhere  to  go  to  at  once  on 
arrival,  as  it  would  take  some  time  to  get  all  her  baggage 
and  valuables  landed,  and  passed  through  the  customs. 
And  a  truly  formidable  collection  it  proved  to  be 
when  it  turned  up  !  We  were  fortunate  in  finding  a 
large  house,  next  door  but  one  to  our  own — "  No.  I, 
round-the-corner,"  as  it  was  called  at  that  time,  though 
now,  I  imagine,  numbered  something  like  23.  For  the 
houses^on  each  side  of  Christ  Church  were  the  only  ones 
then  finished,  and  it  was  not  until  many  years  had 
passed,  that  the  row  of  large  mansions  facing  Kensington 


210         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Gardens  was  embarked  upon.  Into  it  Sir  John  put  such 
few  articles  of  furniture  as  they  did  not  actually  bring 
with  them,  and  he  had  cooking-places  arranged  for  the 
natives  in  the  areas,  which  were  a  source  of  perpetual 
attraction  to  the  street  urchins,  who  clung  in  hordes 
to  the  railings,  looking  down  upon  a  scene  which  they 
regarded  as  superior  in  interest  to  any  bear-pit  in 
Regent's  Park. 

I  went  to  pay  my  first  visit  of  ceremony  as  soon  as 
I  understood  that  the  Maharanee  was  sufficiently  rested 
after  the  voyage  to  receive  me.  I  believe,  as  a  matter 
of  fact  though,  that  it  was  her  son,  and  not  she,  who  had 
suffered  any  discomforts  from  mal  de  mer  ! 

It  was  with  some  natural  curiosity,  not  un mingled 
with  awe  and  trepidation,  that  I  looked  forward  to  my 
first  interview  with  the  woman  who  at  one  time  had 
wielded  such  power  in  India.  The  stories  told  in  those 
days  of  her  beauty  and  fascination,  as  well  as  her  talent 
for  diplomacy  and  strength  of  will,  were  almost  as 
universal  as  those  related  in  these  later  years  of  the  great 
Dowager-Empress  of  China,  between  whose  history  and 
character,  and  that  of  Mai  Chunda,  there  were  many 
points  of  resemblance.  And  I  especially  had  heard 
much  of  her  at  first  hand,  not  so  much  from  her  son, 
who  rarely  mentioned  her,  as  from  others  who  had 
known  her  in  the  days  of  her  magnificence  :  the  Ranee 
Duknoo  and  her  relations,  Duleep  Singh's  own  atten- 
dants and  ministers,  as  well  as  the  Lawrence  brothers, 
and  other  British  officers  and  civilians,  who,  with  their 
wives,  had  seen  her  in  Lahore.  It  was  therefore  with  a 
sense  of  disillusionment  and  compassion  that,  when, 
accompanied  by  my  three  youngest  children,  after 
being  received  with  all  honour  and  deference  by  her 
attendants,  her  women  ushering  me  ceremoniously  into 


THE   MAHARANEE   JINDA   KOUR        211 

the  large,  heavily-curtained  room,  I  found  myself  in 
semi-darkness,  confronting  an  aged,  half-blind  woman, 
sitting  huddled  on  a  heap  of  cushions  on  the  floor  I 
With  health  broken  and  eyesight  dimmed,  her  beauty 
vanished,  and  an  air  of  lassitude,  it  was  hard  to  believe 
in  her  former  charms  of  person  and  of  conversation  ! 
Yet  the  moment  she  grew  interested  and  excited  in  a 
subject,  unexpected  gleams  and  glimpses,  through  the 
haze  of  indifference,  and  the  torpor  of  advancing 
years,  revealed  the  shrewd  and  plotting  brain,  of  her 
who  had  once  been  known  as  "  the  Messalina  of  the 
Punjab  !  " 

Of  her  love  of  authority,  and  imperious  character,  I 
was  to  have  an  example.  She  inquired  the  age  of  my 
youngest  boy,  Harry,  whom  I  presented  to  her  at  her 
request?  The  little  girls  she  took  no  interest  in.  When 
I  said,  "  Eight  years  !  "  she  immediately  rejoined,  "  And 
where  is  his  wife  ?  "  On  my  replying  with  as  much 
gravity  as  I  could  command  at  the  suggestion,  "  He  is 
rather  young  to  think  of  that  yet,"  she  suddenly 
roused  herself,  and  read  me  a  regular  lecture  on  my 
duties  as  a  mother  !  It  was  my  part,  she  told  me,  to 
think  of  that  important  question  as  soon  as  my  son  was 
able  to  run  about  by  himself,  and  it  was  really  scarcely 
decent  that  the  child  of  a  "  Bahadur  "  of  his  father's 
rank,  should  not  yet  have  a  marriage  arranged  for  him  ! 
I  must  lose  no  further  time,  she  pronounced,  with  a  very 
commanding  mien  !  Her  women  tried  to  interpose, 
and  smooth  matters,  evidently  fearful  lest  I  should  be 
offended  by  her  very  dogmatic  expression  of  opinion. 
In  reality  I  was  so  choked  with  laughter,  that  I  hardly 
knew  how  to  frame  a  proper  apology  for  my  misappre- 
hension of  the  maternal  rdle  I  I  verily  believe  she  had 
it  in  her  mmd  to  undertake  to  remedy  my  negligence 


212        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

herself,  or  at  the  very  least  warn  my  husband  of  my 
incompetence  in  carrying  out  this  essential  part  of  my 
metier  ! 

Sir  John,  I  believe,  made  a  most  favourable  impres- 
sion upon  her — this,  as  you  may  have  gathered,  was  not 
unusual  with  him  when  in  contact  with  natives  of  high 
rank — but  the  Maharanee  Jinda  Koiir  expressed  her- 
self with  the  utmost  frankness  on  the  subject.  He  had 
of  course  been  able  to  be  of  a  good  deal  of  assistance  to 
her  on  arrival,  and  had  expedited  the  passage  of  her 
jewels  through  the  Custom  House  so  efficiently,  that  she 
was  able  to  wear  the  majority  of  them,  when  doing  me 
the  extreme  honour  of  returning  my  visit  in  person 
within  a  few  days.  For  this  service  alone  she  was 
extremely  grateful  to  him,  as  she  had  not  had  her 
jewels  (which  were  decidedly  valuable)  in  her  own 
possession  since  the  day  of  her  flight  from  Chunar 
Fort — the  Indian  Government  having  retained  them 
all  the  years  she  was  in  Nepal. 

Evidently  she  had  gathered  quite  a  different  impres- 
sion of  the  personality  of  her  son's  guardian  from  the 
reports  of  native  "  informers,"  for,  after  she  had  seen 
him  only  once  or  twice,  she  told  him  quite  naively,  that 
"  had  she  only  known  what  he  was  really  like,  and 
how  extremely  useful  and  kind  he  would  prove  to  her, 
she  never  would,  have  arranged,  to  have  him  poisoned,  as 
she  had  at  one  time  contemplated  !  "  Even  her  candour 
was  slightly  abashed  when  he  made  it  (diplomatically) 
plain  to  her,  that  he  had  been  a)l  along  aware  of  her 
kind  project,  a  hint  having  reached  him  at  Futtehghur  ! 

It  was  indeed  a  very  great  condescension,  and  no 
small  effort  of  exertion  on  the  old  Maharanee's  part, 
to  think  of  coming  in  person  to  return  my  visit.  Though 
the  distance  from  house  to  house  was  not  great,  there 


THE  MAHARANEE   JINDA  KOUR        213 

had  to  be  precautions  to  screen  her  from  public  view— 
a  sign  of  deference  to  their  rank  and  sex  that  the  elder 
native  ladies  much  appreciate — our  men-servants  were 
banished  from  view,  and  only  the  maids  allowed  to 
"  assist  "  at  the  reception. 

My  drawing-room,  of  course,  was  on  the  first  floor, 
and  I  shall  never  forget  the  sight,  as  I  viewed  it  from 
the  landing,  of  the  Maharanee  being  hoisted  by  main 
force  up  the  long  flight  of  stairs  by  several  servants  ! 
In  her  case  this  piece  of  Oriental  etiquette  was  perhaps 
not  unnecessary,  not  only  on  account  of  her  infirmities, 
but  because,  in  addition  to  being  a  heavy  woman,  she 
had  wished  to  pay  me  a  special  compliment  by  appearing 
in  European  dress  ;  and  as  she  could  not  entirely  aban- 
don her  native  garments  for  English  underclothing, 
she  had  donned  an  enormous  bonnet  with  feather, 
mantle,  and  wide  skirt  over  immense  crinoline,  on  the 
top  of  all  her  Indian  costume  !  And  this  on  a  warm 
day  in  June,  in  the  stuffy  London  atmosphere  !  No 
wonder  she  was  utterly  unable  to  move  hand  or  foot,  and 
found  it  impossible  to  take  a  seat,  encumbered  with  the 
crinoline,  till  two  of  her  servants  lifted  her  bodily  up  on 
to  a  settee,  where  she  could  sit  comfortably  cross-legged, 
her  crinoline  spreading  all  round  her  like  a  cheese ! 

We  had  been  kept  waiting  for  her  appearance  for 
some  considerable  time  after  the  hour  named,  and 
now  appeared  the  cause  of  the  delay  !  Not  only  had 
the  enduing  of  these  unaccustomed  habiliments 
taken  long,  but  her  jewels  had  at  the  moment  arrived 
from  the  Custom  House,  and  so  delighted  was  she  at 
the  sight,  that  she  forthwith  decorated  herself,  and  her 
attendants,  with  an  assortment  of  the  most  wonderful 
necklaces  and  earrings,  strings  of  lovely  pearls  and 
emeralds  being  arranged,  in  graceful  concession  to 


214        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

English  fashion,  as  a  sort  of  fringe  or  frilling  inside  the 
brim  of  the  bonnet,  in  the  place  where  the  custom  then 
was  to  wear  a  semblance  of  a  "  cap  !  "  The  extra- 
ordinary figures  which  the  poor  Maharanee  and  her 
favourite  women  cut,  in  this  attire,  can  be  better  imagined 
than  described  ! 

She  had  brought  with  her,  as  a  companion  and 
confidential  attendant,  a  young  slave-woman  named 
Soortoo,  who  had  been  born  in  the  zenana,  and  as  a 
child  had  been  Duleep  Singh's  playmate,  being  about 
the  same  age.  There  was  something  particularly 
engaging  about  Soortoo.  She  was  pretty,  and  of 
graceful  manners  and  address,  and  had  a  frank,  open 
countenance,  and  a  simple  disposition.  She  seemed 
brimming  over  with  happiness  at  seeing  England,  and 
genuinely  attached  to  her  mistress  and  her  son.  She 
had  been  given  in  marriage,  at  an  early  age,  by  the 
Maharanee,  to  a  man  of  rather  low  caste  in  Benares, 
but  had  been  ordered  to  accompany  her  imperious 
mistress  to  England,  with  very  little  regard  to  the  fact 
that  her  small  baby,  and  other  children,  had  been  left 
behind  ! 

Duleep  Singh  took  his  mother  down  to  Mulgrave 
Castle,  which  he  then  had  on  a  lease  from  Lord  Nor- 
manby  ;  and  there  she  remained  with  him,  resisting 
all  efforts  of  his  friends  to  make  her  arrange  a  separate 
establishment  in  another  house  on  the  estate,  until 
June,  1862,  when  the  Maharajah  took  a  house  for  her 
in  London,  and  placed  her  under  the  charge  of  an 
English  lady. 

There  was  no  doubt  that  the  Maharanee's  presence 
had  a  bad  influence  upon  Duleep  Singh,  undoing  much 
of  the  benefit  of  his  English  upbringing  and  Christian 
surroundings,  and  tempting  him  to  lapse  into  negligent, 


THE  MAHARANEE   JINDA  KOUR         215 

idle,  native  habits.  She  herself  expressed  no  objection 
to  his  change  of  religion,  and  allowed  him  to  form  hopes 
of  her  own  conversion,  but  she  was  not  one  to  care  much 
for  these  things,  nor  one  to  seem  likely  to  prove  a 
creditable  result  of  missionary  effort  ! 

For  some  years  Login  had  been  exerting  all  his 
energy,  and  devoting  his  time,  to  the  endeavour  to 
induce  the  Indian  Government  to  fulfil  their  obligations 
to  his  late  charge,  and  when  they  seemed  unwilling 
to  do  so,  to  arouse  interest  in  Parliament,  and  in  influ- 
ential circles,  on  his  behalf.  When  his  efforts  seemed 
on  the  point  of  exerting  successful  pressure,  and  it  was 
found  that  his  opinions  had  weight  in  quarters  not  antici- 
pated, the  Indian  authorities  used  all  means  at  their 
disposal  to  sever  connection  between  him  and  his  late 
ward,  and  destroy  the  complete  confidence  that  existed 
between  them.  All  this  I  have  so  fully  entered  upon  in 
another  place  *  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  more  than  allude 
to  it  here.  The  India  House  so  much  resented  the  fact  of 
the  correspondence  he  had  had  with  Sir  Charles  Phipps 
on  Indian  Government  schemes  (though  it  was  not  of 
his  own  seeking,  and  they  were  aware  of  it  only  by 
his  own  act  as  soon  as  it  commenced)  "\  that  in  February, 
1858,  they  informed  him  that  his  guardianship  was  at 
an  end,  and  his  salary  must  now  cease  !  He  was  able  to 
point  out  that,  in  addition  to  the  office  of  Guardian, 
he  had  been  made  Superintendent  and  "Agent  to  the 
Governor-General  with  the  Maharajah,"  and  that  these 
functions  would  not  necessarily  cease  when  His  Highness 
was  regarded  of  age.  They  then  graciously  allowed  him 
three  months  on  half-pay,  for  the  audit  of  his  accounts. 

*  "  Sir  John  Login  and  Duleep  Singh,"  by  Lady  Login,  published  in  1890 
by  W.  H.  Allen  &  Co.,  Waterloo  Place. 
t  See  ante,  Chapter  X. 


216        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

However,  when  the  first  Secretary  of  State  for  India, 
the  Earl  of  Derby  (then  Lord  Stanley),  took  up  his 
post,  he,  "  fully  appreciating  the  very  conscientious 
and  efficient  manner  in  which  Sir  John  Login  had  dis- 
charged his  duties,"  ordered  that  full  salary  should  be 
paid  him  up  to  December  1st,  1858,  and  Sir  James 
Melvill,  on  behalf  of  the  late  Court  of  Directors,  taking 
his  cue,  wrote  : — "  That  the  Court  could  not  allow  the 
connection  which  had  existed  for  so  many  years  between 
you  and  the  Maharajah  to  cease,  without  expressing 
their  entire  approbation  of  the  manner  in  which  you  have 
performed  the  duties  of  your  important  office,  as  evinced 
by  the  good  results  of  the  careful  training  for  which  the 
young  Prince  is  indebted  to  you."  My  husband,  on  his 
part,  could  not  refrain  in  his  reply  from  remarking  that 
"  it  was  a  source  of  much  gratification  to  himself  that  he 
had  been  able  ...  to  establish  and  confirm  a  feeling 
of  goodwill,  loyalty,  and  respect,  towards  the  British 
Government,  on  the  part  of  one  from  whom  such  senti- 
ments could  scarcely  have  been  expected" 

Nevertheless,  the  Court  were  resolved,  in  some 
measure,  to  visit  on  their  subordinate  the  fact,  that  his 
efforts  to  see  justice  done  by  the  Government  to  his 
ward  were  almost  crowned  by  success,  by  refusing  to 
sanction  the  Maharajah's  wish  to  make  some  provision 
for  his  late  guardian,  or  his  family,  to  compensate  him, 
and  them,  for  the  pecuniary  losses  involved  by  his 
guardianship,  and  thus  he  felt  compelled  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  East  India  Company's  service, 
after  holding  it  for  twenty-six  years  ! 

He  was  not  the  first,  and  by  no  means  the  last,  of 
the  servants  of  the  Indian  Government  to  set  his  own 
private  interests  lower  than  his  sense  of  justice  and  the 
honour  of  the  British  name. 


THE  MAHARANEE  JINDA  KOUR        217 

Though  no  longer  holding  an  official  position  as  a 
Government  agent  in  respect  of  the  Maharajah,  he 
was  able  to  work  still  more  effectively  in  a  private  and 
business  capacity  for  him.  The  Government  now 
insisted  on  regarding  Duleep  Singh  as  of  full  age,  when 
they  wanted  his  signature  without  his  late  guardian's 
concurrence,  and  as  a  minor  whenever  they  objected  to 
his  giving  Sir  John  a  power-of-attorney  to  transact 
his  affairs  for  him  ;  and  in  this  undignified  quibbling 
and  shirking  they  persisted  for  the  next  few  years  ! 

But  these  intrigues  and  resentments  of  the  India 
House  officials  had  no  influence  on  the  opinion  held  in 
higher  quarters.  As  I  have  shown,  Her  Majesty's 
request  that  I  should  undertake  the  charge  of  Princess 
Gouramma  was  subsequent  to  all  this,  which  took  place 
in  the  early  part  of  1858.  The  rule  of  the  Company 
was  already  doomed  more  than  six  months  before  that, 
and  it  came  to  an  end  in  August  of  that  year.  In 
September,  1858,  Sir  C.  Phipps  asked  Login's  opinion 
of  the  Queen's  proclamation  on  taking  over  the  Govern- 
ment of  India,  and  Her  Majesty  herself,  as  we  have 
seen,  in  writing  Lord  Derby,  mentions  this  fact.  He 
was  also  asked,  in  July,  1858,  by  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  then  in  the  Ministry,  to  come  and  coach  him 
in  Indian  matters.  And,  in  the  same  way  when,  three 
years  later,  the  authorities,  and  his  well-wishers, 
perceived  how  undesirable  was  his  mother's  close 
association  with  the  young  Indian  prince,  my  husband 
was  appealed  to,  on  all  sides,  to  use  his  influence  to 
put  an  end  to  it. 

There  had  already  been  correspondence  on  the  sub- 
ject from  Her  Majesty,  through  Sir  Charles  Phipps, 
when  there  fell  on  Sovereign  and  people  the  over- 
whelming blow  of  the  unexpected  death  of  the 


2i 8         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

revered  and  noble  Prince  Consort.  The  news  was 
brought  to  me  straight  from  Windsor  by  my  husband, 
who  had  gone  there  direct  to  inquire,  having  been 
rendered  anxious  by  the  bulletins  and  information 
given  him  at  Buckingham  Palace,  and  the  notes  from 
Sir  Charles  Phipps.  He  did  not,  of  course,  ask  to 
see  Sir  Charles  that  day,  but  was  much  touched  and 
gratified  to  receive  from  him,  at  such  a  time,  the 
following  short  letter,  dated  "  Windsor  Castle,  Dec.  16, 
1861  "  : 

"  MY  DEAR  LOGIN, 

"  You  will  have  known  the  reason  why  I  was  unable 
to  see  you  on  Saturday.  I  was  overwhelmed  with 
anxiety,  alas  !  too  well  founded,  and  with  persons 
pouring  in  upon  me  with  inquiries  from  every  side. 

"  Thank  you,  however,  very  much  for  coming  down  to 
inquire.  I  have  written  to  the  Maharajah,  who  will, 
I  know,  be  deeply  grieved. 

"  The  Queen  keeps  very  calm  between  the  p'aroxysms 
of  her  grief. 

"  Sincerely  yours, 

"C.  B.  PHIPPS." 

There  is  something  especially  pathetic  and  moving 
in  that  little  allusion,  that  half-raising  of  the  veil  of 
silence  which,  at  the  time,  so  completely  shrouded  the 
figure  of  the  Sovereign  in  her  personal  sorrow. 

Even  at  that  time  of  deep  affliction,  the  Maharajah's 
welfare  was  an  object  of  concern  to  Queen  Victoria,  and 
by  her  direction  Sir  Charles  Phipps  wrote  (January  4th, 
1862)  to  urge  Login  not  to  give  up  any  position  or 
influence  he  could  have  over  him.  "  I  should  have 
written  sooner,"  he  says  ;  "  but  you  may  conceive 
what  this  house  is  at  present,  for  the  very  air  we 


THE  MAHARANEE  JINDA  KOUR        219 

breathe  is  an  atmosphere  of  sorrow,  and  that  is  a  bad 
medium  in  which  to  transact  business." 

Duleep  Singh's  religious  feelings  were  at  this  time 
in  an  unsettled  and  emotional  condition  ;  at  one 
moment  filled  with  a  sudden  impulse  of  missionary 
ardour,  for  which  by  temperament  and  lack  of  study 
he  was  entirely  unsuited,  but  which  was  none  the  less 
perfectly  genuine  ;  at  another  attracted  by  the  most 
extravagant  and  ignorant  forms  of  sectarianism,  so 
that  one  never  knew  from  day  to  day  what  fresh  idea 
he  might  not  be  pursuing. 

The  sudden  death  of  his  secretary,  Mr.  Cawood,  was 
to  him  a  great  shock,  and,  on  the  spur  of  the  moment, 
he  wrote  in  August,  1861,  from  Auchlyne,  to  ask  my 
husband  at  once  to  request  permission  from  the  Indian 
authorities  for  his  return  to  that  country,  with  his 
mother,  giving  up  all  his  pension  and  emoluments,  and 
taking  only  a  jagheer  in  the  Dehra  Dun,  where  he 
intended  henceforth  to  devote  his  life  to  the  welfare 
of  the  native  Christians  !  "  God  has  touched  my  heart," 
he  wrote,  "  and  has  brought  me  back  to  follow  that 
path  that  leads  to  everlasting  bliss  !  .  .  .  I  have  spent 
too  much  of  my  time  in  worldliness,  and  am  anxious 
now  to  do  what  is  my  duty  towards  God.  May  the 
Lord  long  continue  to  make  this  the  sole  desire  of  my 
heart  !  " 

Sir  John  was  away  at  Vichy,  when  this  letter  was 
forwarded  to  me  at  Llandulas  in  Wales,  whither  I  had 
gone  with  the  children  for  the  summer.  Fortunately 
I  opened  it,  and  wrote  at  once  to  Duleep  Singh,  begging 
him  to  take  time  and  thought  before  embarking  on  such 
a  serious  step,  or  even  speaking  of  it  openly  ;  and  it 
seems  that  Colonel  Oliphant,  who  was  now  living  with 
him  as  a  sort  of  equerry,  gave  him  the  same  advice. 


220        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

It  was  impossible,  even  with  all  his  faults,  to  fail  to 
hold  in  very  affectionate  regard  such  an  impulsive, 
boyish  nature.  When  in  London,  he  still  made  the 
practice  of  joining  us  on  Sunday  mornings  to  go  with  the 
whole  party  to  church,  and  return  to  the  children's 
midday  dinner,  and  felt  himself  quite  defrauded  if  we 
omitted  from  the  menu  the  regulation  joint  of  roast 
beef !  The  people  at  the  hotel — Claridge's — he  declared 
never  could  be  induced  to  believe  that  he  preferred  it 
to  anything  else  ! 

There  was  one  Sunday,  however,  when  he  did  not 
turn  up,  much  to  our  surprise,  as  he  had  never  failed  ; 
and  on  our  return  from  church  we  found  Mrs.  Claridge, 
the  hotel  proprietor's  wife,  who  had  known  us  many 
years,  waiting  to  see  Sir  John  in  private.  In  great 
distress,  she,  after  much  hesitation,  informed  him  that 
she  felt  it  her  duty  to  beg  him  to  prevent  the  Maharajah, 
for  whom  she  somehow  felt  responsible,  from  being  led 
astray  to  do  things  in  her  house  she  could  not  allow. 
It  then  turned  out  that  a  young  friend  of  the  Prince's, 
who  had  lately  joined  the  sect  of  "  Plymouth  Brethren," 
had  prevailed  on  him  to  believe  that  attendance  at 
Divine  services,  and  the  institution  of  clergy,  were 
quite  unnecessary  ordinances  ;  he  could  preach  and 
pray  with  him  just  as  well,  and  even  administer  to  him 
the  Sacrament  in  his  hotel  sitting-room  !  To  the 
scandalised  horror  of  the  waiters,  this  young  man 
attempted  to  do  so,  and  the  outraged  landlady,  after 
refusing  sanction,  fled  to  my  husband  for  support. 

When  it  appeared  that  Duleep  Singh  was  in  danger 
of  dropping  back  into  native  ways,  and  of  yielding, 
through  indolence,  to  any  arrangement  of  his  own 
affairs  that  would  give  him  the  handling  of  a  lump 
sum  of  money,  Sir  John  thought  it  best  and  most 


THE  MAHARANEE  JINDA  KOUR         221 

dignified  to  hand  back  to  the  Maharajah  all  documents 
connected  with  his  case,  and  withdraw  from  the  charge 
of  his  affairs. 

This  seemed  to  bring  his  former  ward  to  a  better 
perception  of  what  should  be  his  course,  and  decided 
him  to  ask  permission  for  his  mother's  return  to  India. 
Sir  Charles  Phipps  wrote  at  once  to  Sir  Charles  Wood 
at  the  India  Office,  strongly  urging  that  no  obstacle 
might  be  placed  in  the  way  of  granting  his  desire.  The 
Government  point  of  view  was  very  neatly  put  by 
Sir  John  Lawrence  to  Login  at  this  juncture — Lawrence 
had  just  been  made  member  of  the  new  Indian  Council 
at  home  : — 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  the 
Maharanee  is  better  out  of  India  than  in  it !  There, 
she  is  sure  to  do  mischief — here,  I  admit,  she  will  be 
equally  the  evil  genius  of  the  Maharajah  !  It  is  for  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  India  to  decide  which  interest  is 
of  paramount  importance  !  !  " 

It  was  in  the  middle  of  a  letter  written  to  Sir  John 
at  this  period,  and  referring  to  his  mother's  affairs, 
that  Duleep  Singh  suddenly  interpolated  the  remark  : 
"  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  my  mother  has  given  me 
leave  "  (mark  how  the  man  of  twenty-two  had  resumed 
the  shackles  of  native  custom  !)  "  to  marry  an  English 
lady,  and  I  think  I  have  found  one  who  will  make  me 
a  good  wife  !  Pray  don't  TELL  this  to  anyone  !  "  Heartily 
rejoiced  at  the  idea,  as  he  rightly  conceived,  we  made 
haste  to  write  and  congratulate  him  and  ask  a  few  more 
particulars.  To  our  amusement,  the  following  reply  was 
received  : 

"  I  am  afraid  I  must  have  expressed  myself  in  a 
curious  manner  in  my  last  ...  to  make  you  think  I 


222        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

am  engaged  to  be  married.  But  I  wished  you  to  under- 
stand that  if  you  should  hear  of  it  soon — be  not  sur- 
prised ! !  I  would  willingly  tell  you  her  name,  but  I 
cannot  muster  up  courage  to  propose  !  although  I  feel 
sure  I  shall  be  accepted  !  " 

And  then  no  more  came  of  it  !  !  !  Some  time  after, 
I  got  him  in  a  corner  by  himself,  determined  to  get 
to  the  bottom  of  this  curtailed  novelette,  and  the 
denoument  struck  me  as  so  unutterably  funny,  that 
I  fear  I  did  not  at  all  conform  to  the  rdle  of  the 
sympathetic  confidante,  but  positively  shrieked  with 
laughter  ;  and  the  Maharajah  himself,  who  had  com- 
menced his  tale  with  a  woe-begone  air,  so  manifestly 
enjoyed  the  recital,  that  he  quite  forgot  to  be  miserable 
over  it  in  the  end  ! 

Apparently  he  had  reason  for  being  sure  of  the  fair 
one's  willingness,  only  unfortunately  (like  others  before 
him  !)  he  made  too  certain,  and  forgot  that  delay 
is  sometimes  fatal !  When  at  length  he  "  screwed  his 
courage  to  the  sticking-point,"  he  found  that  he  was 
just  a  day  too  late,  and  the  lady  had  accepted  another 
suitor  !  Nevertheless,  it  seemed,  she  allowed  him  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  was  his  procrastination 
alone  that  lost  the  day,  and  that  she  regretted  as  much 
as  he  did  the  result  of  his  want  of  resolution  !  As  far 
as  I  could  gather,  they  mingled  their  tears  in  a  sad 
farewell,  and  he  consoled  himself  by  shooting  over  her 
husband's  moors,  once  the  marriage  was  an  accom- 
plished fact  ! 

In  December,  1862,  my  husband  took  a  short  trip  to 
India,  being  asked  by  the  Board  of  Indian  Tramway 
Company — now  the  South  Indian  Railway — to  go  out 
to  Bombay  as  their  representative,  to  confer  on  their 
behalf  with  the  Governor,  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  He  returned 


THE  MAHARANEE   JINDA  KOUR        223 

to  England  in  April,  1863,  having  thoroughly  inspected 
the  various  lines  proposed  throughout  the  Bombay 
Presidency,  but  was  prevented,  through  the  advance 
of  the  hot  weather,  from  carrying  out  his  intention 
of  travelling  over  Bengal  in  the  same  manner.  Many 
letters  reached  him  from  his  old  native  friends  and 
servants  in  Oude,  begging  him  to  let  them  see  him  also. 

He  had  never  known  what  it  meant  to  be  obliged 
to  take  precautions  on  account  of  his  health,  and  on 
his  return  made  no  difference  in  his  previous  habits, 
though  so  lately  transported  from  the  heat  of  Bombay 
to  the  treacherous  weather  of  an  English  spring.  Cross- 
ing Hyde  Park  one  morning  in  May,  in  a  bitter  east 
wind,  without  an  overcoat,  he  contracted  his  very  first 
severe  illness,  and  was  ordered  to  the  seaside  afterwards 
to  recuperate.  This  was  the  occasion  of  our  going  first 
to  Felixstowe,  on  the  Suffolk  coast,  then  a  small  village 
with  one  hotel  and  a  few  lodging-houses.  It  became  our 
home  for  fifteen  years  from  that  date. 

We  had  been  there  only  a  short  time  when,  on 
August  ist,  a  frantic  telegram  arrived,  despatched 
by  mounted  messenger  from  Ipswich,  twelve  miles  off, 
then  the  nearest  telegraph  office,  in  which  the 
Maharajah  implored  my  husband's  presence  at  once  in 
London,  as  his  mother,  the  Maharanee  Jinda,  had  died 
that  morning !  The  Maharajah  had  himself  been 
hastily  summoned  from  Loch  Kennard  Lodge,  in  Perth- 
shire, only  two  days  before,  and  had  written  to  Sir  John 
that  very  day,  to  say  that  his  mother  seemed  better 
since  his  arrival. 

Poor  Jinda  Koiir,  who  had  been  living  in  Abingdon 
House,  Kensington,  for  the  past  year,  waiting  the 
Indian  Government's  decision  as  to  her  further  destina- 
tion, had  thus  departed  on  her  final  journey,  leaving  her 


224        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

household  in  a  wild  turmoil  of  grief  and  contternation, 
which  Sir  John  was  wanted  to  allay.  Though  really 
unfit  for  the  effort,  he,  who  had  always  been  at  the  beck 
and  call  of  all  who  needed  him,  refused  to  delay  a 
moment,  and  responded  forthwith  to  the  summons 
of  his  former  ward. 

All  arrangements  had  been  left  till  his  arrival.  He  it 
was  who  had  to  console  and  pacify  the  lamenting  son 
and  servants,  and  arrange  for  the  temporary  housing 
of  the  remains,  in  an  unconsecrated  vault  in  Kensal 
Green  Cemetery,  until  such  time  as  measures  could  be 
taken  for  their  transference  to  India,  to  receive  the 
Hindoo  funeral  rites.  A  very  simple  ceremony  marked 
the  conveyance  of  the  body  to  Kensal  Green  ;  but  as 
a  mark  of  respect,  and  to  the  gratification  of  the 
Maharajah,  a  good  number  of  Indian  notabilities 
attended  this.  Those  who  knew  the  Maharajah's 
natural  nervousness,  and  the  effort  which  it  cost  him 
to  speak  at  all  in  public,  were  very  much  touched  and 
impressed,  by  his  conquering  his  shyness,  on  this 
occasion,  so  far  as  to  address  a  few  well-chosen  words 
to  his  mother's  native  servants,  comparing  the  Hindoo 
religion  with  the  Christian's  hope,  and  giving  the 
reasons  "  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him."  All  who 
witnessed  it  spoke  of  it  as  a  very  impressive  incident 
in  a  strange  scene. 


CHAPTER  XV 
SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH 

ON  the  evening  of  St.  Luke's  Day,  October  i8th, 
1863,  my  dear  husband,  John  Spencer  Login,  was  called 
away — suddenly,  quietly  and  peacefully,  sitting  in  his 
chair,  alone  in  his  room,  with  not  a  soul  to  see  the 
passing — to  the  presence  of  that  Friend  and  Master 
Whom  he  had  served  faithfully  and  constantly  through 
the  fifty-three  years  of  his  life.  Not  a  sound,  not  a 
struggle,  had  disturbed  the  calm  in  which  we  found  him, 
lying  back  in  the  long  rest  which  his  marvellous  energy 
had  never  suffered  him  to  indulge  in  of  his  own  act. 
Well  had  he  earned  repose  !  He  had  never  spared  him- 
self. Flesh  and  blood  could  no  more,  and  his  heart 
had  worked  unceasingly  until  it  stopped,  and  the  end 
came  !  The  end  indeed,  as  far  as  this  world  lay  ;  but 
could  those  who  knew  him  doubt,  that  "  in  the  heavenly 
mansions  there  was  a  place  prepared "  for  a  larger, 
fuller  exercise,  of  the  qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  the 
powers  of  sympathy,  faith  and  patience,  which  had 
made  him  such  a  counsellor  and  support  to  those  in 
need  of  help  and  guidance  ? 

It  was  a  Sunday.  He  had  seemed  in  his  usual  health, 
and  attended  church.  In  the  evening,  as  was  their 
custom,  the  family  and  household  joined  in  singing 
their  favourite  hymns,  and  the  last  one  sung,  "  Jesu, 
lover  of  my  soul !  "  he  had  been  heard  singing  under  his 
breath  as  he  went  upstairs  to  his  dressing-room.  This 
was  the  last  seen  of  him  alive  !  Though  barely  four 


226        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

months  had  elapsed  since  he  first  came  to  Felixstowe, 
as  everywhere,  the  time  had  proved  long  enough  for 
him  to  make  an  extraordinary  impression  on  the  people 
of  the  place,  his  own  early  training,  and  sea-faring 
instincts,  causing  him  to  take  a  special  interest  in  the 
lives  of  the  fishermen  and  coastguards,  and  he  loved 
to  question  and  exchange  ideas  with  them  during  his 
daily  rides  along  the  beach.  The  memories  of  his 
amphibious  boyhood  revived  with  the  smell  of  the  sea- 
weed and  the  salt  water,  for  he  was  an  Orcadian,  and  a 
sailor  by  instinct,  and  had  narrowly  escaped  volunteer- 
ing for  Sir  John  Franklin's  last  fatal  expedition. 

So  the  coastguardsmen  of  the  station  begged  to  be 
permitted  to  pay  their  last  respects  to  him,  in  full  uni- 
form, at  the  funeral ;  and,  learning  how  he  had  served 
the  flag  in  many  times  of  war,  in  various  ways,  insisted 
on  themselves  bearing  the  coffin  shoulder-high  to  the 
grave  in  Felixstowe  churchyard,  a  mile  away.  My  last 
view  of  it  was  thus,  as  it  went  away  from  the  door, 
with  Lieut.  Hart,  R.N.,  in  charge,  the  hearse  and 
mourning  coaches  following  empty  behind,  most  of  the 
mourners  walking  in  the  procession,  headed  by  the 
Maharajah  Duleep  Singh,  who  shared  with  my  two 
boys  the  post  of  chief  mourners. 

It  was  really  marvellous  how  so  many  of  his  old 
friends  and  former  associates,  in  addition  to  our  own 
relatives,  had  made  a  point  of  being  present,  at  great 
inconvenience  in  many  cases  to  themselves,  specially 
Lord  Lawrence  (then  Sir  John),  who  was  shortly  going 
out  to  India  to  take  up  his  position  as  Viceroy  ;  Sir 
Frederick  Currie  ;  General  Sir  James  Alexander,  K.C.B., 
Mr.  John  Marshman,  the  historian,  and  the  Rev. 
William  Jay,  formerly  Chaplain  at  Futtehghur,  who  read 
the  burial  service.  The  first-named  wrote  at  once  to 


I 


SIR    JOHN    SPENCER    LOGIN. 


SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH  227 

my  eldest  boy  and  girl,  offering  all  assistance  in  his 
power,  on  the  death  of  his  "  dear  old  friend,"  and  Lady 
Lawrence  was  equally  kind.  To  a  mutual  friend,  at  the 
funeral,  Lord  Lawrence  made  the  remark  :  "  I  never 
met  another  man  who  so  perfectly  combined  the  most 
straightforward  truthfulness,  with  a  complete  courtesy  of 
manner."  Indeed,  letters  and  offers  of  help  poured  in 
from  every  side,  from  those  who  had  learnt  to  know  and 
respect  him,  and  amongst  the  very  kindest,  and  most 
sympathetic,  were  those  received  from  a  quarter  whence 
words  of  commendation  are  naturally  held  of  high  value. 
The  first  was  addressed  to  my  eldest  daughter,  who 
had  written  to  announce  the  death  on  my  behalf,  in  the 
first  hours  of  my  bereavement. 

"  ST.  JAMES'S  PALACE, 

"Oct.  241!)  ($  p.m.),  1863. 
"  MY  DEAR  Miss  LOGIN, 

"  I  can  hardly  attempt  to  express  to  you  how 
shocked  I  was  to  see  yesterday,  when  arriving  at 
Edinburgh,  the  account  of  the  sudden  death  of  my  dear 
friend,  your  father.  I  had  hoped  that  he  had  entirely 
recovered  from  his  illness,  and  that  we  might  hope  for 
a  long-continued  life  of  usefulness.  Lady  Login  knows 
how  strong  was  my  regard  and  friendship  for  him.  I 
find  it  quite  impossible  to  say  how  much  I  regret  the  loss 
of  so  excellent  and  valued  a  friend.  There  were,  how- 
ever, dear  Miss  Login,  few  people  so  well  prepared  for 
a  sudden  call  to  his  Maker,  for  few  people  had  such 
strong  feelings  upon  religion,  or  acted  so  uniformly 
upon  Christian  rules.  If  I  dared  to  intrude  on  your 
dear  mother's  sacred  grief,  I  would  beg  to  be  allowed 
to  assure  her  of  my  sympathy  in  her  loss,  founded  on 
the  deep  regard  and  respect  I  feel  for  the  truly  good 
man  whose  loss  we  mourn.  .  .  .  For  you,  also,  I  feel 
deeply.  What  must  have  been  your  love  for  such  a 
father  !  .  .  .  I  have  only  just  arrived  in  London 


Q2 


228         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 


(5  p.m.),  or  I  should  have  asked  to  be  permitted  to 
join  to-day  in  the  last  sad  tokens  of  respect.  It  would 
be  very  kind  if  you  would  write  again  soon,  to  tell  me 
of  Lady  Login, 

"  Believe  me,  very  sincerely  yours, 

"C.  B.  PHIPPS." 


"  WINDSOR  CASTLE, 

"Oct.  27th,  1863. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The  Queen  has  this  morning  commanded  me  to 
write  to  you  in  Her  name,  to  express  to  you  the  deep 
and  very  sincere  sympathy  with  which  She  has  heard  of 
the  overwhelming  affliction  which  has  fallen  upon  you  ! 
Few,  indeed,  can  so  well  enter  into  the  grief  under  which 
you  must  now  be  suffering  !  You  are  well  aware  of  the 
high  opinion  which  the  Queen  entertained  of  your 
excellent  husband,  my  valued  friend.  Her  Majesty 
had  frequently  shown  this,  not  only  in  the  honour 
bestowed  upon  him,  but  in  the  confidence  so  often 
reposed  in  him,  and  never  disappointed.  He  was  a 
thoroughly  good,  conscientious  man.  What  higher 
praise  can  be  earned  on  earth  ?  What  better  passport 
can  there  be  to  Heaven  ? 

"  I  hardly  know  anybody  who  could  be  better  pre- 
pared for  a  calm,  though  sudden  and  entirely  painless, 
end.  I  did  not  intend,  when  I  began  this  letter  by  the 
Queen's  command,  to  enter  into  my  own  feelings  ; 
but  I  had  a  very  great  and  real  friendship  for  your 
most  excellent  husband,  and  to  me  these  thoughts  are 
very  soothing.  I  only  carry  out  the  Queen's  repeated 
instructions,  in  assuring  you  that  sympathy  for  you  is 
most  sincerely  combined  with  true  regard  and  respect 
for  him  that  is  gone. 

"  Believe  me  always,  dear  Lady  Login, 

"  Sincerely  yours, 

"C.  B.  PHIPPS." 


SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH  229 

"  WINDSOR  CASTLE, 

"Orf.  28^,  1863. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  I  had  written,  but  not  sent,  the  accompanying 
letter  by  the  Queen's  command,  when  I  received  yours 
this  morning.  I  feel  very  strongly  the  kind  exertion 
you  made  in  writing  to  me,  and  I  pray  God  may 
strengthen  and  support  you  !  You  cannot  overrate 
the  regard  I  had  for  my  dear  friend,  your  husband, 
and  my  admiration  of  his  character.  I  am  very  glad  to 
hear  that  the  Maharajah  has  shown  so  much  feeling  of 
the  debt  of  gratitude  which  he  owed  to  his  kind  and 
gentle,  but  always  honest,  mentor  ;  it  will,  indeed,  be 
a  terrible  loss  to  him,  for  Sir  John  always  told  him  the 
truth,  and  gave  him  the  sincerest  advice. 

"  The  Queen  read  your  letter  with  the  greatest 
interest.  If  there  is  anything  kind  from  Her  Majesty 
that  I  could  say,  and  have  not  said,  I  have  so  far  gone 
within  Her  commands  ! 

'  The  Queen  has  been  very  sorry  to  read  the  account 
you  gave  of  Princess  Gouramma's  health  ;  She  wishes 
to  know  whether  you  think  that  it  would  be  injurious 
to  her  health  to  come  down  here  to  see  Her  Majesty  ? 

6  The  Queen  does  not  forget  the  kind  manner  in 
which  you  and  Sir  John  undertook  the  care  of  this  poor 
child,  at  great  personal  inconvenience.  If  it  is  too 
much  for  you  to  write  and  answer  this  yourself,  pray 
ask  your  daughter  to  do  so. 

"  Always  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  B.  PHIPPS." 

I  have  already  told  how  at  this  time  I  was  summoned 
to  London  on  account  of  anxiety  about  Princess  Gou- 
ramma's health. 

Duleep  Singh's  grief  at  my  husband's  death  was  indeed 
most  sincere  and  unaffected,  and  many  at  the  grave- 
side spoke  afterwards  of  the  touching  eloquence  of  his 
sudden  outburst  there,  when  he  gave  vent  to  the  words, 


230         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  Oh,  I  have  lost  my  father  !  for  he  was  indeed  that — 
and  more — to  me  !  "  And  I  remember  the  sort  of  tense 
expression  on  his  face  when,  on  his  arrival,  having 
come  immediately  he  got  the  sad  news,  he  asseverated 
solemnly  :  "  If  that  man  is  not  in  heaven,  then  there's 
not  one  word  of  truth  in  the  Bible  !  "  His  wish  was 
in  all  things  to  act  the  part  of  a  son  to  him  who  was 
now  taken  from  him,  both  in  the  funeral  obsequies, 
and  to  those  left  bereaved  by  his  death. 

He  had  just  purchased  Elveden,  the  place  he  lived  in 
for  many  years  in  Suffolk,  and  it  was  a  great  grief  that 
his  late  guardian  had  not  been  able  to  inspect  it ;  but 
he  was  very  firmly  resolved,  all  the  same,  that  he  should 
be  buried  there,  in  a  new  mausoleum  which  he  pur- 
posed to  build  as  a  family  burial-place,  and  that  the 
interment  at  Felixstowe  should  be  only  temporary. 
I  had,  however,  the  arrangements  made  from  the  first 
so  that  they  might  be  permanent,  and  later  the 
Maharajah  was  persuaded  to  erect,  in  the  Felixstowe 
churchyard,*  a  very  beautiful  monument  of  red,  and 
grey  granite,  and  white  marble,  surmounted  by  a  cross, 
which,  standing  out  as  it  does  on  the  highest  ground  in 
the  neighbourhood,  is  visible  for  many  miles  at  sea, 
and  served  for  years  as  a  "  leading-mark  "  for  mariners 
— a  use  to  which  to  put  his  resting-place,  he  would 
have,  of  all  others,  desired  ! 

The  Maharanee  Jinda  having  so  recently  died,  it  was 
now  necessary  for  Duleep  Singh  to  carry  out  his  inten- 
tion of  conveying  the  body  to  India  for  the  funeral  rites, 
during  the  cold  weather  ;  and  with  many  regrets  for 
having  to  trouble  me  at  such  a  time,  he  had  to  write 
to  me  on  December  I3th,  while  I  was  still  suffering  from 

*  Now  (1916)  surrounded  by  entrenchments  and  wire-entanglements,  and 
strongly  guarded  as  a  very  vulnerable  point  on  the  coast. 


SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH  231 

the  shock  of  seven  weeks  earlier,  to  beg  me  to  search 
amongst  Sir  John's  papers  for  the  arrangements  made 
at  Kensal  Green,  when  he  himself  had  been  too  pros- 
trated with  grief  to  know  what  was  being  done. 

A  few  days  later  he  wrote  about  my  own  pension 
and  money  matters,  and  was  anxious  that  I  should  know 
that  he  would  do  all  on  his  part,  to  make  me  feel  at  ease 
about  my  own  and  the  children's  future,  before  he  left 
England.  All  the  designs  for  the  monument  were 
selected  and  sent  to  the  Queen,  by  Her  wish,  for  approval 
before  he  sailed  ;  and  Mr.  Jackson,  the  sculptor,  came 
down  to  take  drawings  and  do  part  of  the  work  for  the 
bust  of  my  husband,  in  my  house,  so  that  the  Maharajah 
might  see  some  of  the  progress  when  he  came  to  stay 
with  me  (or  rather,  at  the  Hotel  close  by),  as  he  did 
for  one  or  two  weeks  in  February  before  his  actual 
departure. 

His  kindness  and  consideration  for  me  were  beyond 
words,  and  he  was  really  like  a  son  in  the  way  he  thought 
of,  and  for,  me  and  my  children.  He  had  fully  meant 
to  have  a  good  time  wild-duck  shooting  up  the  Deben 
River,  and  brought  a  punt  and  duck-gun  for  the  purpose, 
but  it  was  characteristic  of  him,  that,  as  he  confided 
to  me,  he  found  he  could  not  endure  the  officious 
attentions  of  the  hotel-keeper,  who  "  Royal  'Ighness"-ed 
him  at  every  sentence,  and  would  never  leave  him  alone 
a  moment,  trotting  at  his  heels  assiduously  like  a 
faithful  spaniel  (a  thing  Maharajah  could  never  support!) 
every  time  he  came  to  and  from  the  hotel  to  our  house. 
One  of  the  children's  chief  amusements  was  to  watch, 
with  the  aid  of  a  big  telescope,  from  our  tower-room, 
the  procession  approaching  along  the  beach,  and 
"  chaff "  Maharajah  over  the  failure  of  his  efforts  to 
shake  off  his  encumbrance !  It  really  was  rather  comic 


232        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

to  see  Duleep  Singh — not  fond,  at  any  time,  of  unneces- 
sary pedestrian  exercise,  except  when  under  training 
for  shooting — making  devious  and  extended  detours 
across  heavy  shingle,  weed-grown  and  slippery  rocks, 
and  obstructive  groynes  (locally  known  as  "  shies," 
because  walkers  generally  "shy"  at  them,  I  suppose!) 
in  the  vain  hope  of  tiring  out  his  attendant,  who,  short- 
legged,  stout,  and  dumpy,  as  he  was,  stuck  pertinaciously 
to  his  self-imposed  rdle,  and  turned  up  infallibly,  pant- 
ing and  smiling,  at  the  finish  ! 

Disappointed  as  he  was  at  that  juncture  in  his  hopes 
of  the  English  marriage  he  had  fixed  on,  Duleep  Singh 
was  as  firmly  determined  to  seek  a  wife  without  further 
loss  of  time — his  manner  of  compassing  his  object 
appearing  somewhat  quaint  and  crude  according  to 
our  ideas.  He  was  honestly  anxious  about  his  own 
future,  in  his  desire  to  live  up  to  the  standard  of 
conduct  which  his  late  guardian  had  inculcated,  and  was 
very  fearful  lest,  if  he  married  a  woman-of-society  only, 
such  as  he  might  meet  with  in  an  ordinary  way,  he 
would  be  too  weak  to  resist  the  temptations  of  a  life 
of  mere  idleness.  He  had  a  fixed  idea  that  the  proper 
sort  of  wife  for  him  was  a  very  young  girl,  whom  he 
could  train  and  educate  to  be  "  an  help-meet  " — an 
experiment  that  generally  risks  turning  out  a  dangerous 
failure  ! 

Nothing  that  I  could  say,  though  I  reasoned  much  with 
him,  would  turn  him  from  the  intention  he  expressed,  of 
paying  a  visit  on  his  way  out,  to  the  American  Missionary 
School  in  Cairo,  which  had  greatly  interested  him  when  he 
saw  it  with  us,  very  many  years  before,  and  requesting  the 
missionaries  to  provide  him — if  they  had  such  an  article 
on  hand — with  what  he  called  "  a  good,  Christian  wife  !  " 
To  others  it  sounds  a  most  extraordinary  and  impossible 


SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH  233 

suggestion,  and  I  cannot  but  think  that,  in  his  case, 
such  apparent  gambling  with  his  own  future  happiness, 
was  marvellously  over-ruled  and  ordered  by  the  Divine 
will. 

I  received,  at  that  time,  a  letter  from  Sir  Charles 
Phipps,  which  refers  both  to  the  monument  to  be 
erected  to  my  beloved  husband  by  the  Maharajah, 
and  the  inscription  to  be  placed  on  it,  and  also  to  this 
strange  project  of  matrimony  that  Duleep  Singh  had 
confided  to  me. 

"  OSBORNE, 

"Feb.  ijtb,  1864. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The  Queen  was  very  much  grieved  at  the  account 
you  gave  of  the  poor  little  princess  in  your  letter,  and 
directed  me  to  telegraph  at  once  to  inquire  for  her,  in 
Her  name. 

"  It  is  very  sad  to  see  one  so  young  cut  off,  but  I 
think  you  have  long  thought  that  her  lungs  were  in  a 
very  unsatisfactory  state. 

"  I  shall  be  greatly  interested  to  see  the  sketch  of 
the  monument  which  you  and  the  Maharajah  have 
approved,  and  when  I  go  to  London  shall  certainly  go 
to  see  the  model.  There  has  rarely  lived  a  man  with  a 
more  extended  and  pure  benevolence,  and  I  have  cer- 
tainly learned  more  of  India,  and  Indian  affairs,  from 
him,  than  from  any  other  man. 

"  I  fear,  from  what  you  say,  that  Princess  Gouramma 
is  in  a  very  dangerous  state.  .  .  .  The  dear  Maharajah 
is  not  always  very  wise  in  his  decisions,  and  I  fear  there 
is  nobody  now  who  has  much  influence  over  him.  He 
must  miss  his  faithful  Thornton,  too.  I  suppose  there 
is  no  doubt  about  his  going  to  India,  as  you  say  he 
intends  doini*  ? 

"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"  C.  B.  PHIPPS." 


234        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Again — 

"  February  2Otb,  1864. 

:c  The  design  for  the  monument  is  very  much  liked  ; 
it  is  both  quiet,  handsome,  and  in  good  taste.  What 
do  you  think  of  the  enclosed  inscription  ?  It  is  simple 
and  short,  which  I  think  you  wished,  but  it  can  easily 
be  added  to  if  wished.*  The  Queen  will  Herself  select 
a  text. 

"  Ever  yours  sincerely, 

"  C.  B.  PHIPPS." 

To  show  that  he  was  serious  in  the  proposal  he 
announced,  the  Maharajah  insisted  on  making  out, 
signing,  and  handing  to  me  the  following  curious 
memorandum,  which,  although  afterwards  known  to 
one  or  two  persons,  I  have  never  before  made  general 
allusion  to. 

"  November  i$th,  1863. 

"  I  promise  to  pay  Lady  Login  £50  (fifty  pounds) 
if  I  am  not  married  by  1st  of  June,  1864,  provided  my 
health  keeps  good. 

"  DULEEP  SINGH." 

It  is  written  on  a  half-sheet  of  notepaper,  and  on  the 
back  is  added  : 

"N.B. — That  is,  if  I  am  [not  ?]  confined  three  months 
to  my  house,  or  ordered  by  my  Doctor  (of  course 
showing  a  '  Doc  '  certificate)  to  go  abroad. 

"  DULEEP  SINGH." 


This  time  of  my  sore  trouble  is  one  that  I  would  fain 
hasten  over,  but  there  is  one  letter,  of  all  the  hundreds 
I  received  then,  that  I  cannot  forbear  quoting,  not  only 
on  account  of  the  writer's  high  place  in  his  country- 

*  This  inscription  was  somewhat  amplified  by  the  Maharajah  before  being 
cut  on  the  monument  ;  the  text  is  the  one  chosen  by  H.M. 


SIR  JOHN'S  DEATH  235 

men's  respect  and  esteem,  but  because  my  husband 
specially  venerated  his  strong  sense  of  truth  and  justice, 
and  valued  his  personal  friendship  above  that  of  almost 
any  of  his  contemporaries  then  living. 

"  LLANDUDNO,  N.  WALES, 

"  Oct.  26th,  1863. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  I  have  just  heard  from  the  newspaper,  the  great 
affliction  that  has  befallen  you.  I  cannot  forbear  to 
write,  to  tell  you  how  much  I  grieve  for  you  and  your 
children.  I  know  no  particulars,  but  this  I  know,  that 
you  and  they  have  suffered  a  loss  which  can  never  be 
repaired. 

6  There  was  so  much  true  goodness,  honour,  and 
kindness  in  Sir  John  Login,  that  he  did  much  to  make 
happy  all  around  him  ;  and  these  qualities,  so  apparent 
to  his  friends,  were  even  more  conspicuous  in  the  bosom 
of  his  family.  I  remember  his  many  kindnesses  to  me 
when  I  met  him  abroad  seven  years  ago,  when  I  was  out 
of  health.  I  shall  always  think  of  him  as  one  whom  it 
was  a  privilege  and  an  honour  to  know  !  I  can  say 
nothing  that  will  lessen  the  blow  which  has  been  per- 
mitted to  fall  upon  you,  he  whom  you  mourn  knew  well 
the  Source  of  highest  consolation,  from  that  Source 
alone  you  can  derive  help  to  sustain  you  in  this  time  of 
your  fearful  trial.  My  daughter  Helen  is  in  Edinburgh, 
so  I  can  send  no  message  from  her,  but  I  know  she  will 
be  full  of  deep  sympathy  with  you.  Excuse  this  note, 
which  does  but  poorly  express  what  I  wish  .to  say,  for 
you  know  that  my  regard  and  esteem  for  your  husband 
was  deep  and  sincere. 

6  Believe  me  always,  dear  Lady  Login, 

"  Your  sincere  friend, 

"  JOHN  BRIGHT." 

I  was  privileged,  in  after  years,  to  have  many  more 
letters  from  the  same  hand  ;    but  none,  you  may  be 


236        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

sure,  that  pleased  me  more.  Mr.  Bright  was  so  good  as 
to  come  and  see  me  sometimes  when  in  London,  in  the 
midst  of  all  his  press  of  parliamentary  work  ;  and  in 
his  outspoken,  cordial  way,  told  his  opinions  and  his 
views  on  diverse  subjects.  I  immensely  enjoyed  these 
talks,  though,  as  my  own  convictions  and  ideas  were 
generally  diametrically  opposed  to  his,  he  never  minded 
my  presenting  them  in  very  blunt  terms,  and  we  used  to 
argue  and  almost  quarrel,  in  the  vehemence  of  his 
statements,  yet  never  lost  the  feeling  of  unanimity  in 
all  that  was  fundamentally  essential.  I  think  there 
were  few  statesmen  of  his  calibre,  who  would  have 
taken  the  pains  he  did,  to  convince  a  lone  widow, 
with  no  vote  or  political  interest,  of  the  urgency 
of  his  reforms  ?  Almost  as  if  it  was  of  paramount 
importance  that  she  should  be  brought  to  a  right  way 
of  viewing  each  subject  on  which  his  heart  was  set ! 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  MAHARAJAH'S  MARRIAGE  AND  CONTROVERSY  WITH 
THE  INDIAN  GOVERNMENT 

THE  Maharanee's  Jinda  Koiir's  body  was  landed  at 
Bombay,  and,  under  the  superintendence  of  her  native 
servants,  underwent  the  ceremonial  burning,  the  ashes 
being  conveyed  to,  and  scattered  on,  the  sacred  waters 
of  the  Nerbuddah. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Maharajah  wrote  to  his  great 
friend,  Mr.  Ronald  Leslie-Melville,  to  inform  him  that, 
on  his  way  through  Egypt,  he  had  met  a  young  lady 
of  semi-Oriental  birth  at  the  Mission  School  he  had 
mentioned  before,  and  that  he  was  so  satisfied  that  she 
would  prove  all  he  wished  for  as  a  wife,  that  they  were 
to  be  married  at  Alexandria  on  his  return  journey, 
after  he  had  carried  out  the  purpose  for  which  he  had 
proceeded  to  India.  Truly  the  acme  of  incongruous 
associations,  to  go  in  search  of  a  wife,  and  carry  out  a 
courtship,  in  the  middle  of  a  funeral  voyage  !  return 
to  complete  the  proceedings,  tie  the  nuptial  knot,  and 
bring  back  a  bride  in  place  of  a  coffin  ! 

I  only  once  heard  of  a  parallel  instance,  and  that  was 
in  the  case  of  the  first  Earl  of  Gainsborough  who,  having 
married  four  times,  might  be  excused  a  certain  fami- 
liarity with  the  sensation !  On  the  occasion  of  his  fourth 
honeymoon,  he  utilized  the  opportunity  to  bring  down 
at  the  same  time,  the  coffins  of  his  three  previous  wives, 
to  be  interred  in  the  same  family  fault  in  the  little  village 
church  of  Teston,  close  to  his  residence  at  Barham  Court. 


238         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

Being  a  busy  man,  he  might  not  otherwise  have  had 
such  a  good  chance  to  superintend  the  operation  ! 

A  bare  announcement  of  the  Maharajah's  intention 
was  also  sent  to  Colonel  Oliphant,  his  equerry  and 
superintendent  of  the  household  ;  and,  of  course,  the 
fact  had  at  once  to  be  communicated  to  the  Queen, 
who  immediately  sent  Sir  Charles  Phipps  to  see  me,  in 
Lancaster  Gate,  to  try  and  find  out  more  particulars, 
as  Her  Majesty  was  naturally  greatly  disturbed  over  the 
intelligence.  Sir  Charles  came  up  from  Windsor  on 
purpose,  and  his  advent  was  heralded  by  a  mounted 
groom  in  the  royal  livery,  who  brought  a  note  to  make 
the  appointment,  all  which  was  intended  as  a  special 
recognition  of  my  recent  widowhood,  and  consideration 
for  my  deep  mourning. 

Little  more  was  known,  except  that  the  bride  was  only 
fifteen  years  of  age,  until  the  marriage  had  taken  place, 
and  the  newly-wedded  pair  were  on  their  way  to 
England.  Of  course,  there  was  an  immense  amount 
of  talk  everywhere  about  the  marriage,  and  considerable 
consternation  in  many  quarters.  I  was  inundated  with 
questions  and  inquiries. 

You  may  imagine  that  I  was  considerably  relieved 
by  a  letter  which  I  received  from  my  friend  Lady 
Leven,  who  was  the  first  person  actually  to  see  the  new 
Maharanee,  for  it  was  some  time  before  I  was  able  to 
accept  Maharajah's  invitation  to  go  and  stay  with  them 
at  Elveden,  and  judge  for  myself  of  the  choice  he  had 
finally  made.  My  own  health  began  to  give  a  good  deal 
of  trouble,  and  the  result  of  the  shock,  and  time  of 
anxiety,  was  telling  on  me.  I  had  not  been  strong  for 
a  good  many  years,  and  was  subject  to  attacks  of 
asthma,  so  much  so  that,  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  I 
was  ordered  by  the  doctors  to  the  south  of  France, 


THE  MAHARAJAH'S  MARRIAGE         239 

and   obliged   to   stay  there   through    two  winters  and 
springs. 

Lady  Leven  wrote  me  from  Roehampton,  on  July 
29th,  1864,  and  told  me  how  much  she  liked  what  she 
had  seen  of  the  young  Maharanee,  though,  of  course, 
it  was  difficult  to  judge  until  she  spoke  English,  as,  for 
the  present,  she  was  only  acquainted  with  Arabic,  of 
which,  by  the  way,  the  Maharajah  knew  only  a  few 
words  ! 

"  She  is  not,"  she  wrote,  "  the  wonderful  beauty  that 
Edwy  (my  son)  supposed  ;  but  she  is  remarkably  nice- 
looking,  with  very  fine  eyes,  and  a  sweet  expression. 
In  that  respect  she  is  better-looking  than  Gouramma, 
and  a  size  larger.  She  looked  simple  and  quiet,  and 
rather  dignified. 

"  I  asked  the  M.R.  if  her  head  was  turned  by  her 
marriage  ?  and  he  said  that  she  knew  nothing  of  her 
position,  and  did  not  care  for  her  jewels  when  he  showed 
them  to  her.  ...  I  fancy  she  is  entirely  occupied  with 
him.  She  is  most  submissive,  and  if  asked  if  she  would 
like  to  do  anything,  answers  :  '  Maharajah  wish — I 
wish  !  '  They  are  going  immediately  to  the  Highlands, 
and  he  is  very  anxious  that  Lord  L.  and  Ronald  and  I 
should  visit  them  there,  and  I  have  persuaded  Lord  L. 
to  agree.  The  rest  of  our  party  would  go  either  to 
N.  Berwick  for  sea-bathing,  or  stay  at  the  Inn  at 
Aberfeldy. 

'  I  should  like  to  see  more  of  this  girl.  He  says 
her  name  is  *  Bamba,'  which  means  '  pink,'  and  that  she 
was  pink  till  six  weeks  ago,  when  she  had  jaundice  ! 

"  He  says  that,  as  she  is  not  strong,  he  is  doctoring 
her  /  and  the  day  he  brought  her  here  begged  she  might 
have  nothing  but  cold  water,  because  of  some  dose  he 
had  given  her  !  I  must  remonstrate  about  this,  or  he 
will  certainly  kill  her  !  .  .  . 

"  She   looks   as   if   she   had   a   perfect   temper,   and 


240         LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

seems  a  simple-minded  girl,  above  marrying  for  rank, 
and  her  ready  submission,  if  it  does  not  last  too  long, 
will  make  them  happy  together." 

Lady  Leven  then  gave  a  most  lively  description  of 
her  difficulties  about  the  Maharanee's  clothes.  The 
Maharajah  would  interfere  in  everything  concerning 
his  wife's  attire,  and  had  the  most  absurd  notions  on 
the  matter.  The  large  crinolines  then  in  vogue  were  not 
at  all  suitable  for  her,  and  Lady  Leven  tried  to  con- 
vince him  that  it  would  be  far  better  not  to  dress  her 
in  European  fashion,  but  in  a  modification  of  the 
Egyptian  costume  she  had  been  accustomed  to,  which 
was  infinitely  more  becoming. 

"  You  can  fancy  how  it  is  now,"  she  remarked, 
"  with  two  dressmakers  in  the  house,  and  he  finding 
fault  if  she  does  not  look  like  other  people,  and  yet 
insisting  on  her  dresses  being  cut  short,  and  no  trim- 
ming of  any  kind,  and  choosing  colours  irrespective  of 
the  becoming  !  It  is  all  from  intense  anxiety  that  she 
should  look  well,  but  I  mean  to  try  and  persuade  him 
to  give  up  dress  and  medicine  to  professionals,  and 
devote  himself  to  her  mind  instead  ! 

"  Mme.  Goldschmidt*  saw  her  here,  and  thought  her 
very  nice-looking,  and  all  our  girls  were  charmed  with 
her.  Colonel  Hogg  t  also  met  her.  ...  I  hope  she  will 
make  as  good  an  impression  on  others  as  she  did  on  us. 
I  scarcely  know  why,  but  I  feel  as  if  I  cared  almost  as 
much  about  his  wife  as  I  should  about  R.'s. 

"  Ever  yours, 

"  S.  LEVEN." 

Although  I  was  not  able  to  see  the  Maharanee  then, 
Duleep  Singh  came  to  me  himself  not  very  long  after 

*  Jenny  Lind,  the  famous  cantatrice,  a  neighbour  of  the  Countess  of  Leven  at 
Roehampton. 

|  Afterwards  Lord  Magheramorne. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S  MARRIAGE         241 

this,  when  I  was  up  in  town  in  lodgings  in  Prince's 
Street,  Hanover  Square.  It  was  in  the  dusk  of  the  late 
afternoon  of  a  foggy  day,  and  the  remembrance  often 
comes  back  to  me  of  him,  sitting  there  by  the  fire  with 
the  daylight  slowly  fading,  while  he  told  the  tale  of  his 
wooing  and  marriage  of  this  shy  young  child — for  she 
was  little  more — who  had  no  desire  for  the  position  he 
could  offer  her,  and  in  her  heart  wished  to  be  left  to 
devote  herself  to  the  life  of  a  missionary,  for  which  she 
was  being  educated.  He  thoroughly  enjoyed  telling  his 
story,  and  was  in  the  highest  of  spirits,  and  triumphant 
over  having  just  managed  to  "  win  his  bet  "  with  me 
by  speeding  up  the  legal  formalities  and  his  own  move- 
ments, to  and  from  India,  within  the  specified  date  ! 

To  all  my  remonstrances  as  to  the  indecent  haste  with 
which  he  cut  short  his  mother's  "  cremation,"  so  as  to 
permit  of  his  return  quickly  to  Egypt,  and  to  his  having 
allowed  pressure  to  be  put  on  a  young  girl  to  consent  to 
such  a  hurried  marriage,  he  responded  only  with  peals 
of  laughter,  treating  the  whole  matter  as  a  joke.  I  can 
see  his  eyes  rolling  now,  the  gleam  of  his  flashing  teeth 
in  the  dark  shadows,  and  his  hilarious  shrieks  of  mirth 
when  I  questioned  him  as  to  how  he  could  possibly 
have  conducted  a  conversation  with  his  fiancee,  if  she 
knew  no  language  he  spoke,  and  he  nothing  of  hers  ? 

"  Oh,  that  was  quite  simple  !  I  had  a  dragoman  to 
interpret  !  "  "  Interpret,  Maharajah  ?  What  do  you 
mean  ?  You  never  had  a  dragoman  there  when  you 
were  talking  to  her  ?  What  could  he  say  ?  "  "  Oh, 
quite  easy,  quite  easy,  I  assure  you  !  All  I  had  to  say 
was,  '  I  love  you !  Will  you  be  my  wife  ? '  to  him,  and 
he  turned  it  into  Arabic,  and  then  her  answer  he  trans- 
lated to  me  !  " 

All  this   farrago  was   narrated  with  a  succession  of 


242         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

shrugs  and  expressive  gestures,  contortions  of  merri- 
ment and  droll  faces,  as  to  make  it  extremely  doubtful 
how  much  was  jest,  and  how  much  earnest ;  but  the 
bare  idea  of  the  situation,  in  the  way  he  told  it,  was  so 
irresistibly  comic  that  I  could  do  nothing  but  laugh 
with  him,  and  had  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  show  him 
how  he  had  outraged  the  sense  of  propriety  of  the 
powers  that  be  ! 


In  the  years  that  followed  I  saw  Maharajah,  and  his 
wife  and  family — there  were  six  children — only  from 
time  to  time,  as,  after  my  husband's  death,  I  lived 
chiefly  in  retirement,  at  Felixstowe.  I  stayed  with 
him  once  or  twice  at  Elveden  after  my  return  from 
abroad,  taking  my  two  remaining  daughters,  and  I  met 
him  occasionally  in  London,  and  saw  his  wife  and 
daughters  there  also  ;  but  I  think  only  about  fourteen 
letters  or  so  had  passed  between  us  in  the  course  of  as 
many  years — a  contrast  to  the  constant  correspondence 
of  the  times  now  past.  No  one  could  help  appreciating 
the  gentleness  and  lovable  qualities  of  the  Maharanee 
Bamba,  she  was  a  really  good  woman,  and  a  consistent 
Christian,  and  tried  in  every  way  to  fulfil  the  duties  of 
a  very  difficult  position,  not  at  all  of  her  own  seeking, 
and  which  was  doubly  hard  for  her,  in  that  she  had  had 
no  sort  of  preparation  or  up-bringing  to  equip  her  for 
it.  No  one  who  came  in  contact  with  her  could  fail  to 
feel  for  her  both  respect  and  affection,  and  she  has 
transmitted  to  her  children  qualities  which  were  often 
lacking  in  their  father's  conduct. 

For  some  long  time  after  the  marriage,  the  Maharajah 
kept  his  wife  down  in  the  country,  with  a  governess 
to  instruct  her  in  English  and  in  general  knowledge 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         243 

December  28th,  1865,  Lady  Leven  wrote  to  tell  me  that 
the  Maharanee  had  a  new  governess,  in  place  of  the  one, 
Miss  Hart,  who  had  been  with  her  since  her  first  coming 
to  England.  She  and  the  Maharajah  had  been  to  "  dine 
and  sleep"  at  Windsor.  She  wore  the  native  costume 
which  had  been  designed  for  her,  and  in  which  she  was 
photographed — the  Maharajah  presenting  me  and  his 
god-daughter  with  several  copies.  It  became  her  very 
well,  and  in  it  she  looked  far  better-looking  than  in 
European  dress.  It  had  a  full  skirt,  and  Turkish  jacket 
with  wide  sleeves  ;  on  her  head  was  a  jaunty  cap,  like 
a  fez,  made  of  fine  large  pearls,  worn  on  one  side  with  a 
long  tassel  of  pearls  hanging  almost  to  her  shoulder. 
Her  hair  was  plaited  into  several  long,  tight  plaits, 
hanging  straight  down  all  round.  This  had  rather  a 
curious  effect.  She  wore  this  only  on  state  occasions. 
Ordinarily,  her  hair  was  coiled  on  her  head  in  an  immense 
plait.  Of  course,  she  was  loaded  with  jewels  besides. 

Her  Majesty  and  the  Princesses  were  exceedingly 
kind  and  immensely  interested  in  her,  and  her  toilette  ! 
and  Lady  Leven  told  how  the  Princess  of  Prussia 
(Princess  Royal,  then  over  on  a  visit)  and  Princess 
Helena  (Princess  Christian)  would  stay  in  the 
Maharanee's  room  to  see  her  hair  plaited  !  The  Queen 
kissed  her,  as  an  acknowledgment  of  her  rank,  and 
pleased  the  Maharajah  very  much  by  her  complimentary 
speeches  ;  and  the  two  Princesses  made  her  sit  between 
them  all  the  evening,  cross-questioning  her  about 
Egypt  and  her  life  there. 

Many  years  afterwards,  when  I  had  occasion  to  write 
to  Lady  Leven,  to  ask  her  if  she  could  chaperone  my 
youngest  daughter  (who  was  also  her  god-daughter,  as 
well  as  Duleep  Singh's)  to  the  Caledonian  Ball,  as  she 
had  been  good  enough  to  look  after  her  at  one  of  the 


244         LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

State  Balls  at  Buckingham  Palace,  I  heard  from  her  that 
the  Maharajah  was  entirely  taken  up  writing  an  Opera,* 
and  that  Ronald  Melville  had  seen  him  in  London, 
"  living  alone  with  two  pianos,"  and  thinking  of 
nothing  else  !  At  that  time  (June,  1882),  he  was 
already  engaged  in  a  violent  quarrel  with  the  India 
Office,  but  I  knew  nothing  from  himself  of  the  pitch  of 
exasperation  to  which  he  had  been  reduced,  or  of  his 
money  difficulties,  until  the  summer  of  1883,  when  he 
wrote  that  he  was  coming  to  pay  me  a  "  farewell  visit  " 
before  he  finally  left  England  for  good,  and  had  done 
with  its  deceitful  bureaucrats  ! 

I  was  then  living  at  St.  Vincents,  near  West  Mailing, 
in  Kent,  and  he  came  down  to  spend  a  long  day  with 
us,  very  full  of  his  grievances  ,and  the  injustice  with 
which  he  had  been  treated  by  the  British  Government— 
and  unfortunately  he  had  much  reason  in  his  complaints. 
I  have  already  gone  elsewhere  in  such  detail  into  his 
casef  that  I  do  not  wish  to  go  over  old  ground  here, 
except  in  so  far  as  it  refers  to  the  then  position  of  the 
dispute  He  told  me  he  had  taken  passage  to  India  for 
himself  and  his  whole  family — who,  mind  you,  had  been 
all,  save  the  Maharenee,  born  and  brought  up  in  England, 
and  were  practically  English  in  tastes,  language  and 
education  ! — and  intended  to  resume  native  life,  and  be 
"  done  with  England  and  her  hypocrisies  for  ever  !  " 
He  said  that  the  Government  made  such  deductions 
from  the  pension  they  had  agreed  to  settle  on  him,  by 
way  of  life-insurance  for  his  family,  and  interest  charged 
on  advances  for  the  purchase  of  Elveden  (which  latter 
money  he  had  understood  was  given  in  satisfaction  of 
a  claim  he  had  against  them),  that  he  had  no  longer  the 

*  He  sent  me  the  libretto. 

f  "  Sir  John  Login  and  Duleep  Singh." 


THE  MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         245 

means  to  support  the  rank  which  Her  Majesty,  and  her 
Ministers,  had  given  him  when  he  first  came  to  Eng- 
land. That  the  Government  informed  him  that,  at  his 
death,  his  landed  property  would  be  sold,  and  that  there 
would  be  only  a  provision  of  £3,000  for  his  eldest  son, 
which  amount  he  considered  insulting.  This  was 
undoubtedly  the  point  that  roused  his  bitterest  ani- 
mosity. He  had  told  me  before,  and  repeated  it  again, 
that  had  they  only  let  him  have  a  stake  in  the  country, 
allowed  him  a  property  which  he  might ,  consider  his 
own,  to  leave  to  his  sons,  and  given  him  an  English 
title  to  pass  on  to  his  descendants,  he  would  have  been 
perfectly  contented.  It  was  the  instinct  to  found  a 
family,  to  feel  that  his  sons  had  something  to  look  to, 
which  is  so  firmly  rooted  in  all  men,  but  in  the  Oriental 
is  almost  a  religious  tenet,  that  they  set  themselves 
deliberately  to  uproot  ;  and,  in  consequence,  turned  in 
the  end  an  easy-going,  contented,  and  loyal  subject, 
into  a  rebel,  maddened  by  a  sense  of  injustice. 

Part  of  the  surplus  revenue  of  the  Punjab — £200,000 
a  year — had  been  ear-marked  by  the  Treaty  of  Bhyrowal 
for  the  support  of  the  descendants  of  Maharajah  Run- 
jeet  Singh.  The  accumulations  of  this  fund  in  thirty- 
five  years  amounted  to  an  enormous  sum,  and  each 
successive  Governor-General  clung  to  it,  rather  than 
allow  it  to  be  reduced  by  a  lump  sum  of,  say  £200,000, 
which,  settled  definitely  on  Duleep  Singh,  not  as  a  loan, 
would,  as  I  understand  him,  have  amply  sufficed  to 
satisfy  his  wishes. 

Instead  of  this,  he  found  himself  saddled  with  an 
expensive  property  to  keep  up,  in  which  he  had  only  a 
life  interest,  with  about  £4,000  clear  after  various 
deductions,  to  do  it  on.  Was  it  wonderful  if  he  resolved 
to  cut  the  painter  ?  Possibly  a  disaffected  and  rebellious 


246        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

prince  of  first-grade  rank,  might  be  found  a  more  ruinous 
item  in  the  political  expenses  of  the  Indian  Govern- 
ment ? 

Yet,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  invective  against  her 
Ministers,  at  the  mention  of  his  widowed  Sovereign 
his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  he  fairly  broke  down  in 
alluding  to  her  unfailing  kindness  and  affection  towards 
him.  I  saw  then  that  any  hope  of  his  reconciliation 
with  the  terms  of  the  Government,  could  only  be  effected 
through  her  intervention,  and  it  seemed  laid  upon  me, 
as  the  sole  person  who  could  revive  the  memory  of  old 
hopes  and  associations,  connected  with  him,  that  I 
should  at  least  try  to  arouse  her  interest  in  his  situation. 

It  was  twenty  years  since  my  husband's  death,  and 
the  Maharajah  had  no  longer  the  position,  and  close 
intercourse,  he  had  held  at  Court.  The  officials  about 
Her  Majesty  were  a  new  generation,  who  knew  nothing 
of  the  footing  he  had  formerly  been  on.  Sir  Charles 
Phipps  had  long  been  dead,  but  I  still  held  communica- 
tion with  the  Queen  through  her  present  private  secre- 
taries, for  a  reason  which  I  shall  mention  shortly ; 
so  I  resolved  to  make  a  personal  appeal  to  Her  Majesty, 
through  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby,  and  did  my  best  to  induce 
the  Maharajah  to  refrain  from  rash  and  precipitate 
action,  until  I  could  receive  a  reply  from  Osborne  to  my 
letter. 

I  could  not  help  observing  how,  when  he  first  met  us 
all  again  that  time,  his  manner  had  a  certain  formality 
foreign  to  our  old  intercourse,  but  bit  by  bit,  as  the  day 
wore  on,  it  seemed  to  drop  from  him,  and  his  old  cor- 
diality reasserted  itself,  almost  without  his  being  aware 
of  it. 

One  of  my  elder  sisters,  Mrs.  White,  was  then  staying 
with  us?  and  though  a  very  old  woman,  she  still  retained 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         247 

the  peculiar  knack  of  playing  Highland  reels  on  the 
piano,  in  imitation  of  the  bag-pipes.  Remembering 
Maharajah's  delight  in  these  tunes,  she  was  asked  to 
give  an  exhibition  of  her  skill,  and,  once  she  was  started, 
continued  to  reel  one  off  after  another.  Immediately, 
as  if  bewitched  by  the  music,  the  Maharajah  began 
dancing  the  steps,  on  the  gravel  sweep  outside  the 
drawing-room  where  she  sat  playing.  The  faster  she 
played,  the  higher  he  skipped,  all  with  the  set  and  drawn 
face  of  one  in  agony,  for  walking  was  to  him  at  this 
period  torture,  and  he  was  a  perfect  martyr  to  tender 
feet  !  He  kept  imploring  her  to  stop,  for,  as  he  assured 
us,  the  effect  upon  him  was  like  that  of  the  music  of 
the  "  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin  !  "  and  he  must  dance  on  as 
long  as  she  continued  !  Unfortunately,  she  was  very 
deaf,  and  the  more  he  called  to  her,  the  faster  she  played  ; 
and  we — I  am  afraid — thinking  he  was  only  joking,  for 
a  long  time  were  too  convulsed  with  laughter  to  come  to 
his  assistance  ! 

No  sooner  had  Duleep  Singh  left  the  house  than, 
perceiving  that  no  time  must  be  lost,  I  sat  down  to 
write  to  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby.  As  it  happened,  I  had 
to  write  to  him  on  another  subject,  connected  with  a 
son  of  mine  in  the  Navy,  and  therefore  took  the 
opportunity  of  informing  Her  Majesty  of  the  Maha- 
rajah's "  farewell  visit,"  and  of  the  frame  of  mind  in 
which  he  was  setting  out  for  India.  To  me  he  appeared 
a  sadly  changed  and  embittered  man,  but  I  wished  Her 
Majesty  to  know  that  he  had  shown  emotion  when 
speaking  of  her  constant  personal  kindness  to  him.  To 
this  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby  replied  on  July  25th,  1883  : 

"...  I  gave  your  letter  to  the  Queen,  who  read  it 
through,  as  she  is  much  occupied  by  the  Maharajah's 


248         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

movements,  and  agrees  with  you  in  what  you  have 
written.  Lord  Kimberley  says  the  Indian  Government 
feel  no  anxiety  as  to  his  visit  to  India  ;  but  the  Queen 
does  not  take  this  sanguine  view,  and  fortified  by  what 
you  say,  I  am  again  to  communicate  with  the  India 
Office  on  the  subject." 

Altogether,  about  thirty-eight  letters,  some  of  them 
documents  of  many  sheets,  passed  between  me  and  Sir 
Henry  Ponsonby  on  this  subject,  and  about  seven  on 
the  same  matter  with  Lord  Cross,  his  private  secretary, 
Mr.  Clinton  Dawkins,  and  Sir  Owen  Burne,  at  the  India 
Office ;  also  several  from  Sir  Fleetwood  Edwards, 
Sir  Henry  Ponsonby's  successor  as  Private  Secretary. 
It  would  make  too  long  a  story  to  give  you  more  than  a 
few  extracts  from  all  this  flood  of  correspondence. 

A  few  days  later,  on  August  5th,  Sir  Henry  informed 
me  that  the  Maharajah  had  himself  sent  a  letter  to  the 
Queen,  of  the  contents  of  which  Sir  Henry  sent  me  a 
summary,  it  having  been  written  without  my  knowledge, 
though  I  afterwards  was  shown  a  copy  of  it.  In  it  he 
stated  his  case  with  great  moderation  and  respect, 
in  language  very  different  from  the  intemperate  and 
hysterical  style  he  used  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life, 
which  latter,  being  the  only  effusions  that  ever  attained 
public  notoriety,  have  had  the  effect  of  prejudicing  the 
British  people  against  his  cause,  and  of  making  them  the 
more  convinced  that  he  was  merely  making  impudent  and 
preposterous  claims  against  the  Government  of  India. 

His  private  landed  estates  in  the  Punjab,  he  said, 
yielded  £50,000  per  annum  ;  his  moveable  property 
was  estimated  at  more  than  £100,000.  Neither  had 
been  restored  to  him,  except  a  portion  of  his  jewels  in 
1849.  In  1858  he  came  of  age,  and  was  allowed  £25,000 
a  year.  He  then  became  a  naturalised  British  subject. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         249 

In  1862  the  sum  of  £105,000  was  allowed  him  out  of  the 
accumulations  of  the  Four-lakh  Fund,  for  the  purchase 
of  Hatherop  Castle  in  Gloucestershire,  which  was  acquired 
and  settled  upon  him  for  his  life,  and  his  eldest  son,  or 
eldest  male  descendant,  after  his  death.  This  was  done 
under  the  advice  of  the  Government.  The  Gloucester- 
shire estate  was  not  a  success,  and  was  afterwards 
sold.  The  Government  advanced  him  altogether 
£198,000  for  the  purchase  of  the  Elveden  estate,  and  the 
re-building  of  the  mansion  and  other  matters,  but  held 
a  mortgage  on  the  Suffolk  estates  for  the  amount,  and 
made  him  pay  them  every  year  a  sum  of  £5,654  for 
interest.  Other  heavy  deductions,  such  as  insurance  on 
his  life,  and  pensions  for  the  widows  of  Sir  John  Login 
and  Colonel  Oliphant,  reduced  his  income  so  much 
that  he  could  not  keep  up  Elveden,  which  Government 
had  arranged  to  sell  at  his  death.  His  disappointment 
at  the  loss  of  his  position  in  Suffolk  was  great,  and  he 
thought  his  treatment  undeserved  by  any  act  on  his 
part.  He  had  been  led,  therefore,  to  consider  the 
advisability  of  removing  to  India,  where,  on  his  present 
means,  he  believed  he  and  his  children  would  enjoy 
greater  advantages  than  in  England. 

"  I  should,  however,"  he  avers,  "  very  unwillingly 
leave  England,  where  I  have  lived  happily  for  so  many 
years,  and  especially  where  I  have  experienced  such  great 
kindness  from  Her  Majesty,  now  my  gracious  Sovereign, 
towards  whom  I  entertain  deep  feelings  of  devotion  and 
loyalty  ...  I  am  convinced  that  I  have  never  had  my 
just  rights  under  the  Treaty  of  1849,  for  the  following 


reasons 
u 


I.  I  believe  a  provision  of  at  least  £40,000  per 
annum  was  intended  to  be  a  permanent  charge  on  the 
vast  revenues  of  the  State  of  Lahore,  for  the  benefit  of 
myself  and  my  successors. 


LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

"  2.  I  feel  convinced  that  I  am  justly  entitled  to  the 
accumulations  saved  out  of  the  Four-lakh  Fund,*  and 
that  I  ought  to  have  received  those  accumulations  as 
my  right,  instead  of  being  placed  in  the  position  of  a 
borrower  from  the  Government,  and  paying  interest 
on  its  advances. 

"  3.  I  believe  that  I  am  rightfully  entitled  to  the 
restoration  of  my  private  estates  in  the  Punjab,  and  to 
restitution  of  my  moveable  property  taken  in  1849— 
or  an  equivalent. 

"  4.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  intention  of  Lord 
Dalhousie  and  his  advisers  in  1849,  tne  interpretation 
which  has  been  put  upon  the  treaty  by  the  India  Office 
is  very  different  from  the  expectations  with  which  I  was 
brought  up.  The  India  Office,  however,  declines  to 
consider  these  claims.  .  .  .  The  India  Office  may  not 
have  meant  to  wrong  me  ;  but  it  has  certainly  decided 
in  its  own  favour,  and  against  me,  every  question  in 
which  I  am  interested  ;  and  I  cannot,  with  my  present 
information,  accept  those  decisions  as  just  or  satis- 
factory to  myself. 

"...  If  my  original  rights  under  the  arrangement 
of  1849  were  submitted  to  impartial  and  competent 
judges,  who  would  hear  and  sift  the  evidence,  and 
if  they  were  to  decide  against  me,  I  should  at  least 
hold  Her  Majesty's  Government  acquitted  of  arbitrary 
action.  But  if,  because  of  my  peculiar  position  and 
circumstances,  or  because  of  my  unavoidable  acquies- 
cence hitherto  in  the  decisions  of  the  India  Board,  I  am 
denied  that  justice  and  redress  which,  in  ordinary  cases, 
would  be  open  to  all  others  of  H.M.'s  subjects — I  must 
submit  to  my  fate  1  and  in  that  case  the  sense  of 
injustice  done  me  will  alone  lessen  the  regret  with  which 
I  should  leave  the  home  of 'my  adoption  !  " 

With  reference  to  the  Maharajah's  remark  as  to  "  the 
interpretation  now  put  on  the  Treaty  of  1849  by  the 

*  A  lakh  of  rupees  then  represented  £10,000.  Consequently,  four  lakhs  = 
£40,000. 


THE  MAHARAJAH'S  MARRIAGE         251 

India  Office  being  very  different  from  the  expectations 
in  which  he  was  brought  up,"  Sir  Henry  wrote  to  me  : 

"  I  do  not  know  that  there  is  anyone  who  could 
tell  us  what  those  expectations  were,  unless  you 
can  throw  any  light  on  the  subject  ?  The  India 
Office  deny  that  he  ever  had  any  private  estates  in  the 
Punjab." 

To  this  I  was  able  to  reply  (August  gth,  1883)  : 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  being  led  into  a  discussion 
of  the  legal  aspect  of  H.H.'s  grievances.  All  I  have 
to  say  is  to  repeat  what  was  my  husband's  opinion  of 
the  view  that  ought  to  be  taken  of  the  Lahore  Treaty, 
because  it  was  the  view  held  by  Sir  H.  Lawrence,  and 
the  native  chiefs  who  signed  it  on  the  part  of  the  M.R., 
I  suppose  it  is  in  these  views  that  the  M.R.  means  that 
he  was  brought  up,  by  his  allusion  in  his  memo,  to  the 
Queen  ? 

"  I  fear  my  husband's  views  were  more  comprehensive 
and  exalted  than  those  of  the  M.R. 

"  The  latter  thought  more  of  getting  a  large  sum  for 
himself ;  whereas  Sir  John  Login  wished  him  not  to  sell 
his  birthright  as  Head  of  his  family,  but  to  claim  the 
Headship  he  was  entitled  to,  and  see  that  all  were  looked 
after  as  well  as  himself.  His  whole  education  of  the  M.R. 
was  aimed  at  this — to  render  him  wholly  satisfied  to 
accept  .  .  .  when  of  age,  the  provisions  of  the  Treaty 
of  Lahore,  as  understood  by  those  who  signed  for  him, 
and  by  Sir  H.  Lawrence  and  his  brother,*  in  whom 
the  Sikhs  had  full  confidence.  ...  If  I  can  help 
to  throw  any  further  light  on  the  matter,  pray  com- 
mand me  ..." 

Sir  Henry  replied  to  this,  on  August  I2th  : 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  for  the  valuable  information 
in  your  letter,  which  I  have  given  to  the  Queen.  I 

*  The  first  Lord  Lawrence, 


252         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

think  your  letter  and  enclosed  papers  (which  I  return 
with  thanks),  fully  explain  the  broad  and  liberal  views 
of  Sir  John  Login,  and  that  there  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  any  special  promise  held  out  to  the  M.R.  in 
his  youth  which  has  been  disregarded,  as  he  implies. 
The  Queen  has  asked  him  to  pause  before  he  makes  up 
his  mind  to  go  to  India. 

"  You  can  tell  him  that  She  feels  for  him  as  a  friend, 
and  is  anxious  that  what  is  done  should  be  for  his  benefit, 
and  that  though  She  calls  on  Her  Ministers  to  inquire 
most  fully  into  his  case,  She  has  no  power  to  alter  any 
decision  they  may  arrive  at  on  the  financial  aspects 
of  the  question.  ..." 

I  was  able,  on  the  2Oth  August,  to  report  in  return  : 

"  I  gave  the  Queen's  gracious  message  to  the  Maharajah 
when  he  came  here  a  few  days  ago  with  his  legal  adviser,* 
and  he  expressed  himself  as  deeply  grateful  for  all  She 
had  done,  and  was  doing,  for  him,  and  was  very  earnest 
that  I  should  say  to  the  Queen  from  him,  that  he  would 
gladly  abide  by  the  decision  of  three  English  Statesmen 
whom  She  should  name,  to  consider  his  claims,  if  they 
were  unconnected  with  the  India  Office,  and  if  one  of  the 
three  understood  law.  .  .  .  Before  leaving,  the  lawyer 
said  to  H.H.  in- my  presence,  that  he  had  read  enough 
of  Sir  John's  papers  to  convince  him,  that  H.H.  has  for 
the  last  twenty  years  been  simply  putting  fetters  on 
himself,  and  that  he  ought  to  implore  the  Queen  to 
express  Her  wish  that  all  transactions  between  him  and 
the  India  Office  since  he  ceased  to  act  by  Sir  John's 
advice,  should  be  wiped  out,  and  a  fresh  departure 
taken,  because  it  was  evident  that  he  had  eagerly 
accepted,  in  his  difficulties,  all  baits  of  money  offered, 
instead  of  insisting  that  the  terms  of  the  treaty  should 
be  carried  out.  To  this  H.H.  cordially  assented,  and 
asked  me  to  beg  this  favour  for  him  at  the  Queen's 
hands  ?  .  .  .  H.H.  informed  me  that  '  he  has  assured 

*  Mr.  P.  H.  Lawrence. 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         253 

Her  Majesty  that  he  will  not  now  go  to  India  without  her 
consent  and  approval.'  ..." 

On  August  29th,  Sir  Henry  wrote  me  from  Balmoral : 

"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The  Queen  thanks  you  for  allowing  Her  to  see  the 
enclosed  papers "  (letters  from  Sir  Charles  Phipps, 
etc.  .  .  .  )  "  which  cause  Her  to  remember  with  regret 
the  length  of  time  these  claims  have  been  under  con- 
sideration. 

"  Her  Majesty  has  made  known  to  Lord  Kimberley 
the  Maharajah's  wish  that  a  new  departure  should 
take  place  in  his  communications  with  the  India 
Office.  .  .  . 

c  The  Queen  is  glad  to  learn  that  the  Maharajah 
will  not  go  to  India  without  her  approval,  and  She  thinks 
that  a  visit  to  that  country  would  be  painful  and 
unpleasant  to  His  Highness,  in  the  present  state  of 
affairs,  as  the  Government  of  India  have  telegraphed 
home  that  they  will  object  to  his  going  to  any 
place  north  of  Allahabad,  or  to  his  visiting  any 
native  state. 

'  Perhaps  you  would  let  the  Maharajah  know 
this  ?...." 

I  was  greatly  relieved  to  find  that  the  Queen  had 
been  pleased  to  have  her  memory  refreshed  by  the  sight 
of  those  old  letters  of  Sir  Charles  Phipps  ;  for  after 
sending  them  I  recollected  that  they  might  unwittingly 
have  caused  pain  by  the  revival  of  sad  recollections, 
seeing  so  many  of  them  were  written  during  the  last  few 
weeks  of  the  Prince  Consort's  life. 

When  I  gave  Her  Majesty's  message  to  Duleep 
Singh,  he  immediately  remarked  :  "  The  Viceroy  forgets 
that  I  hold  an  official  withdrawal  of  all  restrictions  as 
to  my  place  of  residence  in  India,  as  well  as  in  England  ! 


254        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

but  as  I  am  not  going  out  to  India  at  present,  it  does  not 
matter  !  " 

The  Maharajah's  lawyer  at  that  period,  a  man  of 
standing,  accustomed  to  English  procedure,  and  re- 
commended to  the  Prince  by  Mr.  Mitchell  Henry, 
M.P.,  was  new  to  the  methods  of  business  at  that  time 
prevalent  at  the  India  Office.  Writing  to  me  at  this 
juncture,  he  said  : 

"...  The  India  Office  do  not  seem  to  be  very 
communicative,  and  in  private  they  are  only  abusive 
— I  may  say,  vulgarly  abusive !  The  more  I  look 
into  the  matter,  the  less  I  am  satisfied  with  the  words 
and  actions  of  the  India  Office  towards  the  Maharajah. 
They  can  be  shown  to  be  in  the  wrong ;  but  to  attain 
redress  is  another  question." 

I  was  very  desirous  to  make  clear  to  Sir  Henry 
Ponsonby  that  I  did  not  agree  with  some  of  Duleep 
Singh's  advisers  in  expecting  the  Queen  to  upset  a 
treaty  ;  and  had  pointed  out  to  him  that  I  was  resolved 
not  to  lend  my  aid  to  any  attempt  to  get  up  a  legal  cast 
for  lawyers  or  grievance-mongers,  to  enable  them  to 
abuse  Government. 

"  The  poor  Maharajah,"  I  said,  "  has  been  in  bad 
hands,  and  I  tell  him  he  must  suffer  for  having  allowed 
such  a  book  as  that  of  Major  Evans  Bell  to  be  pub- 
lished in  his  name.  .  .  .  He  is  sensible  enough  to  see 
that  I  can  only  have  his  interests  at  heart,  and  that 
those  who  urge  him  to  agitate  in  Parliament  and  in 
the  papers  do  not  really  care  for  his  good,  but  only  to 
glorify  themselves.  .  .  . 

"  It  was  against  my  advice  that  the  Maharajah  and 
his  advisers  sent  lately  a  telegram  for  two  natives  of 
the  Punjab  to  come  to  him  in  England.  ...  I  think 
he  wishes  now  that  he  had  listened  to  me  !  " 


THE   MAHARAJAH'S   MARRIAGE         255 

I  had  continual  difficulties  with  the  contradictory 
advice  given  by  interested  advisers  to  the  Maharajah, 
and  was  extremely  indignant  to  find  that,  after  empower- 
ing me  to  write  to  Her  Majesty,  to  implore  that  his 
case  might  be  submitted  to  the  arbitration  of  three 
impartial  statesmen,  the  Maharajah  had  been  per- 
suaded to  write  himself  to  the  Queen,  to  withdraw  that 
proposition  !  His  lawyer  .wished  also  to  give  me  to 
understand  that  H.H.,  under  his  directions,  had  been 
in  communication  with  Her  Majesty  on  the  subject 
of  his  claims  before  I  made  my  appeal !  and  I  was 
compelled  to  specifically  deny  the  right  of  H.H.'s  legal 
advisers  to  dictate  to  me  what  should,  and  what  should 
not,  be  placed  before  the  Queen  !  All  this  I  had  to 
explain  to  Sir  Henry,  for  I  felt  "  that  the  M.R.'s  true 
interest  is  to  be  perfectly  open  .  .  .  and  to  conceal 
nothing." 

On  September  26th,  1883,  Sir  Henry  replied  that  all 
I  said  was  "  most  important,"  and  that  "  he  had  read 
the  enclosures  with  much  interest,  and  thanked  me 
for  sending  them." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

LATER  YEARS  AND  DEATH  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH  DULEEP 

SINGH 

YET,  in  spite  of  these  representations,  the  India 
Office  refused  to  make  any  alteration  in  their  treatment 
of  the  Maharajah,  and  as  the  time  passed,  while  he  still 
waited  on  in  England  for  two  years  longer,  hoping 
vainly  for  some  prospect  of  settlement,  or  for  more 
sympathetic  consideration,  I  had  the  inexpressible 
pain  of  witnessing  the  slow  attrition  of  the  work  of 
my  husband's  energies  and  devotion,  as  month  by  month 
I  detected  fresh  evidence  of  mental  and  moral  deterio- 
ration ;  for  his  mind,  from  brooding  ever  on  a  sense  of 
unjust  usage,  gradually  lost  its  balance,  and  he  became 
an  easy  prey  to  mischief-mongers,  eager  to  seize  an 
opening  to  embarrass  the  English  Government. 

On  August  23rd,  1884,  he  announced  his  departure 
for  India,  as  he  could  not  otherwise  undergo  all  the  rites 
of  re-initiation  as  a  Sikh  !  The  letter  was  that  of  one 
quite  "  off  his  head,"  and  he  concluded  by  bestowing 
on  me  his  blessing,  as  "  eleventh  future  Gooroo  !  "  * 

He  had  somewhat  prepared  me  for  this  a  fortnight 
previous,  when  he  informed  me  that  "  a  great  storm 
was  gathering  in  India,  and  he  trusted  to  render  such 
services  as  would  compel  the  British  nation  to  recognise 
his  claims  !  His  mother  had  told  him  of  a  prophecy 
that  he  was  to  return  to  India  to  teach  the  Sikhs.  This 
country  (England)  was  going  to  the  dogs  !  It  was  sad 

*  There  were  ten  "  Gooroos  " — or  Sikh  Prophets. 


LATER  YEARS  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH    257 

to  contemplate  such  a  great  empire  going  to  pieces  !  " 
It  was  difficult  to  discern  whether  he  had  grounds  for 
his  assertion  at  this  date,  that '"  the  advance  of  Russia 
is  beheld  with  intense  joy  in  the  secret  hearts  of  the 
Princes  of  India,"  and  that  it  was  a  matter  of  only  a  few 
years  (say  thirty  !)  before  the  British  Raj  would  be  in  the 
throes  of  dissolution  !  "  But  you  will  see,"  he  exclaims, 
"  what  I,  the  loyal  subject  of  my  Sovereign — though 
most  unjustly  treated  ! — will  do  when  the  time  comes  ! 
But  I  won't  sound  my  own  trumpet  too  loud.  I  have  to 
express  regret  at  the  bad  opinion  I  had  formed  of  your 
late  husband.  I  see  now  that  Sir  John  could  not  have 
acted  otherwise.  Lord  Dalhousie  would  not  permit 
him  to  do  what  he  otherwise  would  have  done." 

It  was  in  this  spirit  of  determination  to  exhibit  his 
loyalty  to  his  Sovereign  that  the  Maharajah  set  forth 
with  all  his  family.  It  was  only  when  all  his  arrange- 
ments were  made,  and  the  P.  &  O.  liner  on  the  point  of 
sailing  from  Southampton,  that  he  received  on  board 
(as  he  stated  in  the  public  press  at  the  time,  and  the 
statement  has  never  been  contradicted)  a  visit  from 
Colonel  Sir  Owen  Burne,  on  behalf  of  the  Secretary  of 
State  for  India,  and  was  offered  a  bribe  of  £50,000  if  he 
would  remain  in  England  !  And  this  was  the  man  who, 
the  moment  he  arrived  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Viceroy  of  India,  was  arrested  at  Aden,  before  all  the 
passengers,  and,  with  his  family,  landed  and  refused 
permission  to  proceed  further  ! 

Knowing  the  disposition  of  the  person  on  whom  such 
an  indignity  was  placed,  and  the  soreness  of  feeling 
under  which  he  was  labouring  at  the  time,  from  a  fixed 
conviction  of  injustice  in  his  treatment,  is  the  sequel 
matter  for  surprise  ?  For  his  renunciation  of  Chris- 
tianity, for  his  repudiation  of  his  allegiance,  for  his 


258         LADY   LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

bitter  invectives  against  the  nation  and  Government 
that  had  thus  rewarded  his  years  of  loyalty,  I  offer  no 
excuse  !  But  to  anyone  who  knows  the  Oriental  mind, 
its  both  childlike,  and  childish,  resentment  of  any  form 
of  injury  and  insult,  its  dependence  on  the  "  justness  " 
of  the  British  "  Raj,"  and  the  disorganisation  of  its 
mental  and  moral  faculties,  that  at  once  ensues  when 
these  fundamentals  are  disturbed,  the  extraordinarily 
clumsy  and  arbitrary  methods  of  policy  followed  can 
only  excite  stupefied  amazement ! 

Outraged  in  his  tenderest  point,  and  furious  at  the 
•insult  put  on  him,  the  Maharajah  threw  in  the  face  of 
the  Government  the  pension  he  had  hitherto  drawn, 
left  his  wife  and  family  in  their  hands  to  support, 
abjured  his  allegiance,  and  announced  his  intention  of 
offering  his  sword  and  his  services  to  the  Emperor  of 
Russia  ! 

From  that  moment  the  European  journals  were  filled 

with  bombastic  proclamations  on  his  part,  and  accounts 

of   interviews    he    vouchsafed    to    numerous    reporters, 

each  fresh  manifesto  only  doing  his  cause  still  greater 

harm  in  the  eyes  of  the  British  public.    For  some  time 

I   had  no   direct   communication  with  him,   and   only 

heard  of  him  through  his  sons,  whose  own  affairs  did 

not  appear  to  be  managed  by  the  India  Office  with  any 

more  sympathy  and  tact  than  had  been  those  of  the 

father.     But  in  1887  the  Maharanee  Bamba  died,  and 

the  Queen  expressed  some  desire  that  I  should  take  an 

interest  in,  and  charge  of,  the  three  daughters  of  Duleep 

Singh.     It  was  decided,  however,  by  the  India  Office, 

that    they,    together    with    the    youngest    boy,    Prince 

Edward,   should,   be   placed   in   charge   of   Mr.   Arthur 

Oliphant,   at    Folkestone,   whose   father   had   acted   as 

Equerry  and  Comptroller  to  the  Maharajah  at  Elveden. 


LATER  YEARS  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH    259 

By  Her  Majesty's  wish  I  invited  the  three  young 
Princesses  to  pay  me  a  visit  at  Gracedieu,  Watering- 
bury.  I  wrote  to  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby  at  the  time,  all 
was  arranged,  and  the  date  fixed  ;  their  brother  was 
to  escort  them,  and  a  room  was  secured  for  him  in  the 
hotel,  just  as  I  used  to  do  for  his  father  when  my 
accommodation  was  limited.  I  was  then  informed  by 
Mr.  Oliphant  that,  in  addition  to  their  brother,  it  would 
be  his  duty  to  accompany  them  if  they  came  to  me  on 
a  visit  ;  and,  as  both  I  and  their  brother  recognised, 
this  was  tantamount  to  putting  a  stop  to  the  idea,  for 
if  he  came  as  Equerry  in  charge,  he  must  be  accom- 
modated in  the  same  house,  and  I  had  not  the  room  to 
do  so  !  It  seemed  to  me  that  to  keep  up  such  state, 
unless  accompanied  by  adequate  allowances,  was 
rather  a  detriment  to  the  young  Princesses,  as  it  would 
debar  them  from  many  invitations  they  would  otherwise 
receive.  I  could  not  help  expressing  to  Sir  Henry 
Ponsonby,  that  after  the  trust  reposed  in  me  by  Her 
Majesty,  I  felt  keenly  this  marked  slight  put  upon  me 
by  the  India  Office,  all  the  more  that  it  was  in  such 
contrast  with  the  courtesy  shown  me  by  the  Marquess 
of  Hartington,  when  Secretary  of  State  for  India.* 
It  really  seemed  as  if  the  India  Office,  at  this  date,  was 
not  above  administering  petty  pinpricks,  as  they 
refused  to  repay  me  the  cost  of  purchasing  a  full-length 
portrait  of  Duleep  Singh,  sold  by  auction  at  the  death 
of  the  widow  of  John  Partridge,  the  painter,  and  which 
I  had  secured  at  a  few  hours'  notice,  as  the  Maharajah's 
children  had  no  means  at  the  moment  at  their  disposal. 

*  He  caused  it  to  be  placed  on  record  that  I  had  rendered  such  services  to 
the  Government  of  India,  both  in  a  charge  I  had  undertaken  latterly  under 
their  jurisdiction,  and  also  in  tracing  a  missing  document  relating  to  the  Coorg 
revenues,  that  I  was  entitled  to  ask  for  any  special  favour  I  desired,  and  I  was 
accordingly  granted  an  Indian  cadetship  for  one  of  my  husband's  nephews. 


260        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

The  answer  I  received  finally,  after  many  months, 
was  that  the  revenues  of  India  could  not  be  applied 
to  such  a  purpose  !  I  had  thought  that  possibly  they 
might  spare  the  amount  out  of  the  Maharajah's  stipend, 
which  they  were  not  then  paying  him  ! 

I  could  not  help  representing  to  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby 
about  this  time  (November,  1888),  that  "  it  seemed 
a  pity  to  perpetuate  in  the  children  the  error  committed 
with  the  Maharajah,  in  not  definitely  settling  with 
him  when  he  came  of  age."  Prince  Frederick,  the 
second  son,  would  be  twenty-one  in  a  month,  and  did 
not  know  what  allowance  he  was  to  have,  nor  what 
profession  he  could  follow  ! 

I  had  a  good  deal  of  correspondence  also  at  this  time 
with  the  eldest  son,  Prince  Victor  ;  and  though  he 
spoke  most  affectionately  of  his  father,  who,  on  his 
part,  was  devoted  to  his  children,  he  plainly  intimated 
his  conviction  that  on  the  one  subject  of  his  grievances 
the  Maharajah  was  mentally  upset,  and  that  he  (Prince 
Victor)  considered  that  "  his  assumed  hatred  of  England, 
etc.,  .  .  .  has  now  become  a  permanent  fixture  in  his 
mind.  On  all  other  subjects  he  is  as  sensible  as  he 
always  was  ;  but  he  seems  quite  unhinged  on  the  only 
question  of  importance  both  to  himself  and  us.  ... 
How  painful  all  this  is  to  me  you  may  imagine  !  I  am 
going  to  fight  for  the  Queen,  and  I  must  of  course  thus 
be  placed  in  everything  against  my  father.  ...  It 
is  quite  impossible  for  me  to  correspond  with  him  at 
present,  and  when  I  joined  Her  Majesty's  service,  I 
felt  and  resolved,  that  I  must  consider  myself  fatherless. 
I  wonder  if  it  has  struck  you  that  the  India  Office  are 
treating  me  in  almost  the  same  way  as  they  treated 
him,  by  never  settling  anything  definitely  once  and  for 
all  ?  ...  The  great  complaint  I  have  is  that  all  we  get 


LATER  YEARS  OF  THE   MAHARAJAH    261 

is  not  from  capital  settled  on  us,  but  merely  an  allow- 
ance .  .  .  subject  to  the  whims  of  the  India  Office.  .  .  . 
The  feeling  of  unsettledness  caused  by  this  .  .  .  makes 
all  our  interest  in  life  very  half-hearted." 

I  brought  these  views  of  the  young  Prince  to  the 
knowledge  of  Her  Majesty,  but  I  am  afraid  at  a  rather 
unfortunate  moment,  when  it  happened  that  some  debts 
he  had  incurred  were  about  to  be  paid  off  by  the  India 
Office,  which,  apparently,  preferred  to  expend  lump  sums 
of  money  in  this  fashion,  rather  than  give  definite 
capital.  He  was  given  at  the  same  time  the  post  of 
extra  A.D.C.  to  Sir  J.  Ross,  then  commanding  in 
Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  which  proved  an  enjoyable,  but 
scarcely  an  economical  billet  !  I  could  not  help  thinking 
that  this  was  the  plan  he  had  fallen  on  to  "  spoil  the 
Egyptians,"  as  they  declined  to  make  for  him  any 
settled  future  !  As  he  himself  expressed  it  : 

I  never  now  hope  for  any  good  future  either  for  my 
father  or  myself  in  England.  ...  I  have  a  very  double 
role  to  play  in  life,  not  of  my  own  making  or  will,  but 
forced  on  me  by  my  father's  actions,  and  his  treatment 
by  the  India  Office." 

I  was  greatly  disturbed  all  this  time,  as  I  wrote  to 
Sir  Henry  Ponsonby,  about  the  Maharajah's  state  of 
mind.  I  had  written  to  him  to  urge  his  returning 
quietly  to  England,  trusting  to  the  Queen's  gracious 
clemency  and  never-failing  kindness  to  overlook  his 
past  conduct,  though  I  assured  him  that  I  had  no 
authority  from  anyone  to  write  in  this  strain,  but  was 
prompted  solely  by  my  husband's  affection  for  him. 
For,  although  his  conduct  of  late  had  been  utterly 
indefensible,  I  could  not  but  feel  that  there  was  some 
excuse  for  his  absurd  and  ever-increasing  demands, 
since  no  final  settlement  had  ever  been  made  with  him, 


262         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

in  the  terms  of  the  Treaty,  when  he  came  of  age.  He 
was  then  quite  prepared,  and  ready,  to  have  the  capital 
tied  up,  so  that  no  extravagance  on  his  part  could 
touch  it. 

From  June  loth,  1888,  onwards  I  occasionally 
received  letters  from  Duleep  Singh,  first  from  Boyark, 
Kieff,  and  afterwards  from  Paris,  and  I  kept  Her 
Majesty  informed  of  the  purport  of  them,  and  any  fresh 
developments  ;  for  her  interest  and  sympathy  in  his 
case  never  slackened. 

They  were  undoubtedly  extraordinary  effusions  ! 
some  of  them  madder  than  others,  occasionally  absurd 
in  their  recriminations  and  suggestions,  but  all  of  them 
bearing  evidence  of  an  unhinged  mind,  and  in  some 
cases  written  with  the  caligraphy  and  spelling  of  a 
small  schoolboy  !  They  were  signed  "  DULEEP  SINGH, 
Sovereign  of  the  Sikh  nation,  and  proud,  implacable 
foe  of  England  !  "  In  the  same  sentence  he  would 
speak  of  "  dying  as  a  patriot  in  compassing  the  over- 
throw of  British  rule  in  India,"  and  the  prospects  of  the 
opening  of  the  pheasant-shooting  season  in  the  course 
of  a  month  in  Russia  1  At  the  same  time  he  expressed 
himself  as  most  obliged  to  me,  and  other  friends,  for  our 
kind  endeavours  on  his  part  ;  but  assured  us  that  they 
were,  and  would  be  always,  in  vain,  and  begged  to  be 
left  alone  to  go  his  own  way,  as  he  was  quite  con- 
tented ! 

I  had  ventured,  on  November  9th,  1888,  in  writing 
to  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby,  to  ask  if  it  was  "  quite  hope- 
less "  to  think  of  any  amicable  arrangement  with  the 
Maharajah  ?  Why  should  his  offer  of  submitting  to 
arbitration  be  quite  impossible,  as  he  would  accept 
an  adverse  interpretation  of  the  Treaty  from  arbitrators 
wlun  he  would  reject  it,  as  interested,  from  the  India 


LATER   YEARS  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH    263 

Office  authorities  ?  He  had  been  always  told  by  those 
who  signed  for  him  (a  minor)  that  they  had  understood 
it  in  one  particular  sense,  the  same  that  was  taken  by 
Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  Lord  Lawrence,  Sir  Frederick 
Currie  (members  of  the  Punjab  Commission)  and  Sir 
Herbert  Edwardes.  He  had  never  been  given  to  doubt 
this  was  the  absolute  meaning  it  bore,  until  Lord 
Dalhousie,  shortly  before  the  Maharajah  came  of  age, 
wrote  to  Sir  John  Login  that  it  was  not  intended  to 
give  the  Maharajah  the  balances,  and  that  he  was  to 
disabuse  the  Maharajah's  mind  of  that  impression  ! 
I  had  often  been  present  at  Futtehghur,  when  the  Sikh 
chiefs  in  the  Maharajah's  suite,  discussed  the  clauses  of 
the  Treaty  with  the  boy,  in  the  company  sometimes  of 
our  own  high  officials,  and  they  all  agreed  in  the  balances 
belonging  of  right  to  the  Maharajah.  I  remarked  also, 
that  recent  researches  into  the  Sikh  annals  had  led  me  to 
believe,  that  there  might  be  more  reason  for  his  claim 
on  account  of  private  estates  belonging  to  his  father, 
than  I  had  up  to  this  time  had  occasion  to  think. 
To  this  I  received  the  following  reply  : 

"  BALMORAL  CASTLE, 

"Nov.  iyh,  1888. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  The  Queen  commands  me  to  thank  you  for  your 
letter  and  to  return  the  enclosed,  which  she  has  seen. 
There  are  so  many  points  of  importance  in  your  sugges- 
tion, that  she  must  consult  the  Secretary  of  State  upon 
the  subject. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

.  PONSONBY." 


But  before  any  steps  had  been  taken  to  carry  out  this 
fresh  effort,  I  had  to  write  Sir  Henry  that  I  had  since 
received  a  letter  from  Dvilcep  Singh,  conceived  in  such 


264        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

a  spirit  of  hostility,  disloyalty,  and  bitterness,  that 
nothing  was  possible  to  be  done  with  him  so  long  as 
he  exhibited  a  like  temper  I  It  was  evident  that  he 
most  bitterly  resented  any  reference  to  his  former 
loyalty  and  devotion  to  Her  Majesty,  and  to  her  kind- 
ness to  him,  and,  like  a  naughty  child,  took  a  kind  of 
impish  glee  in  putting  all  his  own  actions  and  motives 
in  the  worst  light,  wounding  my  feelings  in  their 
tenderest  point,  and  trying  hard  to  make  out  to  me — 
who  knew  the  facts — that  from  his  boyhood  he  had  been 
a  perfect  little  monster  of  duplicity,  and  set  himself  to 
deceive  all  the  good  folk  concerned  in  his  up-bringing  ! 
The  one  ray  of  light  in  the  darkness  of  the  ruin  of  all 
our  hopes  for  him  was,  that  the  fact  of  being  reminded 
of  his  former  strivings  after  a  higher  ideal  of  life,  was 
evidently  scourging  his  conscience,  and  possibly  in 
a  measure  responsible  for  the  present  ebullition  of 
bravado. 

It  had  always  been  my  own  conviction,  that  the  very 
unwise  efforts  of  certain  good  people,  to  make  the 
Maharajah — though  totally  unfitted  for  it  in  character, 
or  in  learning — take  a  prominent  part  in  religious 
meetings,  Bible-classes,  and  ad-dresses,  would  only  lead 
to  disaster.  And  the  sequel,  unfortunately,  only  proved 
me  right  in  my  augury,  as  he  used  his  acquaintance  with 
the  Scriptures,  even  at  this  juncture,  in  a  mere  profuse 
quotation  of  texts,  torn  from  their  context,  and  with  an 
utter  irrelevance  to  their  meaning,  which  produced  an 
effect  of  horrible  profanity. 

He  had  already  warned  me  to  "  think  no  more  of  the 
Duleep  Singh  you  once  knew,  for  he  is  dead,  and 
another  liveth  in  his  place  !  "  Now  he  remarked  : 

"  .  .  .  It  would  be  mockery  on  my  part  to  address 
you  as  '  My  dear  Lady  Login,'  and  sign  myself  '  Your 


LATER  YEARS  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH    265 

affectionate,'  simply  because  I  would  shoot  down  on 
the  battlefield  any  of  your  relations  without  the 
slightest  hesitation,  as  I  would  do  any  other  English- 
man !  No,  my  Lady,  I  cannot  sacrifice  my  honour  for 
the  sake  of  acquiring  money  .  .  .  and  cannot  subject 
myself  to  be  placed  between  two  stools  ;  therefore  from 
this  day  forth  close  all  correspondence  with  your 
Ladyship.  Once  more  good  bye  !  I  remain,  your  most 
obliged,  DULEEP  SINGH." 

This  I  thought  seemed  final !  But  two  months  later, 
evidently  quite  forgetting  his  definite  farewell,  he 
wrote  again,  enclosing  (open)  a  letter  to  his  former 
playmate  and  companion,  Colonel  F.  Boileau,  which 
commenced,  "  My  brave  Colonel,"  and  in  which  he 
remarks  as  a  pleasant  piece  of  "  small-talk  "  : 

"  I  wonder  if  you  and  I  will  one  day  meet  on  the  battle- 
field, for  generally  the  unexpected  happens  ?  Poor 
Sir  John  Login  !  Had  he  come  to  life  now,  I  think  he 
would  be  in  his  grave  that  next  instant  again  !  .  .  . 
Oh,  for  a  general  European  War  !  .  .  .  Would  you 
believe  it  that  I  am  endeavouring  to  land  in  India  at 
the  head  of  a  small  European  volunteer  army  of  my 
own  ?  Does  it  not  seem  ridiculous  on  my  part  ?  .  .  . 
With  rny  kind  regards,  that  is,  if  a  proud  rebel  be 
permitted  to  send  them,  yours  always,  DULEEP  SINGH, 
Sovereign  of  the,  etc.  .  .  .  " 

He  still  continued  to  send  me  letters,  all  much  in 
the  same  strain,  up  to  October,  1889.  In  spite  of  his 
denials,  he  was  interested  in  the  book  that  I  had  been 
asked  to  write  by  some  of  his  friends,  and  for  which 
Colonel  Malleson,  the  Indian  historian,  wrote  an  intro- 
ductory chapter.  With  reference  to  it,  the  Maharajah 
remarked  : 

"  My  Lady,  the  British  will  not  believe  that  you 
wrote  the  book  from  disinterested  motives.  For 


266        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

they  will  say  that  I  desired  you  to  do  so,  as  you 
still  receive  an  allowance  from  my  former  stipend. 
At  any  rate,  the  India  Office  will  put  this  forward. 
Please  do  not  talk  much  to  my  son  about  this  matter, 
for  it  will  lead  to  disappointment.  ...  As  I  do  not 
desire  to  be  connected  with  the  publication  of  the  book 
your  Ladyship  is  about  to  bring  out,  I  cannot  give  the 
information  you  ask  me  for.  ..." 

In  December,  1887,  I  had  already  written  to  Sir 
Henry  Ponsonby  about  the  proposed  publication.  I 
had  told  him  that,  before  taking  any  steps,  I  would  like 
to  know,  if  possible,  if  my  adopting  the  course  suggested 
would  have  the  Queen's  approval,  for  I  thought  the 
India  Office  would  supply  certain  data,  since  they 
themselves  could  do  nothing  to  make  the  truth  public, 
and  might  be  glad  to  have  it  known  unofficially  ?  In 
this  supposition  I  found  afterwards  that  I  was  mistaken. 
The  answer  to  this  from  Sir  Henry  was,  that  "  The 
Queen  commanded  him  to  say  that  she  has  no  objection 
at  all  to  the  publication  of  the  letters  relating  to  the 
Maharajah  Duleep  Singh."  Some  objection  was,  how- 
ever, made  subsequently,  by  the  India  Office,  to  the 
publication  of  the  letters  that  passed  between  Sir  John 
Login  and  Sir  Charles  Phipps  on  Indian  affairs,  though 
they  contained  nothing  that  could  do  harm,  being  only 
Sir  John's  private  opinions  and  suggestions,  given  at 
Colonel  Phipps's  request.  But  the  correspondence  had 
always  been  a  sore  subject  with  the  India  Office,  and 
they  had,  soon  after,  shown  their  annoyance  by  declin- 
ing to  place  him  on  the  Indian  Council,  which  had  been 
foreshadowed  in  it,  when  this  was  formed.  This,  at 
least,  was  the  opinion  of  Lord  Lawrence,  and  also  of  Mr. 
John  Bright. 

The   India  Office  now  endeavoured  to  dissuade  me 


LATER   YEARS  OF  THE  MAHARAJAH    267 

from  publishing  my  husband's  views  on  these  matters, 
and  from  stating  the  Maharajah's  case  as  it  appeared 
to  me,  and  although  I  had  received  Her  Majesty's 
sanction  to  my  publishing  extracts  from  Sir  Charles 
Phipps's  letters  (so  long  as  they  conveyed  no  personal 
views  of  the  Queen  or  Prince  Consort),  they  took  the 
extreme  step  of  trying  to  induce  Her  Majesty  to  put 
pressure  on  me  not  to  use  them,  though  not  quite 
successful  in  the  attempt,  as  the  message  was  passed 
on  in  the  following  terms  : 

"  OSBORNE, 

"July  27^,  1888. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  It  has  been  suggested  to  the  Queen  to  ask 
whether  you  do  not  think  that  in  the  present  state  of 
affairs,  the  publication  of  these  letters  will  scarcely  do 
the  good  you  hope  for,  but  may  more  probably  excite 
Prince  Victor,  who  has  promised  to  be  less  extravagant 
in  future^? 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  HENRY  F.  PONSONBY." 

By  the  same  post  Sir  Henry  wrote  that  "  he  did  not 
imagine  there  wrould  be  any  objection  to  my  publishing 
extracts  from  Sir  Charles  Phipps's  letters  relating  to 
Sir  John  Login  ;  but  if  these  conveyed  any  opinions 
of  the  Queen  or  Prince,  it  would  be  desirable  to  submit 
such  correspondence  ...  to  Her  Majesty  before  publi- 
cation." Of  course  I  replied  to  this  that  I  had  had  no 
intention  to  do  anything  different  to  this,  but  saw  no 
reason  for  refraining  from  the  publication  of  my  book 
itself,  in  deference  to  the  India  Office,  as  I  had  already 
made  an  agreement  with  my  publishers,  and  had  my 
husband's  memory  and  good  name  to  think  of. 

On  January  I2th,  1889,  the  Queen  replied  most  kindly 


268         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

to  my  request  to  be  allowed  to  dedicate  my  book  to 
herself : 

"  Her  Majesty  would,  in  ordinary  circumstances, 
have  willingly  complied  with  your  request  ;  but  She 
fears  that,  in  the  present  unfortunate  state  of  affairs, 
Her  acceptance  of  the  dedication  of  a  book  which 
will  contain  so  much  about  the  Maharajah  would 
be  misunderstood,  and  therefore  Her  Majesty  regrets 
that  She  is  unable  to  accede  to  your  wish." 

She,  howrever,  graciously  consented  to  accept  a  copy 
of  the  work,  and  expressed  her  thanks  for  what  she 
called  "  this  interesting  volume."  I  fear  her  apprecia- 
tion of  it  was  greater  than  that  of  its  subject,  the 
Maharajah  Duleep  Singh,  who  complained  that  in  it 
"  the  late  unmitigated  scoundrel,  the  Marquess  of 
Dalhousie,"  was  made  out  to  be  "  the  embodiment  of 
justice  and  truth ! "  etc.,  etc.,  .  .  .  though  he  con- 
ceded that  perhaps  if  I  had  stated  his  (the  Maharajah's) 
present  opinion  of  the  aforesaid  statesman,  it  might  have 
interfered  with  the  sale  of  the  book  !  After  a  lengthy 
tirade  in  the  same  strain,  he  wrote  again  a  fortnight 
afterwards  that,  though  his  determination  remained  the 
same  as  before,  still  "  a  moral  victory  in  the  House  of 
English  Parliament  would  be  very  soothing  to  his 
pride  I  "  So  he  withdrew  his  objection  to  my  book, 
and  thanked  me  for  my  efforts,  for  he  knew  they  were 
kindly  meant  !  Though  he  had  refused  to  help  me  in 
compiling  it,  it  was  not  "  from  any  spirit  of  unfriendli- 
ness, but  merely  because  I  was  slill  going  on  the  lines 
of  the  Treaty  of  Annexation,"  whereas  he  was  now 
demanding  the  restitution  of  his  kingdom  1  Although 
his  present  income  was  only  four  hundred  pounds,  he 
was  quite  happy  in  his  own  way,  as  a  free  man  ! 

Eight    months   later,    I    suddenly   and   unexpectedly 


LATER  YEARS  OF  THE   MAHARAJAH    269 

received  the  following,  in  the  handwriting  of  his  son, 
Prince  Victor,  but  signed  by  himself : 

"  GRAND  HOTEL,  PARIS, 

"19**  July,  1890. 
"  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  I  have  been  struck  down  by  the  hand  of  God  ! 
I  am  lying  ill  here  with  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  and  as  the 
sickness  may  be  unto  death,  I  pray  you  to  forgive  me 
all  I  might  have  said  against  you. 

"  I  have  written  to  ask  pardon  from  the  Queen,  and 
should  I  get  better,  my  son  is  determined  to  drag  me 
to  England,  where  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  once  more, 
and  shake  hands,  and  let  bye-gones  be  bye-gones. 

"  Your  affectionate, 

"  DULEEP  SINGH." 

I  at  once  communicated  with  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby, 
who  informed  me  (July  24th,  1890)  : 

"  The  Queen  has  duly  received  the  Maharajah's 
letter.  But  of  course  the  whole  question  is  one  of  such 
grave  political  importance,  that  Her  Majesty  could 
express  no  opinion  upon  it  without  consulting  Her 
Ministers. 

"  She  therefore  lost  no  time  in  forwarding  the  appeal 
to  Lord  Cross,  and  he  necessarily  must  discuss  the 
matter  with  his  colleagues,  so  that  no  immediate 
decision  can  yet  be  made  known. 

"  Yours  sincerely, 

"  HENRY  F.  PONSONBY." 

In  the  meantime  I  heard  from  the  two  sons  that  their 
father  "  thanked  me  very  much  for  all  my  messages, 
and  sent  his  love  ;  "  that  he  was  slowly  recovering, 
and  they  hoped  soon  to  move  him  to  Folkestone  ;  that 
the  Queen's  reply  had  been  friendly,  and  that  they  had 
also  received  the  official  pardon. 

I  heard  also  to  the  same  effect  from  the  Earl  of  Leven, 


270         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

who  had  gone  at  once  to  Paris  on  hearing  of  his  illness. 
He  told  me  that  the  letter  to  the  Queen  was  written 
before  his  arrival,  and  quite  spontaneously.  "  He  did 
not  talk,"  he  wrote,  "  of  the  Sikh  religion.  I  quietly 
assumed  that  that  was  all  nonsense,  and  he  did  not 
gainsay  me." 

I  personally  never  saw  Duleep  Singh  again.  He  con- 
tinued to  live  mainly  in  Paris.  He  had  married  again, 
an  Englishwoman  by  birth,  and  had  two  daughters 
by  the  second  wife. 

In  April,  1893,  he  paid  a  short  visit  to  Folkestone  ; 
his  youngest  son,  Prince  Edward,  being  then  very  ill 
(the  poor  little  boy  died  a  few  days  afterwards,  and  was 
laid  beside  his  mother,  the  Maharanee  Bamba,  in 
Elveden  churchyard).  Five  months  later,  I  received 
from  Prince  Frederick  Duleep  Singh  a  letter  informing 
me  of  the  very  sudden  death  of  his  father,  in  Paris. 
Neither  of  his  sons  was  present.  Later,  a  telegram 
informed  me  of  the  date  and  place  of  the  funeral. 

Thus,  after  his  wayward  and  troubled  life,  he  passed 
to  face  the  great  reality  in  a  foreign  land  ;  but  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  churchyard  at  Elveden,  where  he  had 
hoped  to  make  the  home  of  his  descendants,  and  found 
a  family  typical  of  the  spreading  ramifications  of  the 
British  Empire. 

With  his  two  sons  as  mourners  on  that  sad  day,  was 
joined  my  sole  surviving  son,  then  a  captain  in  the 
Royal  Navy,  as  representing  the  guardian  who  had 
loved  and  watched  over  him  in  his  early  years,  so  full 
of  promise. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  inserting  here,  as  a  fit  close 
to  my  recollections  of  one  who,  in  spite  of  many  dis- 
appointing faults  and  failings,  had  endeared  himself 
in  many  ways,  and  as  a  proof  of  the  sincere  friendship 


LATER   YEARS  OF  THE   MAHARAJAH    271 

and  affection  of  which  the  real  Duleep  Singh  was 
capable,  two  letters  received  by  me  from  him  in  later 
years,  after  his  own  marriage.  They  were  written 
respectively  in  1866  and  1876,  after  hearing  of  the  deaths 
of  my  eldest  daughter  in  France,  and  of  my  eldest  son 
in  India,  both  of  them  playmates  of  his  in  his  boyhood. 

I. 

"  ELVEDEN  HALL,  THETFORD, 

"  Monday,  Feb.  26,  1866. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  It  is  with  the  deepest  sorrow  I  write  in  reply  to 
your  sad  letter,  and  heartily  sympathise  with  you  in 
the  affliction  it  has  pleased  God  so  soon  again*  to  send 
you.  It  is  needless  for  us  to  mourn  for  those  who  sleep 
in  Jesus,  though  nature  of  course  is  weak,  but  the 
Lord  will  not  do  anything  to  us  unless  it  is  for  our  good. 
"  Poor  Edwy  !  f  it  will  be  a  sad  blow  to  him,  and  I 
earnestly  hope  it  will  be  the  means  of  bringing  him  out 
to  serve  the  Lord  with  his  whole  heart. 

"  You  have  now  great  interest  in  Heaven,  having 
there  your  Dear  late  husband,  and  the  first-born 
daughter. 

"  I  pray  God  that  as  He  has  been  pleased  to  send  you 
this  trial,  that  He  will  grant  you  strength  to  bear  it, 
and  to  make  it  to  work  for  your  and  yours  good. 

"  Believe  me,  with  much  love,  to  be  ever  affectionately, 

"  DULEEP  SINGH." 
2. 

"  CARLTON  CLUB, 

"Dec.  2<)th,  1876. 
"  MY  DEAR  LADY  LOGIN, 

"  I  cannot  find  words  sufficiently  to  express  my 
very  deep  sorrow  at  your  great  loss.     It  must  indeed 

*  I  had  lost  my  youngest  child  only  two  months  previously,  and  my  husband 
two  and  a  half  years  before. 

t  My  eldest  son,  whose  death  is  alluded  to  in  the  next  letter,  had  only  just 
sailed  for  India, 


272         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

be  very  heartrending  to  lose  one  after  another  one's 
children,  and  it  has  pleased  God  to  send  you  sorrow 
after  sorrow.  But  who  knows  His  ways  or  dares  to 
rebel  against  His  commands  ?  It  is  needless  for  me  to 
point  out  to  you  where  only  you  can  find  comfort, 
and  may  God  give  you  strength  to  bear  the  heavy  rod 
He  has  laid  upon  you  ! 

"  I  shall  be  very  grateful  for  a  line  containing  full 
particulars  of  poor  Edwy's  death,  when  you  have 
received  them,  if  not  giving  too  much  trouble  ? 

:c  Please  convey  to  both  your  daughters  my  deepest 
sympathies  in  this  their  very  great  loss. 

"  Yours  most  sincerely, 

"  DULEEP  SINGH. 

"  P.S. — Your  letter  only  reached  me  here  this  moment, 
or  I  should  have  replied  sooner." 

Though  there  may  appear  traces  of  a  certain  form  of 
conventional  "  cant,"  rife  at  that  period  amongst  many 
pious  people,  in  the  first  letter,  it  did  not  really  argue 
want  of  genuine  regret  and  sympathy  on  the  part  of 
Duleep  Singh,  but  arose  from  an  over-scrupulous 
desire  to  express  himself  as  his  then  religious  guides 
inculcated.  It  was  very  different  to  the  style  he  used 
when  under  the  care  of  his  old  guardian. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE 

I  HAD  indeed  had  my  own  share  of  sorrow  during  the 
years  that  followed  my  husband's  death.  My  health, 
after  the  shock  of  that  sad  event,  gave  a  good  deal  of 
anxiety,  and  I  was  told  by  the  doctors  that  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  me  to  avoid  the  English 
winter  and  spring.  As  I  did  not  wish  to  separate  from 
my  children,  and  the  transport  of  such  a  large  party 
was  a  matter  of  expense,  I  arranged  to  take  up  my 
residence  for  a  couple  of  years  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Pau,  with  my  daughters  (there  were  four  of  them), 
their  governess,  and  the  nurse,  and  also  a  niece  of  my 
husband's,  whose  mother  was  in  India,  and  very  anxious 
that  her  girl,  at  school,  should  have  this  opportunity 
of  a  time  on  the  Continent. 

My  eldest  son  was  then  in  an  office  in  London, 
preparatory  to  going  out  to  India  under  the  cegis  of 
Lord  Lawrence,  the  Viceroy  ;  and  the  youngest  boy, 
"  Harry,"  was  at  Wellington  College,  until  he  joined 
the  Britannia  as  a  naval  cadet.  Dr.  Edward  Benson, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Truro  and  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, was  then  headmaster,  and  gave  the  boy  a  large 
portion  of  his  personal  attention,  as,  being  in  perpetual 
scrapes,  and  very  idle  at  his  lessons,  he  appeared  to 
require  caning  on  an  average  once  a  week  !  Nevertheless, 
Dr.  Benson  took  a  very  warm  interest  in  his  trouble- 
some pupil,  and  many  were  the  letters  he  wrote  me 
about  him.  Nor  did  he  cease  to  do  so  in  later  life  ;  long 


274        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

years  afterwards  they  met  accidentally  on  the  platform 
at  Paddington  Station,  and  the  Bishop  (as  he  then  was) 
made  him  travel  in  the  same  carriage  as  far  as  Exeter, 
and  showed  by  his  conversation  that  he  had  followed  his 
career  through  all  his  various  ships  in  the  Navy.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  schoolboy  retained  the  highest  respect 
for  his  headmaster,  and  made  a  special  pilgrimage  to 
Canterbury  to  see  him  enthroned  as  Primate. 

We  spent  two  winters  at  Pau  and  Biarritz,  the  first 
in  an  "  apartment  "  in  Maison  Nulibos,  whence  we  had 
a  fine  view  of  the  procession  of  ox-carts  with  produce, 
and  of  the  sea  of  multi-coloured  umbrellas  on  market- 
day  ;  the  second  winter  we  were  at  Maison  Couture, 
19  Rue  Montpensier,  where  there  was  a  pleasant  garden 
and  a  balcony,  of  which  the  young  people  took  full 
advantage.  It  is  now  a  Convent  of  the  Sceurs  d'Espe- 
rance,  or  Blue  Sisters. 

The  summer  was  passed  in  the  Pyrenees  and  by  the 
sea,  and  we  also  made  one  or  two  expeditions  into  Spain, 
driving  across  the  frontier  in  our  private  carriage,  and 
once  penetrating  by  rail  as  far  as  San  Sebastian  and 
Tolosa.  My  uncles  and  my  youngest  brother  having 
fought  in  the  Peninsular  and  Carlist  Wars,  I  was 
anxious  to  see  something  of  the  country  ;  but  having 
no  knowledge  of  Spanish,  and  the  Spaniards  of  those 
days  stoutly  resisting  any  efforts  to  address  them  in 
French,  we  could  not  manage  to  get  to  Pampeluna  as 
we  had  purposed.  Thus  my  impressions  of  Spanish 
hostelries  remained  a  compound  of  dirt,  flies,  fleas,  and 
the  crowing  of  cocks  !  This  was  accounted  for,  at 
Tolosa,  when  we  discovered  that,  in  order  to  ensure 
our  having  -poulet  for  the  next  day's  dejeuner,  the 
landlady  locked  up  overnight  in  the  attic  next  our 
bedroom,  the  rooster  that  she  destined  to  fill  that  rdle  I 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE  275 

But  the  beauty  and  colouring  of  the  scenery,  and  the 
picturesque  appearance  of  the  people  and  architecture, 
filled  with  delight  my  eldest  daughter,  who  at  her  early 
age  showed  great  talent  as  an  amateur  artist. 

The  old  Chateau  de  Vieuzac  at  Argeles,  was  our  home 
for  some  months,  and  we  also  were  two  seasons  at  Luz, 
and  at  St.  Sauveur,  for  the  baths.  We  got  to  be  much 
attached  to  our  French  servants,  especially  "  Pierre," 
and  "  Jean-Baptiste,"  the  cockers,  and  "  Marcel,"  our 
manservant.  I  fear  that  the  antics  of  some  of  the 
juveniles  rather  scandalised  the  good  people  of  Argeles  ; 
but  they  were  already  well  broken  in  to  the  eccentricities 
of  "  les  Anglais,"  by  the  proprietress  of  Chateau  Vieuzac, 
Madame  Lassalle,  herself  an  old  Scotswoman,  an 
heiress  of  considerable  means,  who  had  married  many 
years  previously  a  well-known  avocat  of  Pau,  and  had 
only  one  son,  the  apple  of  her  eye,  then  Captain  in  a 
native  Indian  regiment,  in  the  Queen's  service. 

Madame  Lassalle  had  lived  so  long  in  France,  and 
amongst  the  peasantry,  that  she  had  almost  entirely 
forgotten  her  native  language  and  had  never  learnt 
to  speak  French  properly.  Her  attire  looked  as  if  it 
had  been  picked  out  of  the  rag-bag,  and  she  generally 
went  about  with  a  shawl  over  her  head.  She  had  been 
for  many  years  a  widow,  and  her  chief  idea  was  to  save, 
and  amass  money,  for  this  beloved  son.  With  this 
object  in  view,  she  used  to  let  the  chateau  furnished 
for  the  summer,  and  herself  retire  to  a  sort  of  lean-to 
shed  in  the  garden,  which  reminded  me  much  of  the 
accommodation  of  the  Trappist  or  Carmelite  nuns  I  had 
seen  at  Biarritz.  Here  she  lived  on  the  frugalest  of 
fare,  scraping  together  every  penny  to  send  to  the  soldier 
in  the  East,  who  was  really  earning  good  pay,  as  he  was 
in  the  Civil  Commission  in  addition.  But  I  think  she 


276         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

preferred  this  style  of  abode  to  any  other,  chiefly  from 
the  convenience  of  being  on  the  spot  to  harry  the 
gardener,  who  was  a  peasant  of  very  low  intelligence, 
and  animated  by  a  determination  to  do  as  little  work  as 
was  compatible  with  retaining  his  situation  !  At  all 
hours  of  the  day,  but  especially  the  very  early  morning 
ones,  the  figure  of  old  Madame  Lassalle — sometimes  in 
the  sketchiest  of  deshabillee — might  be  descried,  chasing 
her  henchman  round  the  fruit-trees,  and  the  rows  of 
haricot-beans,  while  her  voice,  in  strident  tones, 
demanded  fiercely,  in  the  most  appalling  of  accents  : 
"  Marcellin  !  Marcellin  !  ou  es  tu  ?  Ho  !  cet  animal!  " 

The  tower  of  Chateau  Vieuzac,  a  fine  old  fortilace 
built  by  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  in  the  days  when 
the  Angevin  Kings  held  this  portion  of  the  Pyrenees, 
stands  a  few  yards  away  from  the  modern  house,  and 
here  one  of  my  daughters,  my  niece  and  the  German 
governess,  had  their  quarters,  and  instituted  nightly 
raids  on  the  special  breed  of  gigantic  spiders  which 
infested  the  building.  Carrying  each  their  candle,  they 
solemnly  perambulated  in  procession  the  different 
storeys  of  the  tower,  the  governess  bringing  up  the  rear, 
armed  with  the  kitchen  tongs,  in  which  the  intruder 
was  firmly  secured.  Obeying  old  Scottish  tradition, 
they  refrained  from  capital  punishment,  and  when  the 
cortege,  with  its  flambeaux,  issued  forth  to  the  outer  air 
at  the  summit,  the  pincers  came  apart,  and  the  delin- 
quent dropped  over  the  parapet  into  space,  whence, 
doubtless,  after  a  temporary  oblivion,  he  returned  to 
his  old  quarters,  and  thus  provided  a  subject  for 
"  alarums  and  excursions  "  each  succeeding  night  ! 

This  recurrent  nocturnal  ceremony  so  impressed  the 
good  people  of  Argeles,  that  one  of  their  number  was 
deputed  to  inquire  of  our  servants  what  particular 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE  277 

religious  function  was  being  enacted,  since  plainly  some 
Britannic  form  of  exorcism  was  in  question  ? 

Those  were  happy  days  for  our  young  people,  though, 
as  it  proved,  all  too  brief  !  When  at  Pau,  they  spent 
their  time  making  excursions  amongst  the  lovely 
cdteaux  of  the  Pyrenees,  sometimes  sketching,  some- 
times in  huge  riding-parties  with  their  friends — I  have 
known  often  one-and-twenty  of  them  thus  join  forces, 
under  the  escort  of  one  elderly  gentleman  of  dignity 
and  resource,  whom  we  mothers  could  trust  to  bring 
the  cavalcade  home  in  good  time  for  the  six  o'clock 
table  d'hote  at  his  hotel,  especially  when  any  favourite 
plat  of  his  was  on  the  menu  ! — sometimes  taking  part 
in  the  Carnival  sports,  or  in  the  simple  gaieties  of  the 
British  colony. 

Charades  and  practical  jokes  were  rather  a  favourite 
form  of  diversion,  and  I  can  remember  on  one  occasion 
at  Biarritz,  after  a  fortnight  of  deluging  tropical  rain, 
such  as  is  hardly  ever  experienced  in  the  British  Isles, 
when  the  children  had  been  compelled  to  keep  indoors, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  keep  them  out  of  mischief, 
two  soi-disant  "  ladies  of  the  Empress  Eugenie's  suite  " 
appeared  in  our  pension,  and  terrified  the  poor  English 
governess  in  charge  of  Lord  and  Lady  Bantry's  children 
(the  parents  were  at  Vichy),  by  announcing  that  the 
Emperor  had  given  explicit  orders  to  clear  out  the 
visitors  from  certain  hotels,  to  make  room  for  the  extra 
members  of  the  court,  for  whom  there  was  not  room  at 
the  "  Villa,"  and  that  they  themselves  must  have  her 
"  appartement  !  "  Never  had  they  dreamt,  the  wicked 
ones  !  that  her  mystification  would  prove  so  easy,  as 
they  preened  themselves  in  their  clothes  borrowed  from 
Madame  Antoine,  the  landlady,  aired  their  best  French 
with  an  exaggerated  Parisian  accent,  and  proceeded 


278         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

to  apportion  the  rooms  before  her  face,  till  she  tore 
downstairs  to  ask  me  what  she  was  to  do  ?  Such  an 
excitement,  and  huge  delight,  it  created  in  the  hotel 
staff — who  were  all  in  the  secret,  and  lined  the  stairs 
and  corridors,  headed  by  the  chef  and  his  satellites,  to 
receive  the  distinguished  visitors — who  had  been  careful 
to  send  up  their  cards,  beautifully  written  in  copper- 
plate style  by  the  German  governess — ring-leader  of 
the  mischief — as  "  Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Fouldye  " 
and  "  Madame  No-aller  !  "  Their  enchantment  knew 
no  bounds  when  it  was  discovered  that  their  escapade 
had  started  the  rumour  in  the  town,  that  their  Imperial 
Majesties  had  unexpectedly  arrived  at  the  Villa,  late 
in  the  evening,  but  did  not  wish  it  known  ! 


But  three  short  months  later  all  this  came  to  a 
sudden  end.  My  dearest  and  youngest  little  one, 
"  Mabel,"  in  years  but  seven,  but  with  a  mind  far 
beyond  her  age,  whose  sayings  struck  many  outside 
her  own  family,  passed  rapidly  away  on  December  1 2th, 
after  an  illness  of  only  a  few  days.  In  her  unconscious- 
ness, just  before  her  death,  she  kept  repeating  the 
French  words,  "  Jesus  Christ  vient  pour  moi  !  " 

Scarcely  had  this  blow  fallen,  and  I  had  in  the  interval 
parted  from  my  eldest  son,  who  came  to  us  on  his  way  to 
India,  when  my  eldest  daughter,  Lena,  whose  health 
from  a  child  had  given  us  great  anxiety,  though  her 
sweet  disposition,  and  bright  intellect,  made  her  an 
universal  favourite,  fell  into  a  sudden  and  rapid  decline, 
from  which  she  never  rallied,  and  a  few  weeks  after  her 
twenty-first  birthday  she  also  went  from  us,  on  the 
2Oth  of  February,  1866,  and  was  buried  in  the  same 
grave  with  her  little  sister,  in  the  cemetery  at  Pau. 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   279 

After  this  terrible  double  bereavement,  we  moved 
for  a  few  weeks'  change  and  bracing  air,  to  the  Hotel 
d'Angleterre  at  Biarritz,  and  it  was  there  that  I  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Sir  Charles  and  Lady  Tennant, 
(then  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tennant)  of  The  Glen,  Peeblesshire, 
whose  eldest  daughter  of  seventeen*  was  dying  slowly  of 
consumption,  and  whose  case  and  disposition,  in  many 
ways,  bore  resemblance  to  that  of  my  own  dear  child. 
A  link  was  thus  formed  between  us  two  mothers,  and  a 
very  close  friendship  formed  between  their  next  child, 
"  Posie "  (Pauline)  and  my  little  daughter,  which 
lasted  for  many  years,  and  gave  rise  to  a  constant  corre- 
spondence. On  our  return  to  Scotland  that  summer, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tennant  kindly  invited  our  whole  party 
to  stay  at  The  Glen,  and  I  then  first  saw  the  present 
Mrs.  Asquith,  as  a  fascinating  baby  of  three,  even  then 
showing  signs  of  a  marked  personality,  though  I  could 
never  believe  in  her  exceeding  the  extraordinary 
charm  and  magnetism  of  her  sister  "  Posie,"  afterwards 
Mrs.  Gordon-Duff. 

I  have  told  beforef  how,  when  dying,  the  poor  little 
Princess  Gouramma  had  begged  me  to  act  a  mother's 
part  to  her  infant  child,  to  whom  I  was  sole  godmother. 
My  brother,  Colonel  John  Campbell,  applied,  after  his 
wife's  death,  to  the  India  Office,  for  some  portion  of  the 
mother's  income  to  be  extended  to  the  child,  for  her 
education,  as  he  himself  had  little  means  beyond  his 
retired  pay.  Sir  Charles  Phipps  unfortunately  proved 
a  true  prophet,  when  he  wrote  to  me  that  he  feared  the 
Secretary  of  State  would  consider  the  child  as  John's, 
and  that  they  had  done  all  that  they  could  in  giving 
the  allowance  for  the  poor  Princess's  life.  When  the 

*  Named  "  Janet." 
t  Chapter  XII.,  p.  193. 


280         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

India  Office  refused  his  request,  John  came  to  me  in 
great  distress,  and  begged  me  to  try  and  get  Her  Majesty 
interested  on  his  behalf  to  procure  some  small  allowance. 
I  was  to  represent  that  by  his  wish,  as  well  as  her 
mother's,  I  was  to  take  the  child  into  my  own  care,  and, 
if  desired,  the  money  paid  to  me,  as  it  was  solely  for  the 
child's  benefit  he  wanted  it.  He  knew  that  this  was  the 
Queen's  wish,  expressed  directly  she  heard  of  the 
mother's  death,  when  she  sent  a  message  to  me  to  "  hope 
that  at  some  time  or  other  I  might  be  able  to  show  the 
poor  child  to  Her."  And,  as  Sir  Charles  wrote  a  few 
days  later  :  "  One  other  wish  H.M.  has  expressed,  which 
is  that  Her  presents  to  the  Princess  may  go  to  the 
orphan  child."  I  was  very  unwilling,  at  first,  to  apply 
to  the  Queen  as  John  wished,  but  consented  to  do  so, 
and  Her  Majesty,  with  the  above  understanding,  made 
her  wishes  known  to  the  India  Council,  and  a  pension 
of  £250  was  granted  to  my  niece. 

I  was  unable  to  take  charge  of  the  little  girl  at  once, 
and  my  brother  begged  to  be  allowed  to  keep  her  with 
him  for  a  time,  since  I  was  ordered  to  go  abroad  for  my 
health.  On  my  return,  I  told  him  I  was  now  ready  to 
have  her,  but  he  said  some  friends  of  his,  who  had  had 
her  with  them  for  some  time,  were  exceedingly  attached 
to  her,  and  anxious  to  adopt  her  as  their  heiress.  As  I 
was  still  in  bad  health,  and  not  yet  settled  in  a  house, 
I  weakly  allowed  the  matter  to  "  slide,"  though  aware 
that  both  the  Queen,  and  the  India  Office,  were  under 
the  impression  that  I  had  the  child  under  my  care. 

On  August  4th,  1867,  mv  brother  John  called  to  see 
me  in  Lancaster  Gate,  and  discussed  various  family 
and  business  matters.  It  so  happened  that  my  two 
elder  brothers  had  for  the  past  year  been  much  engaged, 
as  supporters  of  a  law-suit  on  behalf  of  a  sister's  son, 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   281 

Charles  William  Campbell  (in  Borland),*  being,  in  fact, 
his  claim  to  the  earldom  of  Breadalbane.  The  case  was 
favourably  considered  by  the  Court  of  Session  in  Scot- 
land ;  but  on  being  brought  up  on  appeal  to  the  House 
of  Lords,  was  given  against  my  nephew.  Naturally, 
my  brothers,  already  pretty  well-known  men  in  society, 
were  for  a  time  familiar  names  to  the  general  public. 

It  was  not  till  some  time  afterwards  that  I  heard  that 
my  brother  had  suddenly  disappeared,  and  no  one  knew 
what  had  become  of  him  !  In  fact,  I  had  been  one  of 
the  last  people  who  had  seen  him.  For  he  had  left  his 
lodgings  on  the  yth  August,  carrying  only  a  small 
hand-bag,  with  no  luggage,  as  if  going  out  for  the  day, 
refused  the  offer  of  his  landlord  to  call  a  cab,  saying 
he  would  find  one  in  the  street,  and,  from  that  moment 
to  this,  no  further  trace  has  ever  been  found  of  him  ! 
He  had  left  a  note  that  day  at  his  club  for  his  eldest 
son,t  then  home  on  leave  from  India,  making  an 
appointment  for  a  few  days  later,  which  he  never  kept. 
But  so  averse  were  the  son  and  brother — General  Charles 
Campbell — from  making  any  talk  or  stir  in  the  matter, 
which  might  cause  his  annoyance  were  he  to  return 
suddenly,  that  they  left  it  for  three  months,  till  the 
1st  November,  before  calling  in  the  aid  of  Scotland 
Yard  !  Of  course,  by  that  time  it  was  too  late,  and  all 
trace  had  evaporated  ! 

There  was  this  much  excuse  for  them,  that  in  the 
summer  of  that  year  a  family  in  the  West-country  had 
become  a  general  laughing-stock,  by  raising  a  hue-and- 
cry  in  all  the  papers,  to  obtain  tidings  of  one  of  their 
members  who  had  incontinently  vanished,  and  whom 

*  Afterwards  Major-General. 

t  Then  Captain  in  Q.  O.  Corps  of  Guides,  afterwards  Major-General  R.  B.  P. 
Campbell,  C.B.    Died  in  1897. 


282         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

they  declared  must  be  wandering  as  a  lunatic,  or  suffer- 
ing from  loss  of  memory.  The  individual  in  question 
was  a  clergyman,*  and  to  the  mortification  of  his  rela- 
tives, he  was  unearthed  by  a  zealous  country  constable, 
in  the  disguise  of  a  carter  in  Wiltshire,  which  he  had 
adopted  to  escape  from  the  too  close  surveillance  of  his 
friends  !  Terrified  of  exciting  the  same  ridicule,  which 
of  all  things  he  dreaded — he  himself  being  an  inveterate 
jester ! — my  brother  Charles  restrained  his  nephew 
from  taking  any  decisive  measures  to  ascertain  his 
father's  fate,  until  actually  on  the  eve  of  his  own 
departure,  to  rejoin  his  regiment  in  India. 

The  mystery  of  John's  fate  has  never  been  elucidated. 
That  he  met  with  foul  play,  and  that  very  shortly  after 
he  left  his  lodgings  in  Jermyn  Street,  the  police  had  no 
doubt.  There  were,  they  acknowledged  then,  very 
many  more  of  these  total  disappearances  in  the  course 
of  a  year,  in  London,  than  the  general  public  had  any 
idea  of,  and  as  he  was  known  to  attend  many  racing 
meetings,  and  to  be  a  judge  of  horseflesh — he  had  been 
at  one  time  Superintendent  of  the  Government  breeding- 
establishment  in  India — it  was  possible  that  he  might 
occasionally  find  himself  in  very  doubtful  company. 
In  his  last  note  to  his  son,  he  mentioned  that  he  had  to 
"  go  on  business  about  a  lump  of  money,"  but  both  the 
son,  and  his  landlord,  were  given  to  understand  that  it 
was  a  mere  matter  of  a  few  hours,  or  perhaps  a  day  or  so. 

Many  were  the  tales  evolved,  and  circulated,  with 
regard  to  this  "  mystery,"  at  the  time,  especially  in 
view  of  the  romantic  interest  attached  to  his  marriage 
with  an  Indian  Princess.  The  one  that  had  most  vogue, 
perhaps,  was  to  the  effect  that  he  was  kidnapped  and 

*  He  was,  I  believe,  a  brother  of  Captain  Speke,  discoverer  of  the  sources  of 
the  Nile. 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   283 

murdered  by  natives  of  India,  lurking  in  concealment 
in  London,  either  out  of  revenge,  or  to  recover  jewellery 
belonging  to  his  wife,  which  he  was  carrying  in  that 
little  black  bag  in  his  hand.  Such  an  idea  had  little 
credence  in  the  family — poor  Princess  Gouramma's 
Oriental  jewels  were  not  of  great  value,  though  it  is 
true  that  none  of  them  were  found  amongst  his  posses- 
sions. Her  relatives,*  on  the  other  hand,  had  never 
shown  any  sort  of  resentment  at  her  marriage  with  a 
"  sahib." 

It  was  a  strange  thing  that  there  was  a  previous 
instance,  in  our  family,  of  the  second  son  of  the  laird  of 
Kinloch  being  lost  to  the  knowledge  of  his  kin,  our 
uncle  Gregorio  having  disappeared  in  the  same  way.f 
In  his  case,  it  was  rumoured,  intelligence  of  his  death 
finally  transpired,  but  my  father,  for  one,  to  the  end 
stoutly  refused  to  accept  it  as  authentic.  But  of  my 
poor  brother  no  further  tidings  ever  reached  us,  though 
false  scents  were  started  in  all  directions,  all  of  which 
my  youngest  brother,  Major  Colin  Campbell,  religiously 
followed  up,  only  to  be  confronted  with  disappointment. £ 

But,  for  my  part,  I  could  not  follow  indefinitely  the 
policy  of  waiting,  as  urged  by  some,  while  ignorant  of 
the  well-being  of  the  child  I  had  made  myself  respon- 
sible for.  In  deference  to  the  wish  of  my  eldest  brother, 
I  did  delay  for  some  considerable  time  before  writing 
to  Sir  James  Hogg  at  the  India  Office,  as  one  of  her 

*  See  Chapter  XII. 

t  Note  p.  7. 

j  My  uncle  John's  memory  is  (in  my  mind)  kept  green  by  a  presentation  made 
by  my  brother,  Rear- Admiral  S.  H.  M.  Login,  to  the  Officer's  Mess  at  the  Royal 
Naval  Barracks,  Portsmouth,  on  Trafalgar  Day,  1905.  The  very  handsome  cup 
he  then  gave  his  messmates,  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  Nelson,  was  in  reality 
the  Calcutta  Derby  Cup  won  by  my  uncle's  horse,  which  he  presented  to  my 
father  as  the  thing  he  himself  valued  most  highly.  It  was  inscribed  "  in  token  of 
gratitude  to  his  brother-in-law,"  my  father  having  procured  two  commissions 
in  the  Indian  Army  for  two  of  his  sons.  (E.  D.  L.) 


284        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

trustees — he  had  filled  the  same  position  to  her  mother 
also.  Only  that  very  day  had  he  and  the  Indian  Council 
been  informed  of  John's  disappearance,  and  that  the 
child  was  in  the  charge  of  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett,  at 
Rock  Ferry,  near  Birkenhead,  who  wanted  to  be  made 
her  legal  guardians.  The  council,  and  the  Queen  also, 
had  been,  up  to  that  moment,  under  the  impression  that 
she  was  in  my  care,  and  were  not  a  little  annoyed  with 
me  to  find  that  this  was  not  the  case,  so  that  it  was  well 
that  I  had  lost  no  further  time  in  acknowledging  my 
supineness  in  the  matter. 

Then  began  a  somewhat  trying  period  of  "  alarums 
and  excursions,"  in  order  to  obtain  the  custody  of  the 
child,  which  was  not  without  its  comic  side.  For 
months  I  had  a  most  amusing  correspondence,  weekly 
and  sometimes  daily,  with  Sir  James  Weir  Hogg,  who 
had  a  keen  sense  of  humour,  and  Mr.  Lawford,  the 
legal  adviser  to  the  India  Office,  on  the  subject.  Mr. 
Bartlett,  who  was  an  attorney,  exhibited  all  the  legal 
quibbles  and  subterfuges  imaginable,  combined  with  a 
melodramatic  melancholy  worthy  of  Mr.  Mantalini 
himself !  Sir  James,  and  the  other  officials,  were  deter- 
mined that  the  child  must  not  be  left  to  his  upbringing, 
and  resolved  to  make  her  a  ward  of  court.  As  I  had 
expressed  no  desire  to  be  appointed  guardian  under  the 
Lord  Chancellor,  they  asked  me  whom  I  would  advise 
to  be  named  to  undertake  the  office  ?  I  suggested  my 
brother  Charles.  However,  without  awaiting  my  reply, 
they  and  the  Lord  Chancellor  insisted  that  I  was  the 
only  right  person,  and  when  I  consented  and  had  been 
duly  appointed,  I  was  instructed  to  remove  her  from  the 
Bartlett's  custody,  though  allowed  to  do  so  with  as 
little  injury  to  their  feelings  as  I  wished. 

Three  times  appointments  were  made  to  meet  me  for 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   285 

this  purpose,  and  not  kept !    Then  it  was  urged  that  I 
must  take  into  my  service  the  maid  she  was  accustomed 
to  ;    but   I   had   already  got   a   nurse  !     Then,   "  Mrs. 
Bartlett's  health  would  not  stand  the  shock,"  and  there 
must  be  delay.    Again,  it  was  settled  that  a  confidential 
servant  of  mine  was  to  go  and  receive  her,  accompanied 
by  the  lawyer's  clerk,  when  it  was  discovered  the  house 
was  shut  up,  and  the  quarry  flown  to  the  Continent  1 
As  this  was  "  removing  a  ward  from  jurisdiction  of  the 
Court,"  a  severe  example  had  to  be  made  of  the  gentle- 
man.    Even  then  his  expedients  were  not  exhausted, 
and  when  all  was  settled  for  my  governess  to  go  and 
receive  her — "  Here's  another  dodge  !  "  wrote  Sir  James 
to  me,  "  Mr.  Bartlett  has  been  here,  and  declares  the 
child  has  scarlatina  I !  !  "     By  this  time  the  residents  of 
Rock  Ferry  were  all  absorbed  in  the  game  ;  Mr.  Bartlett 
was  not  regarded  with  favour,  and  many  neighbours 
volunteered  their  services  to  get  the  child  away  from 
him — the  Vicar  had  "  seen   the  child  that  day,  and  she 
was  quite  well !  "     So,  with  full  instructions  to  take 
lodgings  and  see  the  little  girl  well  nursed,  if  she  was 
really  sickening,  the  governess  started  bravely,  armed 
with  all  authority,  and  with  the  clergyman's  assistance, 
actually    succeeded    finally,    in    spite    of    a    few    more 
attempted  evasions  on  the   part  of  Mr.   Bartlett,   for 
the  wife  appeared  more  sensible,  and  really  fond  of  the 
child  for  its  own  sake.     Poor  woman  1     I  was  sorry 
for  her,  for  she  did  not  long  survive  the  parting.     Her 
money  proved  to  be  only  an  annuity  which  died  with 
her,  so  there  could  have  been  no  truth  in  the  idea  of  her 
adopting  and  making  an  heiress  of  little  Victoria.     In 
spite  of  the  attorney's  asseverations,  that  the  child  would 
never  part  from  them  without  the  most  heartrending 
paroxysms  of  grief,  the  poor  little  thing  seemed  more 


286        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

dazed  and  bewildered  than  anything  else,  and  in  a  few 
days  was  not  only  reconciled,  but  evidently  relieved 
to  be  allowed  to  exhibit  natural  feelings  of  childish 
interest,  and  pleasure,  in  the  novelty  of  her  surround- 
ings and  the  society  of  younger  friends  than  she  had 
been  accustomed  to.  Though  between  seven-and-eight 
years  of  age,  she  was  entirely  without  education,  did 
not  even  know  her  letters,  and  had  been  allowed  no 
playmates  save  a  page-boy. 

What  a  funny  little  old-fashioned  oddity  she  appeared, 
clothed  in  a  style  most  unsuited  to  her  age,  very  proud 
of  a  frock  made  out  of  a  piece  of  Indian  silk,  striped 
purple  and  crimson,  and  of  her  "  best  "  hat,  a  hard, 
round,  flat-topped  felt,  shaped  after  the  cut  of  a  stage- 
coachman's,  but  adorned  with  apparently  the  entire 
plumage  of  a  bird  of  paradise,  and  two  sizes  too  large 
for  her  childish  head,  which  it  "  bonnetted "  com- 
pletely !  All  this  was  soon  remedied,  and  the  child, 
who  for  the  past  three  years  had  answered  to  the  name 
of  "  Gip,"  or  "  Gipsey,"  knowing  of  no  other,  found 
herself,  under  her  proper  one  of  "  Victoria  Gouramma," 
a  very  different  creature,  and  quite  a  personable  one. 

I  delayed  as  long  as  I  dared  taking  her  for  her  first 
interview  with  the  Queen,  who  had  expressed  a  desire 
to  see  her,  until  a  little  of  her  awkwardness,  and  what  we 
Scots  call  "  dourness,"  had  rubbed  off.  It  was  with 
some  trepidation  that  I  ventured  on  the  experiment  of 
introducing  her  into  Her  Majesty's  presence,  without 
telling  her  exactly  who  it  was  that  she  was  about  to 
see  ;  but  I  had  had  some  experience  of  Queen  Victoria's 
dislike  of  children  who  were  in  any  way  "  primed  " 
with  proper  speeches,  and  drilled  into  rules  of  behaviour 
for  their  audiences,  and  I  took  the  opportunity,  on 
entering  the  audience-room,  to  advance  alone  first, 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   287 

and  explain  the  child's  complete  ignorance  of  the  Queen's 
identity.  Her  Majesty  was  most  gracious,  and  highly 
interested  and  amused  at  what  I  had  done,  promising 
to  overlook  any  mistakes  that  arose  in  consequence. 
But  I  could  see  that  she  doubted  my  assertion  that  the 
child  was  completely  unaware  of  who  she  was  ! 

She  soon  had  full  proof,  however,  of  the  fact.  The 
two  Princesses,  Princess  Louise  (Duchess  of  Argyll),  and 
Princess  Beatrice  (Princess  Henry  of  Battenberg),  came 
in  afterwards,  and  were  witnesses  of  the  following 
amusing  dialogue — Her  Majesty  running  towards  them, 
on  their  approach,  to  warn  them,  "  She  has  no  idea  who 
we  are  !  "  Both  greeted  me  most  kindly,  though  it  was 
seven  years  since  I  had  last  seen  them,  and  they  were 
then  but  children  themselves. 

"  Come  here,  Victoria  !  "  said  Her  Majesty,  "  Tell 
me,  do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  rather  stolidly.  Then,  after  a  little  pressure. 
"  I  suppose  you  are  an  old  friend  of  my  aunt's  1  " 
adding  somewhat  indifferently,  "  I  have  seen  such  a 
lot  of  them  !  "  An  idea  seemed  to  strike  her,  and  she 
confided  to  the  very  kind  lady  who  now  had  her  on  her 
knee,  "  There  was  one  very  nice  old  lady  she  took  me  to 
see,  who  gave  me  a  lovely  box  of  sweeties  !  " 

The  hint  was  unmistakable,  and  I  was  on  thorns 
as  to  what  might  come  next ;  but  the  Queen,  convulsed 
with  laughter,  made  me  a  sign  to  say  nothing,  and  the 
rest  of  the  royal  party  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  joke  ! 
What  made  it  the  more  pointed  was,  that  all  the  time 
Her  Majesty  had  been  holding  a  small  case  in  her  hand, 
on  which  the  child's  eyes  were  fixed,  evidently  expecting 
a  present  of  some  sort.  This  the  Queen  now  handed  to 
her,  with  a  laughing  apology  for  having  forgotten  the 
fact  that  sweetmeats  might  be  more  to  her  liking,  and 


288         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

pressing  the  spring,  showed  a  beautiful  crystal  locket 
adorned  with  the  royal  monogram. 

'  This  will  perhaps  serve  to  remind  you  of  this  '  old 
friend  of  your  aunt's,'  ' '  said  she,  very  graciously. 
"  Those  are  my  initials.  My  name  is  '  Victoria  '  too  ; 
the  same  as  yours." 

"  Oh,  no,  that  can't  be,  I  know  !  "  said  the  small 
Victoria,  with  more  animation,  and  shaking  her  head 
very  wisely.  "  There  is  only  one  other  Victoria,  for 
my  aunt  told  me  so  !  "• — this  most  reprovingly — "  and 
she's  the  one  we  pray  for  in  Church  !  " 

I  do  not  think  that  my  niece  ever  "  bettered  "  her 
first  interview  with  her  mother's  godmother,  nor  did  the 
two  succeeding  ones  tickle  the  Queen's  sense  of  humour 
to  the  same  extent,  though  on  the  last  occasion,  which 
was  her  presentation  at  Court,  I  saw  a  smile  spread  over 
the  royal  countenance  when  the  young  girl,  in  her  per- 
turbation, forgot  the  instructions  she  had  received  in 
correct  procedure,  and,  observing  that,  as  I  preceded 
her  into  the  presence,  Her  Majesty  greeted  me,  as  she 
did  those  known  to  her  of  old,  not  suffering  the  act  of 
homage,  but  giving  the  firm  hand-clasp  of  a  friend — 
on  the  Queen  graciously  extending  to  her,  as  debutante, 
her  hand  for  the  customary  kiss,  seized  and  shook  it 
warmly  to  the  visible  amusement  of  the  members  of  the 
grand  circle  ! 

For  thirteen  years,  until  her  marriage  in  October, 
1882,  after  she  came  of  age,*  Victoria  Campbell  lived 
with  us  as  a  member  of  my  family  ;  and  all  the  time 
Her  Majesty  took  a  very  sincere  interest  in  her,  and 
frequently  mentioned  her  in  the  correspondence  that 
still  went  on,  as  I  have  shown,  on  several  other  subjects. 
But,  though  letters  passed  with  the  Queen's  private 

*  She  married  Captain  H.  E.  Yardley. 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   289 

secretaries,  Sir  Thomas  Biddulph  and  Sir  Henry 
Ponsonby,  it  was  a  period  of  less  personal  intercourse 
with  the  Court  than  it  had  been  before,  my  own  widow- 
hood, and  Her  Majesty's  seclusion  after  the  Prince  Con- 
sort's death,  making  this  a  natural  result.  Indeed,  I 
had  not  seen  the  Queen  herself,  as  a  widow,  until  I  took 
the  child  that  time  by  appointment  to  Buckingham 
Palace,  and  the  change  in  her  struck  me  much. 

But  she  never  forgot  my  claims  to  remembrance  on 
occasions  of  State  functions,  and  tickets  for  seats  were 
sent  for  the  Thanksgiving  Service  at  St.  Paul's  in  1872, 
the  Jubilee  Celebrations  in  Westminster  Abbey,  and 
even  an  invitation  to  the  semi-private  wedding  of 
Princess  Louise  to  the  then  Marquis  of  Lome,  to  which 
only  a  very  few  with  special  rights  were  admitted ;  "  in 
consideration,"  as  Sir  H.  Ponsonby  wrote,  "  of  your 
name  of  Campbell." 

Two  little  instances  I  may  give  here,  as  proof  of  the 
Queen's  marvellous  memory  for  personal  details  relating 
to  those  with  whom  she  came  in  contact. 

She  had  been  discussing  with  me  the  pre-occupations 
inevitable  to  the  mother  of  a  large  family,  and  I,  always 
rather  hazy  about  figures,  remarked  in  corroboration, 
"  Indeed,  yes,  Ma'am  !  when,  like  me,  one  has  Jive 
children  to  think  of."  Whereupon  she  corrected  me 
at  once,  greatly  diverted.  "  Five  ?  You  mean  six, 
Lady  Login  !  "  And  she  was  quite  right  too  !  It  was  / 
who  had  miscounted  my  flock  ! 

Then,  when  I  took  Victoria  Campbell  to  see  her  after 
she  had  been  some  years  in  my  charge,  Her  Majesty 
rather  embarrassed  me  by  suddenly  observing  :  "  Lady 
Login,  haven't  you  another  daughter,  named  Edith  ? 
How  is  it  she  has  not  yet  been  presented  at  Court  ?  " 
Jt  was  a  little  difficult  to  explain,  that  it  really  had  been 


290         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

a  sense  of  economy,  in  my  altered  circumstances,  that 
had  made  it  seem  unnecessary — and  of  course  I  had  to 
rectify  the  oversight,  as  she  plainly  gave  me  to  under- 
stand I  was  to  ! 

When,  in  December,  1876,  tidings  reached  me,  through 
what  seemed  a  doubtful  channel,  of  the  sudden  death, 
in  an  unexpected  locality,  of  my  eldest  son,  the  blow 
was  hard  to  credit,  and  doubly  hard  to  bear. 

My  boy  Edward  had  been  in  India  since  January, 
1866,  having  only  one  short  leave  of  absence  for  three 
months  (which  meant  barely  six  weeks  in  England)  in  the 
summer  of  1873.  Mercifully,  for  part  of  that  brief 
period,  my  sailor  son  was  also  in  England,  though  he 
sailed  before  it  elapsed,  in  H.M.S.  Active,  Captain  Sir 
William  Hewett,  V.C.,  for  the  Ashantee  War.  This  one 
month,  and  a  week  or  ten  days  that  they  had  been 
together  in  Bombay,  a  year  previously,  when  Harry, 
the  younger  one,  was  a  midshipman  in  the  Volage 
(Captain  Sir  Michael  Culme  Seymour),  one  of  the  Flying 
Squadron,  on  a  cruise  round  the  world,  was  actually 
the  only  time  the  two  brothers  saw  each  other  from  the 
time  that  they  parted  after  the  death  of  their  little 
sister  at  Pau  in  1865,  when  the  sailor-boy  was  fourteen. 
For  Harry  sailed  in  1866,  in  H.M.S.  Zealous,  for  Esqui- 
mault,  round  Cape  Horn,  aftd  for  five  years,  just  after 
losing  my  two  daughters  in  France,  I  had  both  my  sons 
absent  at  the  two  extremities  of  the  globe.  For  six 
months  of  that  time  I  knew  absolutely  nothing  of  what 
had  become  of  the  younger  one,  though  I  made  all 
inquiries  possible  of  the  Admiralty,  where  my  first- 
cousin,  Admiral  Frederick  Campbell,  was  First  Lord's 
Secretary.  My  only  consolation  was  in  the  steadfast 
sympathy  and  concern  of  the  elder  son,  as  soon  as  he 
learnt  of  my  anxiety.  His  was  an  intensely  affectionate 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   291 

and  unselfish  nature,  and  he  possessed  the  same  sweet- 
ness of  disposition  as  had  characterised  his  sister  Lena 
(the  one  who  died),  whom  he  resembled  in  other  ways, 
so  that,  like  her,  he  gained  friends  wherever  he  went, 
and  was  held  in  esteem  by  all  who  met  him. 

It  is  only  to  show  the  changed  conditions  of  the 
world  from  those  times  that  I  speak  of  these  things  here. 
Those  were  indeed  the  days  of  long  waiting  in  silence 
for  news  of  the  absent,  and  would  seem  impossible  now. 

My  son's  appointment  was  in  the  Finance  Department 
at  Bombay  where  he  was  in  charge  of  the  Home  Money 
Order  Branch,  a  new  experiment,  of  which  he  was  the 
originator,  and  for  which  he  had  received  the  thanks  and 
commendations  of  the  Viceroy  and  Council.  In  the  last 
letter  received  from  him,  he  spoke  of  spending  Christmas 
with  an  aunt*  and  cousin  at  Nagpore.  On  December 
1 9th,  I  was  horrified  and  bewildered  to  learn,  from  an 
unexpected  quarter,  that  a  telegram,  from  a  member  of 
a  strange  commercial  firm  in  India,  announced  the  bald 
fact — "  Login  died  Galle  i6th,  tell  his  mother." 

The  thmg  was  impossible  !  A  cruel  mistake  !  An 
appalling  blunder  !  This  was  my  first,  my  most  natural 
idea.  What  should  take  my  son  to  Galle,  in  Ceylon, 
of  all  places  ?  What  take  him  outside  the  Indian  presi- 
dencies for  a  voyage  like  that  ? — he,  who  was  saving 
all  his  money  for  a  trip  home,  hoping  to  get  married  ? 
There  was  evidently  some  mistake  in  the  name  ;  the 
message  was  not  for  me  !  and  I  resolved  that  my  other 
children,  anyhow,  should  not  have  the  joy  of  their 
Christmas  shattered  by  false  tidings  of  evil.  How  I  did 
it,  I  hardly  know  ;  but,  keeping  my  own  counsel,  with 
a  heart  nigh  breaking  with  the  sickening  stroke,  I  wrote 
and  telegraphed  to  my  friends  and  the  Indian  authorities 

*  My  sister  "  Maggie,"  Mrs.  Meiklejohn. 


v  2 


292         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  said  no  word  of  all  that  darkened  the  world  to  me, 
to  my  two  daughters  and  my  niece,  till  St.  Stephen's 
Day.  Then  I  broke  to  them,  as  gently  as  I  could,  what 
had  been  told  me,  adding  that  so  far  neither  confirmation 
nor  denial  of  the  report  had  yet  reached  me.  Hoping 
and  fearing,  a  weary  month  went  by,  till  letters  came  to 
prove  it  all  too  true  !  And  week  by  week,  with  every 
mail,  his  letters  came,  through  all  that  time  of  waiting 
— he  never  had  missed  writing  through  all  the  years 
since  he  first  left  home,  and  he  never  did  up  to  the  end. 
Gay,  cheerful,  heartening  letters,  with  never  a  word  of 
the  fever  and  dysentery  that  was  sapping  his  life 
away  !  talking  of  a  holiday,  and  change  to  the  Central 
Provinces  in  a  week  or  two,  and  never  telling  how  he 
had  been  ordered  a  short  sea-voyage  by  the  doctor, 
on  the  bare  chance  of  its  restoring  his  strength.  He  was 
carried  on  board  the  P.  &  O.  steamer  Geelong,  and  died 
half  an  hour  after  the  ship  cast  anchor  at  Pointe  de 
Galle.  There,  in  the  cemetery,  he  lies  buried,  my 
eldest  boy,  laid  to  rest  by  strangers,  with  no  one  near 
who  knew  him  before,  save  his  faithful  Goanese  "  boy  !  " 

The  sailor  son  was  now  the  only  one  left  to  me,  and 
all  my  hopes  centred  on  him.  There  was  much  in  him  to 
remind  me  of  his  father  ;  he  had  inherited  from  him 
both  his  love  of  the  sea,  and  his  gifts  of  organisation. 
Edwy  showed  another  side  of  his  father's  character, 
took  more  interest  in  public  matters,  finance  and 
diplomacy,  was  a  fair  shot,  and  a  fine  horseman.  He 
had  also  the  Scotsman's  passion  for  golf,  and  he  it  was 
who,  in  1873,  first  suggested  the  feasibility  of  making 
links  at  Felixstowe,  to  his  old  Colonel  in  the  London 
Scottish,  then  Lord  Elcho. 

Harry,  the  younger  one,  had  not   been  the  steady 
home-writer  that  his  brother  ever  was,  and  when  he 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   293 

first  went  to  sea  at  fifteen,  he  actually  changed  his 
ship,  being  drafted  from  the  Flag-ship  on  the  Pacific 
Station  to  H.M.S.  Pylades,  stationed  on  the  S.E.  coast 
of  America,  without  sending  a  line  ;  so  that  I  had 
absolutely  to  get  one  of  the  attaches  to  the  Ministry 
at  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  find  out  if  he  really  was  on  board 
that  ship,  and  make  him  write  ! 

He  had  been  five  years  away  from  home  when  he  first 
came  back,  and  it  was  in  the  saloon  of  the  troopship 
Orontes,  in  which  he  had  been  given  passage,  that  I  saw 
him  first  after  all  that  interval.  They  had  dropped 
anchor  at  Spithead  only  an  hour  before,  and  my  im- 
patience not  suffering  me  to  wait  till  the  ship  came  into 
port  next  day,  I  chartered  a  sailing-boat  from  Ports- 
mouth Hard,  and  went  out  to  her,  meeting  on  the  way 
the  Captain  of  the  Orontes,  who  gave  my  boy  twenty-four 
hours'  leave  and  congratulated  me  on  my  enterprise. 
The  first  lieutenant,  who  received  us,  sent  for  him  and 
took  me  below.  As  we  entered  the  long  saloon,  a  man 
in  naval  uniform,  nearly  six  foot  high  and  very  broad 
in  the  chest,  came  in  from  the  other  end.  "  There's 
your  son,"  said  my  conductor.  I  was  much  aggrieved 
at  the  tall  stranger,  who  still  advanced,  shutting  out 
with  his  bulky  form  all  sight  of  the  boy  I  was  searching 
for  eagerly.  The  intruder  came  to  a  dead  stop,  and 
stared  blankly  at  me  and  my  companions,  while  I 
attempted  vainly  to  peer  over  his  shoulder  by  standing 
on  tip-toe !  Suddenly  he  recognised,  and  greeted 
by  name  the  Vicar  of  Southsea  (Canon  J.  S.  Blake), 
who  had  accompanied  me,  while  at  the  same  moment, 
the  lieutenant,  grasping  the  situation,  exclaimed  :  "  But 
this  is  your  son,  Lady  Login  !  Did  you  not  know 
him  ?  "  Was  it  wonderful  that  I  had  failed  to  do  so  ? 
He  had  left  me  a  boy,  and  had  returned  a  man  !  A 


294        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

second  glance  revealed  him  as  the  living  image  of 
his  father,  but  of  superior  height,  and  younger  in 
years  than  I  had  ever  known  the  latter,  for  he  was 
only  twenty  after  all.  Not  many  mothers,  I  think, 
have  had  to  be  re-introduced  to  their  son  by  a  total 
stranger  ! 

That  was  in  1871,  and  in  that  same  year  he  was  off 
again  round  the  world  in  the  Flying  Squadron.  In  1873 
he  went  off  in  the  Active  to  the  First  Ashantee  War, 
and  his  brother,  who  was  in  England  for  that  one  brief 
visit,  had  the  pride  and  pleasure  of  hearing  Commodore 
Sir  William  Hewett,  his  commanding-officer,  at  a 
dinner-party  at  Ryde,  inform  the  assembled  guests— 
not  knowing  that  anyone  was  present  who  would  know 
of  whom  he  spoke — "  Well,  I  have  got  hold  of  a  perfect 
wonder  as  a  '  mate  of  the  upper-deck  '  !  I  have  never 
seen  anyone  to  come  up  to  him  for  work,  and  the  more 
you  give  him  to  do,  the  happier  the  beggar  seems  ! 
He  just  grins  with  delight,  and  puts  it  through,  working 
like  a  navvy  !  " 

Six  months  before  this,  in  April,  1873,  I  had  ventured 
first,  for  I  was  very  chary  of  using  any  private  influence 
I  might  possess,  to  the  detriment  of  officers  of  perhaps 
greater  claims — to  commend  my  son  Harry  to  the 
Queen's  favour,  should  she  be  disposed  to  include  him 
amongst  the  officers  of  the  Royal  Yacht.  Sir  Thomas 
Biddulph,  after  referring  to  other  business,  said  "  that 
it  would  give  him  great  pleasure  to  see  my  son  appointed 
to  the  Royal  Yacht,"  and  if  I  could  get  the  Admiralty 
to  submit  his  name  amongst  others  to  the  Queen, 
"  I  will  take  care,"  said  he,  "  that  Her  Majesty  knows 
who  it  is,  and  your  anxiety  in  the  matter." 

But  when  my  son  was  ordered  to  the  West  Coast  of 
Africa  in  the  Flagship,  for  the  Ashantee  War,  and  com- 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   295 

mended  there  for  his  good  work,  his  superiors  advised 
me  not  to  ask  for  the  appointment  just  then,  as  he  was 
pretty  sure  to  get  his  promotion  for  war  services  (which 
indeed  proved  true  !)  ;  but  to  wait  until  he  was  qualified, 
with  two  years  sea-time  as  Lieutenant,  and  then  get 
his  name  put  on  the  list. 

Accordingly,  when  he  had  been  for  some  time  First 
Lieutenant  of  the  Plover^  I  once  more  moved  in  the 
matter,  and  wrote  to  Sir  Thomas  Biddulph  on  October 
23rd,  1877,  to  say  that  if  he  could  give  me  hope  that  his 
name  would  be  favourably  looked  at  by  the  Queen, 
if  sent  up  by  My  Lords  for  the  1878  appointment,  he 
could  get  very  high  recommendations  from  the  captains 
and  admirals  he  had  served  under.     Sir  Thomas  very 
kindly  gave  me  a  hint  that  he  was  aware  that  great 
pressure  had  been  put  upon  the  then  First  Lord,  Mr. 
W.   H.   Smith,  "  in  very  high  quarters"  for  a  recom- 
mendation to  the  Queen  for  a  special  lieutenant  ;    but 
that,  as  the  Admiralty  seemed  to  be  very  just  in  selecting 
officers,   for  professional  services   rather   than   private 
interest,  he  thought,  if  my  son's  claims  were  so  good, 
he  would  advise  me  to  put  him  forward,  backed  by  all 
the   certificates   at   his   command.      I   urged   that   my 
health  had  suffered  from  my  anxiety  on  behalf  of  this 
my  only  remaining  son,  for  he  had  been  invalided  from 
Prahsu  with  Ashantee  fever,  and  was  now  serving  on 
the  rather  unhealthy  West  Indian  station,  and  referred 
to  the   fact  that,   on  relinquishing  the   charge   of  the 
Princess   Gouramma,   Her   Majesty   had   bade   me   ask 
"  any  favour  I  liked  ;  "   but  I  had  wanted  nothing  then. 
Sir  Thomas  then  assured  me  that  "  he  had  drawn 
Her  Majesty's  attention  to  my  son's  claims  .  .  .  and 
was   quite   sure   they  will   be   fairly   considered   if   the 
Admiralty    proposes    his    name.    .    .    .    These  appoint- 


296        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

merits  are  matters  of  great  difficulty  ;  first  to  obtain  the 
recommendation  from  the  Admiralty,  and  then  the 
pressure  from  various  quarters  ...  is  considerable. 
Independently  of  your  own  claim,  I  must  say  your  son's 
are,  in  my  opinion,  very  good.  The  time  will  be  about 
next  June  in  all  probability,  and  1  wish  you  may  succeed" 

Sir  Thomas  Biddulph's  successor  as  Private  Secre- 
tary to  Her  Majesty,  Sir  Henry  Ponsonby,  interested 
himself  also  in  my  son's  behalf,  from  August,  1881,  to 
1890,  and  from  him  I  heard  each  time  the  Admiralty 
list  was  sent  up.  In  1883  this  procedure  was  interrupted, 
through  Her  Majesty  making  a  special  request  for  the 
appointment  to  be  given  to  Prince  Louis  of  Battenberg, 
who  was,  up  to  that  time,  my  son's  junior,  though 
they  had  been  associated  together  a  good  deal.  In  spite 
of  this,  Admiral  Sir  Cooper  Key  urged  me  to  try  and  get 
my  son's  name  sent  in  to  Her  Majesty,  as  unless  soon 
promoted  to  Commander,  he  would  otherwise  have  little 
hope  of  ever  rising  to  the  rank  of  Admiral.* 

He  was  at  length  made  Commander  in  1889,  and 
appointed  to  the  Anson,  in  her  first  commission  as 
flagship  in  the  Channel  Fleet,  and  the  first  mastless 
battleship  ;  and  on  their  memorable  summer  cruise  up 
the  Baltic,  had  nineteen  royalties  photographed  on  the 
quarter-deck  one  afternoon  at  Elsinore,  when,  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  Captain  (now  Admiral  Sir  Bouverie 
F.  Clark,  K.C.B.)  and  himself  alone,  on  the  fore-bridge, 
the  ship  had  struck  an  obstruction  in  the  channel  two 
hours  previously,  and  was  making  water  !  They  sub- 
sequently ascertained  by  sending  down  divers  when  they 
reached  Kiel,  that  one  of  the  bottom-plates  was  damaged, 
and  she  would  need  docking  on  her  return  to  England. 

*  Had  not  the  promotions  been  accelerated  by  compulsory  retirements  in 
1904,  he  would  not  have  attained  this  rank. 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   297 

They  were  a  very  merry  and  unconventional  party 
of  Sovereigns,  Princes  and  Princesses,  who  spent  two 
solid  hours  on  board,  though  they  came  only  for 
half  an  hour,  and  romped  and  roamed  over  the  great 
ship  like  a  pack  of  school-boys,  insisting  on  seeing  and 
testing  everything.  I  fear  that,  much  as  the  two 
responsible  officers  appreciated  the  honour,  and  the 
pleasure  the  length  of  their  stay  conveyed,  there  was 
some  relief,  in  their  anxiety  about  the  good  ship's  sea- 
worthiness, when  they  were  seen  off  safely  in  the  King 
of  Denmark's  barge  !  A  photograph  then  taken  is  an 
unique  record  of  such  a  gathering,  and  the  few  copies 
allowed  to  be  struck  off  greatly  cherished  as  a  historical 
record  by  those  who  possess  one.  It  came  about 
from  a  simple  request  from  one  of  the  officers,  that  the 
Princess  of  Wales  (Queen  Alexandra)  would  allow  herself 
to  be  photographed  for  the  men  of  the  ship's  company  to 
stick  up  on  the  mess-deck.  "  Certainly,  with  pleasure  !  " 
she  responded  graciously.  "  Why,  there  are  nineteen 
of  us  ;  let  us  all  be  done  together  !  We  may  not  have 
such  another  chance.  Emperor !  Emperor  !  Come 
up  here  !  "  she  called  down  the  companion-way  to  the 
Tsar  of  all  the  Russias,  who  had  vanished  into  the  ward- 
room ;  and  the  Autocrat,  who  seldom  allowed  any 
portrait  to  be  taken,  was  summoned,  much  against  his 
will,  and  the  group  arranged  by  herself,  she  standing  in 
the  centre,  still  in  the  glory  of  her  beauty. 

These  are  the  names  of  those  included  : 

The  Emperor  Alexander  III.  of  Russia  ;  the  Empress 
Marie  Feodorovna  (Dagmar)  ;  the  Czarevitch  (Emperor 
Nicholas  II.)  ;  the  Prince  of  Wales  (King  Edward  VII.)  ; 
the  Princess  of  Wales  (Queen  Alexandra)  ;  King 
Christian  IX.  of  Denmark  ;  Queen  Louise  of  Denmark ; 
the  Crown  Prince  of  Denmark  (King  Frederick  VII.) ; 


298         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

the  Crown  Princess  of  Denmark  (Queen  Christine) ;  their 
eldest  son  (King  Christian  X.),  and  second  son  (Prince 
Axel)  ;  the  Duke  of  Clarence  ;  Prince  George  of 
England  (King  George  V.)  ;  the  Duchess  of  Fife  ; 
Princess  Victoria  ;  Princess  Maud  (Queen  of  Norway)  ; 
Prince  Charles  of  Denmark  (King  Haakon  of  Norway)  ; 
Princess  Waldemar  of  Denmark  (nee  Princess  Marie  of 
Orleans),  and  Prince  John  of  Gliicksburg,  brother  of 
Queen  Louise  of  Denmark.  Vice-Admiral  Baird  com- 
manding the  Channel  Squadron  was  the  only,  non- 
royalty  admitted  to  the  picture. 

The  barbettes  of  the  Ansorfs  1 3-inch  guns — considered 
marvels  in  those  days  ! — had  dark  corridors  running 
round  the  outside  of  the  double-armour-clad,  revolving, 
inner  turrets,  lit  at  intervals  by  electric  bulbs.  My  son, 
in  the  semi-obscurity,  had  been  for  some  twenty  minutes 
acting  cicerone  to  two  ladies,  who  showed  extraordinary 
interest  in,  and  familiarity  with,  the  construction  of 
the  various  warlike  implements,  and  scientific  parapher- 
nalia, of  a  modern  ship-of-war.  Their  English  was 
perfect,  and  they  were  so  simply  natural  and  friendly 
in  their  conversation  with  him,  and  he  so  absorbed  in 
his  demonstrations,  that  he  thought  no  more  of  their 
identity,  but  that  they  were  particularly  unaffected 
and  pleasant  members  of  the  royal  suite.  In  passing 
one  of  the  lights,  his  eye  was  attracted  by  the  curious 
brooch  that  one  of  them  was  wearing,  and  he  had 
another  look  at  it  when  the  next  electric  ray  fell  on  it. 
To  his  consternation,  he  recognised  the  royal  arms  of 
Russia  in  brilliants  and  enamel,  and  a  glance  at  the 
wearer's  face  showed  him,  by  her  resemblance  to  the 
Princess  of  Wales,  that  he  had  for  the  past  twenty 
minutes  been  in  close  converse,  all  unknowingly,  with 
the  Empress  of  Russia  herself  ! 


FAMILY  SORROWS  AND  ANOTHER  CHARGE   299 

He  had  many  tales  to  tell  of  the  Kaiser,  who  was  at 
Kiel  to  receive  the  Fleet ;  though,  as  I  have  mentioned, 
this  was  not  his  first  inspection  of  the  Anson* 

He,  however,  gave  her  a  very  thorough  overhauling 
this  time,  penetrating  into  every  corner,  and  seemed 
specially  taken  with  the  fittings  in  my  son's  cabin  on 
the  barbette  deck ;  the  flat  sponge-bath  strapped 
tight  to  the  roof,  in  the  fashion  that  top-hats  are  (or 
were)  fixed  in  railway-carriages,  particularly  took  his 
fancy.  "  Splendid  idea  for  stowing  a  tub  !  I  must 
make  my  fellows  take  note  !  " 

He  had  been  exceedingly  exercised  over  a  saluting 
ceremony  that  took  place  on  arrival  at  Kiel.  "  Why 
did  you  run  up  the  White  Ensign  at  the  main,  and  salute 
it  with  twenty-one  guns  before  entering  the  harbour  ?  " 
he  asked  the  flag-lieutenant,  the  moment  he  boarded 
the  Northumberland.  "  Not  the  White  Ensign,  your 
Majesty  !  That  was  your  own  flag,  Sire  ;  your  flag  as 
Admiral  of  the  Fleet !  "  "  Well,  would  you  believe  it  ?  " 
—much  relieved — "  None  of  my  fellows  could  tell  me 
that  !  " 

After  that  incident,  it  was  a  source  of  much  amuse- 
ment to  hear  that  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  flying  this 
special  flag  on  his  private  barge,  on  every  possible 
occasion,  even  in  foreign  waters,  tearing  about  at  the 
Piraeus,  for  instance,  with  it  fluttering  at  the  stern, 
to  the  bewilderment  of  the  uninitiated,  who  took  it 
for  some  special  compliment  to  the  British  nation,  the 
plain  St.  George's  flag  at  a  distance  being  difficult  to 
distinguish  from  the  White  Ensign. 

His  rank  of  Honorary  Admiral  of  the  Fleet  in  the 
British  Navy  was  a  source  of  immense  gratification  to 
him,  and  bore  witness  to  his  grandmother's  astuteness 

*  See  ante,  Chapter,  XL  (pp.  166,  167). 


300        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

in  so  honouring  him.  When  the  date  arrived  on  which 
the  Fleet  was  due  to  leave  Kiel,  he  asked  Admiral 
Baird  if  they  could  not  stay  one  day  longer,  for  some 
special  reason  ?  but  was  told  their  programme  was  given 
them  by  the  Admiralty,  and  without  orders  from  home 
they  must  not  upset  it,  as  the  King  of  Sweden  was 
expecting  them  at  Karlskrona. 

"  I'll   telegraph   to   my   grandmother,"    said    Kaiser 
Wilhelm,  and  accordingly  did  so. 

The  reply  from  the  one  who  understood  his  character 
best  of  all,  filled  him  to  over-brimming  with  pride  and 
self-complacency.  "  You  are  Admiral-of-the-Fleet— 
give  your  orders  !  " — which  he  promptly  did. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

OLD    FELIXSTOWE    DAYS 

UNTIL  the  summer  of  1878,  I  continued  to  live  mostly 
at  the  house  at  Felixstowe  where  my  husband  died, 
and  we  all  grew  to  identify  ourselves  much  with  the 
place  and  people.  The  former  was  in  those  days  much 
smaller,  and  more  primitive,  than  it  has  since  become, 
especially  after  the  Kaiser  and  Kaiserin,  with  their 
children,  have  so  frequently  "  honoured  "  with  their 
presence  the  house  on  the  cliff,  which  in  our  time  went 
by  the  nickname  of  "  Ely  Cathedral,"  being  the  residence 
of  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Eley  of  sporting-powder  fame. 
Doubtless  their  visits  were  not  without  their  purpose, 
which  was  even  then  suspected  by  many  ! 

The  old  church  at  Felixstowe,  dedicated  to  S.  Felix, 
the  apostle  of  East  Anglia  (who  landed  there  to  begin 
his  evangelisation  of  the  Saxons,  and  is  said  to  be  buried 
in  the  porch),  had  fallen  into  great  disrepair,  and  was 
not  large  enough  to  seat  the  regular  congregation,  let 
alone  the  enormous  crowd  of  visitors  to  the  little  water- 
ing-place who  then  attended  it  in  summer-time.  The 
parish,  a  large  one,  had  been  allowed  to  be  held  by  its 
last  two  incumbents  in  conjunction  with  the  adjoining 
one  of  Walton,  at  that  time  a  much  more  populous 
place,  and  both  advowsons  had  been  acquired  by  pur- 
chase, by  a  vicar  of  very  extreme  evangelical  views, 
and  of  exceedingly  quaint  personality.  The  diocese 
of  Norwich  was  so  vast  that  in  any  case  the  systematic 
"  overseership  "  of  the  present  day  would  have  been 


302         LADY   LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

impossible  to  one  Bishop,  and  the  occupant  of  the  see, 
though  an  earnest  and  hard-working  prelate,  saw  no 
necessity  for  the  division  of  responsibility  by  the 
appointment  of  "  gig-bishops,"  as  they  were  then 
irreverently  termed. 

The  Vicar  of  Walton-cum-Felixstowe  felt  no  qualms 
at  reducing  the  ministrations  in  his  cure  of  souls, 
which  embraced  a  district  covering  nine  square  miles, 
to  the  lowest  compatible  with  legal  requirements.  He 
had  four  churches  to  serve,  including  a  mission-chapel  at 
Bawdsey  Ferry,  and  the  chapel  for  the  garrison  at  Land- 
guard  Fort,  for  the  performance  of  which  duty  he  drew 
pay  as  chaplain  from  the  War  Office,  and  thus  was  enabled 
to  keep  a  second  curate,  at  seventy  pounds  a  year  ! 

This  multiplicity  of  places  of  worship  was  the  occasion 
of  endless  complications,  for  the  good  man  had  an 
inveterate  objection  to  making  definite  arrangements 
and  plans  of  any  kind.  His  assistants  were  never 
allowed  to  know  till  the  last  moment — often  not  until 
the  Sunday  morning  itself,  for  such  a  thing  as  a  service 
held  before  eleven  o'clock  in  the  day  was  beyond  his 
conception — whether  the  sermon  prepared  would  be 
preached  to  soldiers,  fishermen  and  coastguards,  farmers 
and  farm-labourers,  or  a  congregation  of  London 
visitors  !  Details  of  the  kind  never  troubled  him  in  the 
least  ;  why  should  they  ?  He  had  a  certain  number  of 
sermons,  composed  probably  in  his  university  days 
(for  he  was  an  M.A.  of  Oxford,  had  taken  a  good  degree, 
and  was  said  to  have  been  a  distinguished  Hebrew 
scholar),  as  they  bore  undoubted  marks  of  his  own 
authorship  ;  and  these  he  used  strictly  in  rotation, 
so  that  they  became  as  familiar  to  his  hearers  as  they 
were  to  himself  ;  and  when  in  the  fading  dusk  of  a 
gloomy  November  afternoon  (evening  services  were 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  303 

impossible,  as  there  were  no  facilities  for  lighting  the 
church),  eyesight  and  memory  failed  him,  one  had  an 
irresistible  impulse  to  prompt  him  with  the  next  sen- 
tence. Short  and  pithy  texts  were  his  strong  point, 
and  he  had  a  curious  twitch  of  the  nostrils  when  he 
wished  to  be  impressive,  which  gave  him  the  appearance 
of  an  old  buck-rabbit,  and  imparted  to  his  speech 
the  identical  sanctimonious  snuffle  which  is  somehow 
always  associated  in  one's  mind  with  the  traditional 
Puritan  preacher,  the  resemblance  being  enhanced  by 
the  fact  that,  in  the  pulpit,  he  invariably  wore  the  black 
gown  and  Geneva  bands  of  the  Nonconformist  pastor. 
It  is  an  impossible  accent  to  reproduce,  but  sounded 
irresistibly  comic  when,  with  an  air  of  awe-inspiring 
solemnity,  he  would  stand  up  in  the  lofty  "  three- 
decker,"  and  after  an  impressive  pause,  enunciate 
slowly,  with  nasal  vehemence  :  "  M-harcus,  mhy  son  !  " 
or  "  On-ly  Lhuke  was  with  me  !  " 

On  one  occasion  he  surpassed  himself.  It  was  a  hot 
Sunday  in  summer,  and  after  a  toilsome,  dusty  walk  of, 
in  most  cases,  two  miles  shadeless  pilgrimage,  an  over- 
flowing congregation  sat  packed  into  the  high  loose- 
boxes  which  formed  the  pews  of  the  church,  and  which 
in  many  cases  concealed  fine  old  poppy-head  stalls 
of  black,  worm-eaten  oak,  corresponding  with  the  solid 
oaken  beams  two  and  three  feet  square,  that  stretched 
from  wall  to  walj  of  the  nave,  and,  though  blocking  the 
view,  gave  the  fabric  strength.  The  school-children, 
ranged  on  forms,  filled  the  aisle,  admonished  by  a  sort  of 
nondescript  verger  or  beadle,  who  paced  up  and  down  to 
keep  order,  armed  with  a  seven-foot  rod  of  office,  taper- 
ing like  a  billiard  cue,  with  which  he  attempted  to 
correct  the  unruly  ;  but  being  somewhat  uncertain  in 
vision,  and  in  hearing,  not  infrequently  missed  his  aim, 


304         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

and  injured  the  head-gear,  or  poked  in  the  eye,  some 
unoffending  female  in  the  congregation  !  In  the  gallery 
at  the  west  end,  sat  one  or  two  singers  and  the  organ, 
of  which  the  parish  was  immensely  proud,  it  being  a 
comparatively  new  acquisition,  and,  of  its  kind,  a  fine 
specimen — a  barrel  organ  with  about  fourteen  hymn- 
tunes  and  two  or  three  voluntaries  ;  but  with  several 
pegs  missing,  so  that  when  a  hiatus  occurred,  the  black- 
smith, who  officiated  at  the  handle,  put  his  head  round 
the  corner  of  the  instrument,  and  supplied  the  missing 
note  in  a  deep  bass  bellow  ! 

The  bell  continued  long  after  all  were  assembled,  and 
the  organ  played  slowly  all  its  tunes,  and  began  its 
repertoire  all  over  again,  and  still  no  clergyman  appeared ! 
The  congregation  waited,  but  as  there  was  still  no  sign  of 
him,  began  to  disperse.  On  this  the  Vicar  was  descried 
in  the  distance  in  his  ramshackle  pony-carriage,  lashing 
the  unfortunate  white  pony  into  a  feeble  resemblance  of 
a  gallop  ;  he  arrived,  tore  into  the  vestry,  and  reappear- 
ing, breathlessly  hurried  through  the  morning  service. 
When  it  came  to  the  sermon,  he  made  his  customary 
little  pause — his  congregation,  I  fear,  regarding  him  the 
while  with  an  amount  of  frigid  resentment,  when,  blandly 
smiling  round  on  them,  with  an  air  of  apology,  he 
mildly  remarked  :  "  Fear  not,  little  flock  !  "  repeating 
the  words  a  second  time,  in  a  still  more  encouraging 
tone,  to  give  additional  emphasis  !  As  if  anxious  yet 
further  to  try  our  gravity,  he  made  a  deprecating 
pause,  and  i,n  a  hesitating  manner  remarked  :  "  Before 
commencing  the  consideration  of  these  words,  I  would 
like  to  offer  some  apology  for  inconvenience  caused  .  .  . 
er  .  .  .  er  .  .  .  delay  in  arriving  .  .  .  er  .  .  .  er  .  .  . 
quite  a  misunderstanding  .  .  .  thought  had  arranged 
.  to  be  elsewhere  .  .  .  unfortunate  mistake  .  .  , 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  305 

er  ...  er  ..."  Continuing  in  the  same  breath,  and 
with  no  change  of  voice  :  "  These  beautiful  words  will 
be  found  written  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  St.  Luke's 
Gospel  and  the  thirty-second  verse"  He  looked  mildly 
surprised,  after  this  announcement,  to  discover  that, 
though  none  were  asleep,  all  his  congregation  suddenly 
disappeared  from  view,  and  were  simultaneously  suffer- 
ing from  violent  coughs  and  colds  !  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  owing  to  contradictory  instructions  delivered  the 
previous  day,  both  his  curates  and  himself  had  all 
three  turned  up  to  take  the  duty  at  Landguard  Fort, 
quite  five  miles  off  ! 

The  Vicar  also  had  a  wonderful  faculty  for  scenting 
out  any  stray  cleric  on  a  holiday  among  the  visitors, 
and  pressing  them  into  his  service  to  assist  in  some 
capacity.  In  this  way,  of  course,  his  congregation 
frequently  benefited  by  the  ministrations  of  able  men  and 
fine  preachers.  But  there  was  another  side  to  the 
question,  and  having  endured  the  vagaries  of  a  strange 
clergyman  of  a  melodramatic  turn  of  mind,  who  acted 
the  scene  of  the  temptation  of  Eve,  and  imitated  the  voices 
respectively  of  Adam,  Eve  and  the  Serpent  (the  latter 
a  sort  of  hissing  squeak  !)  in  the  pulpit,  and  in  the 
lectern  read  the  eleventh  chapter  of  second  Corinthians, 
with  the  refrain  recurring  "  so  am  I,"  as  a  kind  of 
Punch-and-Judy  show,  in  which  the  big  Bible  played 
a  part — at  the  close  of  the  service  I  asked  my  governess 
if  she  would  ascertain  from  the  clerk  the  gentleman's 
name,  in  order  that  I  might  avoid  hearing  him  again. 
Conceive  the  dismay  of  the  unfortunate  young  woman 
when,  as  she  asked  the  question,  the  vestry  door 
opened  alongside,  and  the  individual  himself  responded, 
in  a  very  loud  voice,  laying  a  warning  stress  on  the 
concluding  words  :  "  The  Rev.  David  Ap  Thomas, 


3o6        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

at  your  service,  and  I  live  at  Netting  Hill  with  my 
wife  !  " 

The  old  church  being  in  such  a  parlous  state,  and 
needing  restoration,  and  enlargement,  to  fit  it  for  the 
requirements  of  a  growing  population,  I,  and  other 
friends  there,  moved  heaven  and  earth  to  raise  a  sum 
for  the  purpose.  In  this  we  were  partially  successful, 
two  transepts  and  a  new  chancel  and  organ-chamber, 
with  new  organ,  were  added.  Having  induced  Mr.  John 
Bright  to  plead  my  cause  with  Lord  Cardwell,  I  got  from 
the  War  Office  a  grant  of  the  materials  used  in  the 
construction  of  a  condemned  coast-battery,  and  a 
Scottish  architect  devised  a  method  of  employing  these 
old  Government  bricks — hard  as  stone — in  a  diagonal 
fashion,  which  gave  rather  the  appearance  of  Kentish 
"  rag."  I  then  tried  to  work  the  Admiralty,  in  view 
of  the  fact  that  it  was  the  only  high  building  on  the 
coast,  and  on  high  ground,  to  re-erect  the  old  tower, 
which  had  been  partly  burnt  down  many  years  ago, 
and  never  rebuilt,  as  a  signal-station  for  coastguard  ;*  but 
although  the  idea  was  very  favourably  regarded  by  the 
local  naval  authorities,  it  came  to  nothing. 

It  was  greatly  against  the  Vicar's  wish  that  all  these 
improvements  were  made  ;  he  had  seen  no  occasion 
for  them ;  indeed,  he  had  tried  to  restrict  the  services 
to  alternate  morning  and  afternoon  on  a  Sunday,  and 
four  celebrations  of  Holy  Communion  per  annum, 
whereof  one  was  to  be  on  Good  Friday  !  But  I  was 
able  to  invoke  the  Bishop's  authority  on  this  point,  as 
it  was  illegal  so  to  treat  a  parish  church. 

However,  with  the  help  of  our  good  friend  the  9th 

*  My  father's  monument  in  the  churchyard  was  already  used  as  a  "  leading- 
mark  "  by  the  fishermen.  And  now  (1915)  the  Church  is  within  the  military 
prohibited  area,  and  surrounded  by  barbed  wire  entanglements.  Possibly 
signals  are  made  from  its  roof  ? 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  307 

Baron  Kinnaird,  a  very  strong  churchman,  and  others, 
we  got  the  new  chancel  and  one  transept  finished, 
and  it  was  arranged  by  the  Bishop  of  Norwich  (John 
Thomas  Pelham),  that  as  he  was  coming  to  preach  at 
Felixstowe,  on  a  certain  Sunday,  he  would  dedicate 
the  new  chancel  by  celebrating  in  it  for  the  first  time, 
even  although  the  interior  fittings  were  not  complete, 
and  there  was  to  be  a  formal  opening  ceremony  a  Sunday 
or  two  later. 

All  this  was  communicated  to  Mr.  M ,  who  had 

made  up  his  mind  that  no  one,  not  even  his  diocesan, 
should  interfere  with  his  pet  project  of  having  the 
opening  of  the  building  performed  by  Dr.  Ryle,  then  at 
Mildenhal],  afterwards  Bishop  of  Liverpool,  for  whom  he 
had  an  unbounded  veneration. 

On  the  Saturday  afternoon,  the  Bishop  being  expected 
the  following  forenoon,  I  went  up  to  the  church,  where, 
with  the  assistance  of  the  builder  engaged  in  the  work, 
I  made  all  ready  for  the  service,  and  left  as  the  dusk 
was  falling,  passing  on  the  road,  the  Vicar,  driving  the 
well-known  pony-chaise.  Satisfied  that  though  the 
building  was  in  a  rough  and  bare  condition,  the  Bishop 
would  feel  content  that  all  essential  was  prepared,  I 
arrived  at  the  church  on  Sunday  about  ten  minutes 
before  the  hour  fixed,  to  find  a  packed  congregation — 
for  this  was  the  Bishop's  first  visit  in  the  memory  of 
man — all  gazing  in  blank  astonishment  at  a  very  dirty 
canvas  cloth  (an  old  sail,  in  fact  !),  hanging  over,  and 
completely  concealing  the  new  chancel-arch  and  chancel, 
and  in  front  of  it,  on  the  level  of  the  nave,  a  very 
ricketty  deal  table,  and  two  wooden  chairs  !  The  whole 
had  the  effect  of  a  theatrical  drop-scene,  as  the  canvas 
being  very  worn  and  semi-transparent,  and  the  new 
chancel  lighted  by  four  windows,  one  could  not  only 


308         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

distinguish  its  main  features,  but  its  carved  choir-seats, 
reading-desk,  different  levels  of  pavement,  even  the 
altar,  with  new  altar  cloth  and  furniture,  and  all  the 
preparations  for  the  service  of  Holy  Communion,  in  a 
kind  of  misty  distance — the  only  incongruous  element, 
the  unmistakable  figure  of  the  Vicar's  wife,  in  her  best 
bonnet,  seated  in  solitary  state  in  the  front  row  of  choir- 
stalls,  and  the  slouching  outline  of  the  old  clerk,  with  the 
air  of  a  conspirator,  tip-toeing  about  in  the  background  ! 

Voices  raised  in  distinctly  acrimonious  tones  were 
heard  proceeding  from  the  vestry,  which  was  part  of  the 
new  building,  and  the  voluntary  had  to  be  repeated  more 
than  once,  ere  a  remarkable  procession  was  descried 
through  the  misty  folds  of  the  canvas.  Then  the  short, 
stumpy  figure  of  the  clerk  appeared,  holding  up  one 
corner  of  the  curtain  to  allow  the  Vicar  to  pass,  robed 
in  surplice  and  black  stole,  and  behind  him  the  Rural 
Dean.  So  far,  old  Versey  could  manage  with  an  effort, 
and  by  standing  on  tip-toe  on  the  uppermost  step  of 
the  three  under  the  arch  of  the  chancel.  But  having 
allowed  these  two  dignitaries  to  pass  through  the 
aperture,  dropping  it  behind  each,  there  loomed  through 
the  canvas  the  shadow  of  a  form  twice  their  stature,  and 
voluminous  in  the  full  canonicals  of  a  Bishop.  With 
a  crimson  face,  the  luckless  clerk  held  back  the  heavy 
folds  as  high  as  he  could,  but  alas  I  the  aperture  was  so 
low,  that  their  Diocesan  presented  himself,  for  the  first 
time,  to  the  faithful,  bent  nearly  double,  and  squirming 
with  difficulty  through  a  hole  barely  large  enough  for 
him  to  pass  I 

Sad  to  relate,  when  the  service  was  over,  and  the 
clergy  retired  again  in  the  same  fashion,  even  though 
the  organ  was  pealing  its  loudest  in  the  concluding 
voluntary,  the  resonant  tones  of  the  episcopal  voice 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  309 

were  plainly  audible  to  the  loitering  congregation, 
administering  the  soundest  rating,  I  should  imagine, 
any  incumbent  ever  received  from  his  "  ordinary  !  " 

Felixstowe  church  was  the  stage  of  many  irregular, 
and  possibly  irreverent,  scenes.  I  have  heard  a  strange 
clergyman,  taking  duty,  apostrophise  the  clerk  in  the 
middle  of  a  baptismal  service  with  :  "  Hold  your 
tongue,  sirrah  !  and  don't  tell  me  more  lies  !  "  and  the 
only  manner  in  which  I  succeeded  in  stopping  the  choir- 
men  from  using  the  font  as  the  general  receptacle  for 
their  hats — so  convenient  it  was,  just  inside  the  door — 
was,  after  warning  them  that  rigorous  action  would  be 
taken,  by  filling  the  bottom  with  water  !  They  had  a 
custom  of  waiting  outside  to  gossip  till  the  last  clang  of 
the  bell,  and  then  entering  the  church  in  a  violent 
hurry,  all  in  a  body.  The  first  man,  a  young  buck 
with  a  brand-new  "  topper,"  grinned  at  me  defiantly, 
and  tossed  his  headgear  in  as  usual.  What  a  titter 
went  round  the  school-children,  and  how  sheepish  he 
looked,  as  he  heard  the  ominous  splash,  and  fished  it 
out  all  dripping  ! 

And  there  was  the  retired  Admiralty  clerk,  who 
reported  for  the  newspaper,  and  loved  to  air  his  long 
words,  and  his  superior  erudition.  He  solemnly  endued 
a  black  velvet  smoking-cap  with  a  long,  yellow  tassel, 
as  soon  as  he  had  settled  himself  in  his  seat,  as  a  protest 
against  "  draughts,"  and  shouted  the  word  "  Hades," 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  whenever,  in  reciting  the  Creeds, 
there  came  the  passage,  "  He  descended  into  Hell  !  " 
His  language  was  as  exuberant  in  relation  to  mundane 
matters  ;  he  never  "  thought,"  he  always  "  opined." 
In  describing  a  choir-supper,  he  gave  it  the  air  of  a 
bacchanalian  feast,  by  relating  that  a  nephew  of  mine 
"  must  have  made  a  great  hole  in  his  aunt's  cellar  by 


3io         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

his  manipulation  (!)  of  the  punch-bowl."  When  asked 
what  sport  the  harriers  had  had  one  day,  he  announced 
that  there  was  "  a  great  paucity  of  hares,"  and  he,  for 
one,  was  returning  home  to  lunch,  because  "  nature 
abhors  a  vacuum  !  " 

I  think  the  air  was  productive  of  originals,  for  they 
seemed  to  abound  in  those  parts.  The  biggest  landowner 
in  the  district  was  Mr.  George  Tomline,  who  had  bought 
up  the  Duke  of  Hamilton's  property  in  the  country, 
and  his  rights,  as  Lord  of  the  Manor,  in  the  foreshore 
between  the  Orwell  and  the  Deben.  For  many  years 
he  had  a  permanent  lawsuit  with  the  War  Office  on  the 
subject  of  his  dues,  and  actually  levied  a  toll  on  every 
ton  of  material  landed  for  the  building  of  the  great 
fort  at  Landguard,  because  the  jetty  built  by  Govern- 
ment had  been  put  up  on  his  foreshore  without  his 
sanction  asked  !  His  chief  delight  was,  in  every  way,  to 
annoy  and  harass  the  War  Office  officials,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  seeing  him  attempting  to  drive  his  two 
pampered  ponies — he  usually  drove  a  very  handsome 
pair  in  a  mail-phaeton — straight  up  the  side  of  a  grass- 
covered  cliff,  on  the  top  of  which  there  was  an  obsolete 
Martello  tower,  and  which  was  enclosed  as  Government 
property  within  a  wire  fence,  just  cut  by  his  orders, 
because  someone  had  told  him  there  used  to  be  a  right 
of  way  there  !  He  was  standing  up  in  the  carriage, 
lashing  at  the  animals,  who  had  never  before  been 
expected  to  take  a  rise  at  an  angle  of  fortyrfive  degrees, 
a  groom,  pale  with  fright,  hanging  on  on  one  side, 
and  his  terrified  agent  in  the  rumble  behind !  As  I 
passed,  driving  myself  on  the  road  below,  he  called  out : 
"  Come  on,  Lady  Login  !  Follow  me,  too  !  We'll  defy 
them ! "  But "  Lady  Login  "  declined  to  risk  her  neck,  and 
remained  convulsed  with  laughter,  watching  his  progress  ! 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  311 

The  amusing  part  of  his  feud  with  the  War  Office 
was,  that  he  was  a  great  personal  friend  of  H.R.H  the 
Duke  of  Cambridge,  then  Commander-in-Chief,  who  was 
frequently  his  guest  at  Orwell  Park,  and  to  whom,  in 
his  will,  he  bequeathed  a  good  deal  of  his  personal 
property.  I  tried  to  get  the  Duchess  of  Teck  to  induce 
her  brother  to  use  his  influence  with  Mr.  Tomline  to 
help  with  the  re-building  of  Felixstowe  Church  ;  but 
though  she  wrote  me  very  kindly  about  it,  she  said  that 
the  Duke  hardly  liked  to  move  in  the  matter,  as  it  would 
seem  interference  on  his  part,  and  she  knew  that  I  would 
understand  the  difficulty  ?  So,  though  I  got  Mr.  Tomline, 
who  was  ever  most  kind  and  obliging  to  me  personally, 
to  do  many  things  for  the  church,  and  for  the  people 
of  the  place,  he  would  never  subscribe  a  fixed  sum  which 
could  by  any  possibility  be  construed  into  an  assistance 

to  Mr.  M ,  the  Vicar,  to  whom  he  had  a  violent 

antipathy. 

On  the  other  hand,  he  took  a  liking  to  the  Vicar 
of  Trimley  St.  Mary,  the  next  parish,  who  was  a  great 

contrast  to  poor  Mr.  M ,  being  a  bachelor,  sporting 

in  his  tastes,  and  somewhat  of  a  dandy.  He  drove 
about  in  a  tilbury,  sometimes  tandem,  handling  the  reins 
very  neatly,  and  wearing  always  lavender  kid  gloves 
and  a  flower  in  his  button-hole  ;  indeed,  his  turn-out 
was  recognisable  at  a  distance  on  this  account.  I  think 
Mr.  Tomline  was  sorry  for  him,  because  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  be  brother  to  Palmer,  the  poisoner,  and  had 
had  the  courage  to  keep  his  surname,  when  all  the  other 
members  of  the  family  changed  it  for  another  one. 

I  felt  very  sorry  for  poor  Mr.  Palmer  on  one  occasion, 
when  I  was  present  at  a  meeting  on  business  connected 
with  the  schools,  and  there  was  some  talk  about  a  quarrel 
on  between  Mr.  Tomline  and  the  Vicar,  over  a  piece  of 


312         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

ground  given  by  the  former,  which  it  was  proposed 
to  use  as  a  playground.  Why,  where  there  is  some  skele- 
ton in  a  cupboard,  not  wanted  to  be  dragged  into  view 
by  the  company,  does  the  stranger  present  invariably 

pitch  upon  it,  and  hale  it  forth  ?    When  Mr.  M ,  in 

his  usual  contradictory  spirit,  opposed  the  suggestion, 
H.M.  Inspector  of  Schools,  presiding  in  an  official 
capacity,  to  the  stupefaction  of  the  company,  demanded 
to  know  the  reason  of  his  objection,  and  kept  repeating 
— "  Why  ?  Do  you  think  he  would  sow  it  with 
strychnine  to  poison  the  children  ?  "  (strychnine  was 
the  poison  employed  by  the  notorious  Palmer  !),  and 
seeing  that  no  one  answered,  he  put  the  question 
directly  to  the  Vicar  of  Trimley  !  As  the  Inspector 
was  a  personal  friend  of  my  own,  I  had  to  explain 
privately  afterwards,  why  we  all  hurriedly  started 
asking  wild  questions  to  change  the  subject  ! 

Mr.  Palmer,  as  the  sporting  parson,  seldom  was  seen 
in  clerical  attire,  and  almost  the  only  time  on  which  I 
saw  him  in  a  surplice,  it  was  a  very  short  one,  worn 
without  any  cassock  over  hunting-coat,  breeches,  and 
a  pair  of  top-boots,  with  spurs  !  As  the  occasion  was  the 
dedication  of  a  new  piece  of  churchyard,  when  the 
Archdeacon  and  all  the  neighbouring  clergy  perambu- 
lated the  enclosure,  headed  by  a  choir,  the  figure  he 
cut,  striding  over  the  graves,  and  hopping  across  rough 
hummocks  of  ground,  with  his  nether  appendages 
very  much  in  evidence,  was  anything  but  decorous  ! 

A  state  of  permanent  war  also  existed  between  Mr. 
Tomline  and  another  large  owner  of  land  at  Felixstowe, 
Mr.  John  Chevalier  Cobbold,  conducted  by  the  latter 
with  due  deference  to  the  courtesies  of  the  sallc 
tfescrime.  It  took  the  form  frequently  of  a  diverting 
rivalry  in  the  development  of  the  place  as  a  seaside 


OLD  FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  313 

resort.  Mr.  Cobbold  had  been  the  first  in  the  field  as  a 
builder  of  houses  and  hotels,  but  Mr.  Tomline  owned 
the  greater  extent  of  land,  and  had  the  longer  purse. 
He  began  to  build  enormous  hotels,  lay  out  roads  and 
streets  of  houses,  erect  a  pier  on  the  Orwell  estuary, 
and  finally  constructed  a  private  railway  at  a  cost  of 
a  quarter  of  a  million. 

To  further  all  these  schemes,  and  to  carry  on  his  war 
with  the  War  Office,  he  suddenly  conceived  the  idea  of 
entering  Parliament,  and  partly  because  Mr.  Cobbold 
was  Conservative,  determined  to  contest  the  seat  in 
the  Liberal  interest.  His  attempts  to  gain  popularity, 
and  canvass  for  votes,  were  diverting  in  one  naturally 
autocratic  in  temperament,  who  had  been  accustomed  to 
indulge  in  violent  fits  of  passion  when  opposed,  and  who 
was  also  very  impatient  of  any  sort  of  contradiction. 

He  lent  his  park  for  the  annual  cottagers'  flower 
show  for  the  district,  which  in  those  days  was  regarded 
as  a  very  important  function,  being  still  a  novelty,  and 
attended  by  everyone,  high  and  low,  for  miles  round. 

He  possessed  a  very  fine  collection  of  modern  paint- 
ings at  Orwell  Park,  and  had  often  promised  to  show 
them  to  me.  So,  being  at  the  flower  show,  by  his 
desire  I  accompanied  him  up  to  the  house,  and  he 
started  to  take  me  through  the  rooms,  beginning  with 
the  large  drawing-room. 

Glancing  out  of  the  window,  we  discovered  that  the 
crowd  of  holiday-makers,  who  had  been  following 
him  closely  all  round  the  show,  had  pursued  him  right 
up  to  his  own  door,  invaded  the  garden,  and  having 
run  him  to  earth  again,  were  darkening  all  the  French 
windows,  with  their  noses  glued  to  the  panes,  staring 
in  upon  us  as  if  gazing  at  the  bears  in  the  bear-pit  at  the 
Zoo  !  And,  sooth  to  say,  Mr.  Tomline's  massive  frame, 


LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

with  the  shaggy  mane  of  grizzled  locks,  and  his  fierce, 
tawny  eyes,  bore  a  distinct  similarity  to  old  Ursa  Major. 

With  the  incongruous  spirit  of  urbanity  now  rampant 
in  him,  he  turned  to  me,  fired  by  a  sudden  idea.  "  Look 
at  those  people  !  Do  you  think  they  would  like  to  come 
in,  too,  and  see  these  things  ?  "  and  he  started  forward 
to  throw  open  the  window.  "  For  heaven's  sake, 
Colonel  Tomline  !  "  I  cried — he  always  liked  to  be 
given  his  yeomanry  rank — "  if  you  will  take  my  advice, 
you  will  send  first  for  your  housekeeper  before  doing 
that  !  "  But  no  !  his  impatience  never  allowed  him  to 
wait  before  doing  anything  on  which  his  mind  was  set. 
Heedless  of  my  warning,  he  opened  the  window, 
muttered  in  his  gruff  tones  to  the  half-dozen  standing 
there,  "  Would  you  like  to  come  in  ?  "  and  turned  to 
the  fireplace  to  pull  the  bell. 

Before  he  could  cross  the  room  it  was  invaded  by  a 
mob  !  Absolutely  he  had  to  force  his  way  to  the  bell- 
pull  through  a  solid  phalanx  of  bodies,  and  when  his 
repeated  peals  brought  a  terrified  footman  on  the  scene, 
he  had  to  shout  his  orders  to  him  across  a  seething 
multitude,  for  it  was  impossible  to  approach.  I  shall 
not  easily  forget  the  white,  scared  face  of  the  unfor- 
tunate housekeeper,  when  she  appeared,  and  found  what 
her  master  had  left  her  to  cope  with  !  for,  after  frantic 
efforts  to  reach  my  side,  and  imperative  signals  to  me 
to  follow  him — which  I  found  physically  impossible — he 
had  turned  and  bolted  through  a  side-door  near  him, 
into  an  adjoining  room,  and  I  saw  him  no  more,  but  only 
had  the  recollection  of  the  expression  on  his  face,  seen 
across  the  moving  mass  of  figures,  to  guess  at  the  turmoil 
of  wrath  and  stupefaction  in  which  he  was  engulfed  ! 

I  was  told  that  the  vision  of  that  human  avalanche, 
viewed  by  a  spectator  outside  the  building,  was  one 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE  DAYS  315 

of  the  strangest  sights  imaginable.  It  was  like  a  gigantic 
hive  of  bees,  my  informant  told  me,  to  see  the  people 
streaming  from  all  quarters,  as  hard  as  they  could  tear, 
across  the  lawns  and  the  flower-beds,  and  in  at  that  one 
window-opening.  Absolutely,  the  show-tents  were 
emptied  like  a  flash,  the  crowd  penetrated  into  every 
room  of  the  great  building,  and  one  old  "  gaffer,"  not 
by  any  means  the  cleanest  in  person  of  the  community, 
was  in  the  habit  of  boasting  for  years  afterwards  that 
he  had  been  "  in  every  chammer — a've  been  in  the 
Colonel's  bed  !  !  " 

After  my  husband's  death  I  occasionally  let  my 
house  at  Felixstowe  in  the  summer,  and  it  was  in  that 
way  that  I  got  into  correspondence  with  Mr.  Edward 
FitzGerald,  the  poet,  who  engaged  to  rent  it  from  me 
for  two  or  three  months,  as  the  doctor  had  ordered 
him  sea  air  ;  but  when  the  date  arrived  he  could  not 
be  persuaded  to  make  any  arrangements  for  taking  it 
over  !  He  wrote  at  last,  saying  that  he  would  be  so 
much  better  pleased  if  I  would  continue  to  stay  in  it 
till  he  was  ready  to  come,  he  paying  the  rent  as  he  had 
arranged  !  This  I  did  for  a  week  or  two,  and  he  drove 
over  from  Woodbridge  to  inspect  it  on  a  pouring  wet  day  ! 
So  far  as  I  know,  that  was  all  he  ever  saw  of  it,  for  I 
could  not  stay  on,  and  went  abroad,  and  I  believe  it 
remained  empty  until  I  again  took  possession  ! 

Another  tenant  was  Samuel  Warren,  author  of  "  Ten 
Thousand  a  Year."  He  was  extremely  fidgetty  over  all 
the  arrangements,  and  the  letters  I  had  from  him  were 
innumerable,  all  "  franked  "  with  his  signature  in  the 
bottom  left-hand  corner  of  the  envelope.  This,  he 
explained  to  me,  with  engaging  naivete,  in  one  of  our 
numerous  interviews,  was  because  his  autograph  was 
so  much  sought  after,  that  many  people  were  glad  of 


316        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

extra  ones  to  give  to  their  friends  !  I  hurriedly  turned 
the  conversation,  lest  he  might  discover  that  his  precious 
envelopes  mostly  found  their  way  into  my  waste-paper 
basket  ! 

At  Kew  we  had  known  the  two  Hookers,  father 
and  son,  successive  Curators  of  the  Gardens.  The 
senior,  Sir  William,  was  most  extraordinarily  myopic, 
and  I  fear  was  made  the  victim  of  perpetual  practical 
jokes  in  consequence.  At  a  large  luncheon  party  we 
gave,  being  told  that  in  the  epergne  in  front  of  him  there 
were  several  artificial  flowers  introduced  amongst  the 
real  ones,  as  flowers  were  scarce,  "  but,  of  course,"  it 
was  suggested,  "  to  the  eye  of  a  connoisseur,  the  decep- 
tion would  be  at  once  palpable,"  he  exclaimed  with 
emphasis,  drawing  from  the  bunch  a  pelargonium  of 
unusual  hue,  and  to  most  observers  very  plainly  a 
counterfeit,  "  Well,  there  can  be  no  question  about  this, 
anyhow  !  No  one  could  mistake  this  for  artificial !  " 
So  much  for  the  botanical  infallibility  of  even  a  world- 
wide celebrity  ! 

I  remember  meeting  Emil  Hohlub,  the  African 
traveller,  at  Sir  Joseph  Hooker's  many  years  later,  and 
being  much  diverted  with  his  accounts  of  the  "  Ama- 
zulus,"  as  he  called  the  race  that  afterwards  proved 
themselves  our  very  formidable  foes.  He  had  the 
greatest  admiration  for  their  strength  of  character, 
and  the  remorselessness  with  which  they  pursued  any 
fixed  purpose  appealed  to  his  Teutonic  mind.  "  I  have 
been  told  they  are  a  distinctly  honourable  and  truthful 
nation,"  I  ventured  to  remark  to  him.  "  Did  you  find 
this  to  be  the  case  ?  "  He  assumed  an  air  of  the  most 
terrible  earnestness  as  he  replied  in  his  rather  halting 
English,  solemnly  wagging  his  head  :  "  Alas  !  they 
are  indeed  truthful,  too  truthful  !  If  a  Zulu  say  '  I  will 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  317 

kill  you  to-morrow,'  you  need  have  no  doubt  but  that 
he  will  keep  his  word  !  " 

Amongst  the  original  characters  I  came  across  during 
the  fifteen  years  I  spent  in  Suffolk,  was  my  landlady, 
the  widow,  en  secondes  noces,  of  Sir  Thomas  Cullum. 
The  house  we  rented  was  named  "  Vernon  Villa," 
after  the  famous  Admiral,  having  been  built  by  his 
grand-niece,  Lady  Harland,  who  had  erected  several 
of  the  houses  in  the  place,  and  made  this  one  her  own 
favourite  residence.  It  was  rather  in  the  Italian  style, 
with  a  tower-room,  or  observatory,  looking  out  to  sea, 
and  the  woodwork  was  very  massive  and  beautiful, 
most  of  the  doors  being  solid  mahogany  and  other  choice 
timber  from  Honduras  and  South  America,  possibly 
relics  of  family  inheritance  from  her  naval  relative. 

His  portrait,  in  a  very  fine  group  of  three  figures — 
the  artist  unknown  to  me — hung  over  the  mantelpiece 
in  the  dining-room,  one  of  the  others  being  his  great 
adversary  the  Dutch  Admiral  De  Ruyter.  The  third, 
I  am  uncertain  about,  but  he  was  represented  as  host 
to  the  other  two,  pouring  out  a  glass  of  wine  for  each, 
from  a  decanter  of  Madeira  or  Malmsey.  Facing  this 
picture  was  a  portrait  of  Sir  Robert  Harland,  by  Romney. 

Although  proud  of  the  association  of  the  house  with 
old  Admiral  Vernon's  name  (plans  of  the  capture  of 
Portobello  and  Chagres  hung  in  one  of  the  rooms), 
I  was  reluctantly  compelled  to  use  the  designation 
simply  of  "  The  Villa  "  all  the  time  I  lived  there,  merely 
because,  in  the  mouths  of  the  Suffolk  country-people, 
the  name  invariably  came  out  as  "  Wermin  Willa," 
which  was  anything  but  a  pleasant  idea  ! 

The  house  was  left  in  Lady  Harland's  will  to  three 
ladies  in  succession,  for  their  lives,  after  which  it  passed 
to  relatives  of  her  own  absolutely,  and  Lady  Cullum 


3i8         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

was  the  first  inheritrix.  She  lived  at  Hardwicke,  near 
Bury-St. -Edmunds,  and  being  a  solitary  widow  without 
children,  had  become  absorbed  in  her  three  hobbies, 
dogs,  gardening  and  servants,  whereof  the  dogs  certainly 
stood  first  in  her  affections.  She  owned  several  of  these, 
but  one  was  always  pre-eminent ;  to  its  health,  fancies, 
and  predilections,  all  things  had  to  give  way.  It  was 
treated  as  if  a  child  of  her  own  ;  had  its  own  chair,  plate, 
mug  and  napkin  at  her  table,  was  helped  solemnly  by 
the  men-servants  in  turn  with  the  other  guests ;  had  its 
own  stamped  and  crested  notepaper,  on  which  invitations, 
in  its  name,  were  issued  for  parties  to  the  children  of  the 
neighbourhood ;  and  when,  in  the  course  of  nature,  it 
died,  it  was  mourned  as  if  it  had  been  human,  and  a 
monument  erected  to  its  memory  in  the  grounds.  I 
have  a  recollection  of  an  imposing  column  in  the  midst 
of  the  lovely  gardens  at  Hardwicke,  on  which  was  in- 
scribed the  one  word  "  Dot,"  as  a  lasting  record  of  the 
most  celebrated  of  all.  "  Dot  of  Hardwicke,"  in  his 
mistress's  eyes,  apparently  rivalled  very  nearly  the 
reputation  of  the  historical  "  Bess  "  of  that  ilk  ! 

The  next  house  to  ours  at  Felixstowe,  called  Harland 
House,  was,  in  the  first  years  of  our  stay,  the  summer 
residence  of  Lord  Alfred  Paget  and  his  family,  and  the 
young  people  and  mine  made  great  friends.  His  eldest 
son,  now  General  Sir  Arthur  Paget,  and  my  boy  Harry, 
were  close  companions,  and  were  in  a  continual  state  of 
borrowing  and  wearing  each  other's  clothes,  and 
frequently  sharing  rooms.  I  remember  once  a  nephew 
of  mine  who  was  often  with  us — then  a  cadet  at  Sand- 
hurst— playing  a  practical  joke  on  Arthur  Paget 
when  the  boy  was  staying  in  our  house.  There  was  a 
very  old  four-poster,  canopied  bed,  in  the  boys'  room, 
which  Arthur  Paget  occupied.  Colin  Campbell  dis- 


OLD   FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  319 

covered  that  it  must  have  been  originally  some  sort  of 
a  camp  bed,  for  on  removing  a  bolt  or  piece  of  wood, 
it  could  be  shut  up,  with  mattress  and  all  inside. 
Accordingly,  one  night  the  whole  house  was  aroused 
by  the  most  awful  commotion,  yells  and  groans  ! 
The  unfortunate  boy  had  awoke  to  find  the  bed  closing 
in  on  him,  quite  in  the  "  Castle  of  Otranto "  style  ! 
By  the  exertion  of  terrific  force,  the  footman  rescued 
him,  and  a  tell-tale  string  revealed  the  fact  that  some- 
one had  waited  till  he  was  sound  asleep,  and  then 
surreptitiously  jerked  out  the  wedge  on  which  the  bed's 
stability  depended,  causing  head  and  heels  to  come 
gradually  together. 

Both  Lord  and  Lady  Alfred  were  the  most  uncon- 
ventional of  people,  and  never  happier  than  with  their 
hands  employed  in  the  roughest  work,  and  attired  in 
the  shabbiest  of  garments.  She  mended  up  and  painted 
the  furniture  of  the  seaside  cottage  they  often  let,  and 
taught  her  daughters  to  be  equally  useful ;  and  Lord 
Alfred  would  come  in  to  see  you  in  the  heartiest  way, 
straight  off  the  yacht  on  which  he  had  been  "  trawl- 
ing "  all  night,  clad  in  oilskins  and  his  "  sou-wester," 
whence  the  sea-water  and  "spume"  ran  in  rivulets 
all  over  your  drawing-room  carpet.  But  he  was  the 
kindest-hearted  of  men,  and  he  it  was  who  spoke  about 
my  son  Harry  to  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  later  days, 
when  H.R.H.  promised  that  his  name  should  be  put 
down  on  the  list  for  the  Royal  Yacht  ! 

When  my  youngest  son  returned,  for  the  first  time, 
from  the  sea,  in  1871,  it  was  about  three  years  after  my 
eldest  brother,  General  Charles  Campbell,  had  sold  the 
old  family  property  in  Perthshire.  It  had  been  a  very 
bitter  blow  to  all  of  us,  since  for  many  generations  we  had 
been  Campbells  of  Kinloch,  and  he  is  the  last  owner  to 


320         LADY   LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

whom  the  countrypeople,  to  this  day,  ever  accord  the 
recognition  of  the  territorial  title,  according  to  High- 
land usage. 

The  purchaser  was  Lord  Kinnaird,  a  very  strong 
Scottish  Episcopalian,  and  he  bought  it  for  a  residence 
for  his  brother,  the  Hon.  Arthur  Kinnaird,  who  after- 
wards succeeded  him  in  the  baronage,  since  Francis, 
Lord  Kinnaird,  had  but  the  one  child,  a  daughter, 
married  to  Colonel  (later  on  Sir  Reginald)  Ogilvy.  I 
had  formed  a  very  warm  friendship  with  Lord  and  Lady 
Kinnaird,  when  they  came  to  Felixstowe  on  account 
of  their  daughter's  health,  and  Lord  Kinnaird  offered 
to  let  me  the  house  and  shootings  of  Kinloch  for  two 
months,  in  the  autumn  of  1871. 

It  was  for  me  a  mingling  of  pain  and  pleasure  thus  to 
reside  once  more,  if  even  for  a  short  time,  in  my  old 
home  ;  but  I  wished  my  children  to  know  the  place  and 
the  people,  and  I  was  both  touched,  and  gratified,  with 
the  warmth  of  the  welcome  we  all  received  from  my 
father  and  brother's  late  tenants.  One  or  two  of  my 
sisters,  and  many  nephews  and  nieces,  I  was  able  thus 
to  invite  as  guests  during  our  stay. 

Our  advent  seemed  to  revive  old  customs  and  associa- 
tions, and  the  people  hailed  with  joy  the  gillies'  balls  we 
once  more  instituted,  which  had  fallen  into  abeyance 
since  we  scattered  all  to  our  separate  homes. 

There  was  one  old  farmer  there,  a  godson  of  my  uncle 
Jose  Campbell,  and  a  principal  tenant  on  the  estate, 
though  he  habitually  wore  garments  more  befitting  a 
"  tatie-bogle  "  (a  scarecrow,  as  you  say  in  the  south), 
and  dwelt  in  a  low,  ramshackle  building,  more  suitable 
in  English  eyes  for  a  cow-shed  than  a  human  habitation, 
who  asked  me  point-blank  why  "  Kinloch  "  himself— 
so  they  designated  my  brother — did  not  avail  himself  of 


OLD  FELIXSTOWE   DAYS  321 

this  opportunity  to  see  once  more  his  old  friends,  and 
the  home  of  his  fathers  ?  "  Sure,  it's  just  that  he  cannot 
summon  up  the  courage  to  face  us  all,  nae  doot !  "  he 
concluded  generously.  "  Bid  him  have  nae  fear  we'll 
cast  it  up  against  him  I  "  he  asseverated  with  emphasis. 
"  Let  him  but  come  and  gie  us  a  hand-shake,  and  bid 
us  good-bye,  as  he  did  not  do  when  he  left  us,  and 
we'll  forgie  him  !  What  for  did  he  want  to  go  and  part 
wi'  the  auld  place  like  yon  !  If  it  was  the  siller  he  was 
wanting,  he  need  not  mind  for  that.  Had  he  but  come 
to  me  and  said,  '  Joseph  Murray,  I'm  hard  pressed  the 
noo  for  a  bit  cash,'  why,  there's  twa  thoosand  punds 
o'  mine  in  the  bank,  that  he  was  just  welcome  to  for  the 
asking,  rather  than  see  the  old  name  gone  fra'  the 
Strath  !  " 

A  number  of  young  men  in  the  house,  the  shooting 
party,  the  gillies'  dances,  and  constant  visits  from 
old  acquaintances  among  the  country-people,  made  it 
advisable  to  replenish  our  supply  of  whiskey,  and  we 
drove  over  the  hills  to  what  had  used  to  be  a  well-known 
small  "  still,"  in  the  direction  of  Aberfeldy,  which  went 
by  the  name  of  Piteelie.  Here,  by  the  permission  of  an 
obliging  "  gauger,"  we  were  supplied  with  a  small  keg, 
and  when  it  had  been  deposited  with  care  in  the  bottom 
of  the  waggonette,  the  proprietor  drew  me  aside  to 
remark  confidentially :  "  Now,  ye'll  just  be  verra 
careful,  mem,  with  yonder  whuskey  !  Gin  ye'll  tak  my 
advice,  ye'll  pit  a  good  wheen  watter  til't,  or  ever  ye  lat 
the  young  gentlemen  fill  their  flasks.  Mind  ye,  noo  ! 
it's  *  fifteen  abave  proof,'  and  reel  dangerous  in  the 
hills,  it's  that  soft,  and  mild,  and  persuasive  !  And  if 
you're  no  taking  tent,  they'll  be  sitting  on  a  stane  out-by 
yonder  on  the  moors,  and  the  air  will  be  sae  keen,  they 
will  never  guess  its  strength,  and  they'll  tak  a  wee 


322        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

drappie,  and  then  they'll  tak  an'  sit,  an'  drink,  an' 
drink,  and  think  it's  waiter  I  "  I  am  happy  to  be  able 
to  testify  that,  in  spite  of  his  dark  prognostications,  every 
body  concerned  "  took  tent,"  and  though  excellent 
liquor  indeed,  there  were  no  such  dire  consequences, 
and  over-indulgence  as  he  hinted  at ! 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  Kinloch,  that  one  of  the 
elder  cottars  on  the  property,  told  us  how  his  father  used 
often  to  speak  of  having  watched  as  a  wee  laddie,  on  a 
misty  summer  morning,  from  the  hill  at  Caplea,  the 
young  men  gathering  on  the  road  below,  headed  by  the 
laird's  son,  to  march  over  the  hills  to  Aberfeldy,  there  to 
enlist  under  the  banner  of  "  bonnie  Prince  Charlie  " 
in  the  '45.  Somehow,  it  spaced  the  126  years  that 
intervened  to  have  the  story  only  at  second-hand  ! 


CHAPTER  XX 

LATER    YEARS    IN    KENT 

THE  seats  allotted  to  me  for  Queen  Victoria's  first 
Jubilee  in  1887,  were  in  a  gallery  over  the  West  door  of 
Westminster  Abbey,  whence  we  had  an  uninterrupted 
view  up  the  nave,  which  was  in  semi-darkness,  on  to 
where  a  brilliant  light,  fixed  in  the  entrance  to  the  choir, 
flooded  for  a  moment  each  figure  in  the  Royal  Procession, 
as  it  finished  its  slow  and  stately  progress  up  the  church, 
ere  it  was  wrapt  from  our  sight  in  the  galaxy  of  colour 
and  light,  beyond  the  choir-screen,  of  which  we  caught 
only  fleeting  glimpses.  From  our  position  we  had  a 
view  of  the  outside  procession  ere  it  reached  the  West 
door,  for,  when  the  roar  ol  continuous  cheering  reached 
us  inside,  we  ran  out  on  to  the  outside  temporary  stair- 
case by  which  we  had  gained  the  gallery,  saw  the  caval- 
cade of  Princes  sweep  past  Westminster  Hospital,  and 
were  back  in  our  places,  by  the  time  the  trumpeters  of 
the  Guards  sounded  the  first  fanfare,  from  the  summit 
of  the  choir-screen  facing  us. 

There  are  figures  in  that  procession  that  will  never 
fade  from  my  memory !  First  and  foremost,  the 
Crown  Prince  "  Fritz,"  as  we  all  called  him,  that  gallant 
and  knightly  figure  in  its  shining  cuirass,  and  his  con- 
sort, our  own  dear  Princess  Royal.  Little  did  we  all 
guess,  seeing  him  thus  the  embodiment  of  manly 
strength,  that  already  the  fiat  had  gone  forth,  and 
shortly,  for  how  brief  a  space  !  he  would  wear  an  earthly, 
in  preparation  for  a  heavenly,  crown. 


324        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

There,  too,  walked  the  Crown  Prince  Rudolph,  clad 
all  in  white,  leading  very  tenderly  the  blind  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  whom  I  had  known  as 
a  bridegroom.  Then,  besides  the  Indian  native  rulers, 
accompanied  in  some  cases  by  their  wives,  and  the  Sul- 
tans of  Johore  and  Zanzibar,  for  the  last  time  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  Sandwich  Isles,  or  Hawaii,  as  it  is  more 
properly  called,  appeared  at  a  State  function,  in  the 
person  of  Queen  Liliuo-Kalani,  in  her  sable  dress  with 
its  gold  embroideries. 

In  the  course  of  a  long  life,  I  had  opportunities  of 
noting  the  advance  made  in  the  regulation  of  Court 
and  State  functions,  the  management  of  large  crowds 
by  police  and  military,  which  had  previously  been  a 
very  weak  point  in  our  social  system,  and  the  gradual 
evolution  of  a  system  of  organisation  of  traffic,  and 
supplies,  when  any  great  national  festival,  or  event,  is 
in  prospect.  As  a  nation  we  were  formerly  very  back- 
ward in  these  matters,  and  had  a  passion  for  a  sort  of 
happy-go-lucky,  trust-to-the-inspiration-of-the-moment 
policy,  which  resulted  in  the  awful  congestion,  and 
fiascoes,  of  the  Coronation  of  King  George  IV.  and  the 
funeral  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  when  the  block  of 
carriages,  and  ill-regulated  crowds,  brought  the  day  to  a 
close  before  the  programme  was  completed  ! 

I  had  been  an  invited  guest  in  the  tiny  chapel  of 
Buckingham  Palace,  at  the  very  first  marriage  in  Queen 
Victoria's  family,  that  of  H.R.H.  the  Princess  Royal  of 
England  to  H.R.H.  Prince  Frederick  William  of  Prussia, 
and  had  places  given  for  myself,  and  two  daughters,  at 
the  Thanksgiving  Service  at  St.  Paul's  in  1872,  one  of 
the  first  occasions,  after  her  widowhood,  that  Her 
Majesty  showed  Herself  to  Her  people  in  semi-state. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  I  had  noticed  any  thought- 


LATER  YEARS   IN   KENT  325 

out  plan,  on  the  part  of  the  police,  for  the  controlling  of 
the  crowd.  As  is  well  known,  all  idea  of  the  kind  was 
conspicuous  by  its  absence,  in  the  case  of  the  Peace 
Rejoicings  after  the  Crimean  War,  or  the  marriage  of 
the  Prince  of  Wales  to  Princess  Alexandra  of  Denmark, 
when  the  bride's  carriage  was  so  effectually  mobbed,  that 
for  long  periods  it  was  brought  to  a  standstill,  and  my 
son  Edwy,  as  an  Eton  boy,  announced  triumphantly, 
that  the  College  charged  in  a  body  through  the  inter- 
vening line  of  police,  and  he  rode  on  the  step  of  the 
carriage,  alongside  the  Princess,  all  the  way  up  the 
Castle  Hill  at  Windsor  !  London  mobs  were  a  "  tough  " 
lot  in  those  days,  and  usually  managed  to  follow  their 
own  sweet  will ;  and  we  know  how,  in  1866,  when  the 
great  Reform  Meeting  was  held  in  Hyde  Park,  and  John 
Bright  spoke  to  the  people — how  I  teased  the  "  Quaker  " 
about  it  at  the  time  ! — they  showed  their  wrath  at  the 
gates  being  closed,  by  throwing  over  the  high  ornamental 
railings  for  a  distance  of  several  hundred  yards  !  I  saw 
them,  torn  from  their  stone  sockets  by  sheer  weight  of 
numbers,  and  lying  flat  and  twisted,  from  the  Marble 
Arch  almost  to  Hyde  Park  Gardens,  two  days  after- 
wards, as  I  drove  from  my  house  in  Lancaster  Gate. 

At  the  Thanksgiving  Service,  the  roadway  of  St. 
Paul's  Churchyard  was  kept  clear  of  traffic,  for  the 
carriages  of  those  attending  the  service,  by  means  of 
heavy  wooden  barricades,  and  one  or  two  other  points 
had  barriers  to  relieve  pressure.  It  so  happened  that, 
on  coming  out,  we  could  find  no  sign  of  our  carriage,  and 
waited  on  till  all  had  departed,  throwing  ourselves  on 
the  protection  of  the  police.  They  conducted  us  to  an 
alley,  barricaded  at  both  ends,  which  they  had  turned  into 
a  sort  of  guardhouse,  and  we  thus  had  an  opportunity 
o£  "  assisting  "  in  safety  at  the  critical  moment  when, 


326        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

the  majority  of  notabilities  having  got  away,  and  the 
temper  of  the  howling,  and  raging  crowd,  having  reached 
breaking  point,  an  enormous  Inspector,  in  stentorian 
tones,  roared  the  long  looked-for  signal :  "  Let  loose  the 
mob  !  "  Never  before  have  I  seen  such  a  scene  !  In  an 
instant,  the  populace  were  over  every  spot,  as  if  a  cork 
had  been  drawn  out  of  a  bottle,  of  which  the  contents 
overflowed  the  whole  square  and  up  the  steps  to  the 
doors  of  the  Cathedral,  howling,  baying,  like  mad  dogs  ! 
And  yet  the  constables  assured  us  "  this  was  nothing  ! 
This  was  a  crowd  in  high  good  humour  !  Had  it  been 
otherwise,  they  could  never  have  been  held  so  long  !  " 
Meanwhile,  as  soon  as  the  exuberance  had  somewhat 
abated,  we  were  driven  home  in  the  carriage  of  a  foreign 
Ambassador,  which  the  police  discovered  in  a  by-street, 
quite  astray  ;  and  the  populace,  baulked  of  a  close  view 
of  all  the  preceding  grand  equipages,  hailed  our  appear- 
ance with  rounds  of  cheering  all  along  the  route  ! 

For  the  Diamond  Jubilee  in  1897,  Her  Majesty  sent 
me  tickets  for  the  Household  stand  in  the  forecourt  of 
Buckingham  Palace,  where  we  saw  the  Procession  both 
starting  and  returning,  and  the  Queen's  appearance 
afterwards  on  the  famous  balcony  over  the  entrance — 
this  time,  alas  !  without  the  well-known  form  of  her 
eldest  and  best-loved  son-in-law  !  * 

One  little  incident  in  connection  with  the  1887 
Jubilee  I  may  mention.  We  noticed,  while  the  Royal 
Procession  was  still  being  marshalled  at  the  West  door, 
a  sudden  commotion  in  the  North  Transept,  and  a 
group  of  personages,  clad  in  robes  of  black  and  purple, 
surrounding  a  tall  figure,  scarlet  from  head  to  foot, 
swept  hurriedly,  conducted  by  an  official  bearing  a  wand 

*  Seats  in  this  same  position  were  given  also  to  my  mother,  by  the  King's 
desire,  for  the  Coronation  of  King  Edward  VII. 


LATER  YEARS   IN   KENT  327 

of  office,  inside  the  gates  of  the  sanctuary,  evidently 
belated  guests  of  importance.  One  of  my  daughters, 
who  was  not  with  me  at  the  Abbey,  but  to  whom  Mr. 
John  Bright  had  given  his  own  ticket  at  the  Reform 
Club,  told  us  afterwards,  how  that  when  the  salute  of 
guns  announced  that  the  Sovereign  had  reached  West- 
minster, suddenly,  to  everyone's  amazement,  a  magnifi- 
cent equipage,  recognised  as  the  Duke  of  Norfolk's, 
came  tearing  down  Piccadilly  at  full  gallop,  along  the 
route  kept  open  for  the  return  procession.  It  was  at 
once  surmised  that  some  essential  for  the  Earl  Marshal's 
department  had  been  forgotten,  and  must  coute  que 
coute  arrive  before  the  function  was  over. 

On  relating  this  next  day  to  a  Roman  Catholic  lady, 
she  exclaimed  :  "  That  explains  what  the  Papal  Envoy 
was  after  !  We  were  all  intensely  annoyed,  because 
the  Cardinal-Archbishop  of  Westminster,  fixed  the 
same  hour  for  the  Te  Deum  and  Pontifical  Mass,  at  the 
Pro-Cathderal,  as  the  actual  ceremony  at  the  Abbey, 
and  thus  prevented  us  from  being  in  our  allotted 
seats  as  Peers  and  Peeresses,  as  we  had  intended.  I 
heard  the  Papal  Envoy  was  furious,  as  the  Holy  Father  " 
(His  Holiness  Leo  XIII.)  "  has  a  special  veneration 
for  Her  Majesty,  and  had  ordered  him  to  attend  the 
service  in  the  Abbey,  as  a  State  ceremony.  He  seemed  in 
a  tremendous  fluster  and  hurry,  all  the  time,  for  of  course 
he  had  to  be  at  a  mass  of  the  kind  at  the  Oratory,*  but 
he  actually  left  the  church  with  his  whole  train,  the 
moment  mass  was  over,  and  before  the  benediction  was 
given  !  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  he  succeeded  in  carry- 
ing out  the  Pope's  instructions.  Had  the  Archbishop 
had  his  way,  it  would  have  seemed  like  a  slight  to  our 
Sovereign." 

*  The  Cathedral  at  Westminster  was  not  in  being  atfthat  date. 


328         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

It  was  in  the  years  between  the  two  Jubilee  cele- 
brations, that  I  was  able  to  attempt  a  last  act  of  service 
to  my  dear  mistress,  and  though  my  efforts  were  not 
suffered  to  avert  in  time  the  mischief  I  foresaw,  owing 
to  the  self-importance,  and  want  of  perception,  of  some 
who  then  surrounded  her,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of 
proving  that  my  warnings  only  erred  in  under-estimat- 
ing the  risk  of  danger  to  her  dignity. 

The  story  I  am  now  about  to  relatCj  deals  with  an 
imposture  one  would  hardly  have  believed  possible 
in  these  days  of  enlightenment,  and  frequent  intercourse 
between  outlying  portions  of  the  globe.  It  sounds  more 
like  the  fables  of  the  charlatan  Cagliostro,  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  or  a  page  out  of  Gulliver's  travels, 
so  wild,  and  so  easily  detected  (one  would  think),  were 
the  fabrications  with  which  the  leaders  of  society,  in 
two  capitals,  were  gulled  ! 

I  was  then,  and  for  several  years  after,  a  Vice-President 
of  the  Kent  Nursing  Institution,  whose  headquarters 
are  at  West  Mailing,  and  took  a  very  close  interest  in 
all  that  concerned  the  welfare  of  nurses.  It  was  in 
1888  or  1889  that  a  friend  returned  from  a  stay  in  New 
Zealand,  who  had  herself  previously  had  training  at 
the  London  Hospital,  and  was  afterwards  a  ward-sister 
there  for  sixteen  years.  She  told  me  about  a  most 
extraordinary  woman,  who  was  causing  an  immense 
amount  of  talk,  in  both  Wellington  and  Nelson,  and  who 
posed  as  having  been  a  nurse  in  the  Russo-Turkish  war, 
though  from  her  own  testimony  she  could  not  well  have 
been  more  than  fifteen  at  the  time.  My  young  friend— 
"  Miss  H."  I  will  call  her — the  daughter  of  an  old  friend, 
who  had  held  one  of  the  very  highest  Civil  appointments 
in  India,  was  on  a  visit  to  relatives,  and  much  in  the 
intimate  circle  of  the  Governor  of  the  Dominion  and  his 


LATER  YEARS   IN   KENT  329 

family,  and  in  constant  association  with  the  colonial 
dignitaries  of  the  church.  All  were  greatly  scandalised 

by  the  vagaries  of  this  Miss  K.  M ,  who  had  been 

given  the  appointment  of  Matron  of  the  Government 
Hospital  at  Wellington,  on  the  strength  of  her  own 
assurances  as  to  her  qualifications  (certificated  nurses 
were  then  almost  unknown  there),  but  had  had  to  resign 
on  account  of  health,  and  had  come  to  recuperate  in 
the  lovely  climate  of  Nelson.  She  seemed  to  be  entirely 
without  means,  but  was  most  kindly,  and  generously 
received,  in  the  houses  of  several  residents  in  succession, 
treated  as  one  of  the  family,  and  even  supplied  with 
pocket  money  and  clothes.  One  or  two  of  these  were 

the  households  of  clergymen,  for  Miss  M made  a 

point  of  standing  well  with  the  clergy,  and  opened  her 
heart  to  many,  in  confidence,  concerning  her  spiritual 
difficulties  and  troubles.  In  these  matters  she  was  ready 
to  accept  the  most  varied  teaching,  all  denominations 
had  a  turn  in  the  forming  of  her  opinions,  and  though 
many  had  had  doubts  of  her  straightforwardness  in 
small  matters,  and — like  Miss  H. — questioned  her 
capabilities  and  knowledge  as  a  nurse,  it  was  only  after 
she  had  left  for  England,  that  it  transpired  that,  within 
a  few  days  of  being  confirmed  privately,  by  her  own 
wish,  by  the  Bishop  of  Nelson,  she  had  been  received 
into  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  had  been  for  some  time 
back,  endeavouring  to  proselytise  for  that  communion, 
various  ladies  of  her  acquaintance  !  Her  fascination  and 
powers  of  persuasion  were  so  great  that,  in  spite  of  many 
stories  against  her,  there  were  still  those  that  believed 
in  her,  and  gave  her  introductions  to  friends  and  relatives 
in  the  mother-country,  asking  them  to  befriend  her  in 
the  same  way  as  they  had  done. 

Soon,  strange  tales  began  to  arrive  at  the  Antipodes, 


330        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

and  newspaper  articles  full  of  marvellous  accounts  of  a 

sort  of  crusade  against  leprosy  that  Miss  M had 

inaugurated  in  New  Zealand — Father  Damien,  and  the 
Hawaiian  leper  settlement,  were  then  much  in  the 
public  mind — and  thrilling  descriptions  of  the  addresses 
she  was  giving,  all  over  England,  especially  in  fashionable 
drawing-rooms  in  London,  graphically  describing  the 
work  to  which  she  had  devoted  herself  for  some  consider- 
able time,  in  alleviating  the  terrible  ravages  of  this  dire 
disease,  amongst  the  Maoris  on  the  western  coast  of  the 
South  Island  !  and  telling  of  the  large  sums  of  money 
contributed  by  the  charitable  for  the  fund  she  had 
started  to  carry  on  this  work  ! 

My  friend  Miss  H.  was  then  still  with  her  uncle,  the 
Bishop  of  Nelson,  when  this  bomb-shell  burst  on  the  good 
folk  of  that  distant  city.  Their  indignation  was  almost 
ludicrous — for  they  were  as  wroth  at  the  crass  ignorance 
of  the  (supposed)  educated  classes  in  England,  in  swal- 
lowing such  a  farrago  of  nonsense,  as  with  Miss  M for 

having  fabricated  it ! 

So  far  as  was  known,  Miss  M had  only,  on  one 

occasion,  paid  a  flying  visit,  of  a  couple  of  weeks,  to  the 
district  which  she  pretended  to  describe,  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  which  there  are  no  Maoris,  and 
no  cases  of  leprosy,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Arch- 
deacon, who  had  laboured  there  for  over  twenty  years. 
This  he  himself  assured  my  friend  Miss  H. 

Anyhow,  whatever  became  of  the  money  Miss  M 

collected  for  the  Maoris,  certainly  none  of  it  reached 
New  Zealand,  and  her  former  acquaintances  learned 
that  she  had  now  turned  her  attention  to  India,  and  was 
trying  to  get  sent  out  there  by  the  Zenana  Missionary 
Branch  of  the  C.  M.  S.,  in  order  to  bring  help  (quite 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  the  Indian  Government 


LATER  YEARS   IN   KENT  331 

already  took  charge  of  them  !)  to  the  suffering  thousands 
of  India's  lepers.  But  Indian  Missionary  Societies 
have  an  awkward  habit  of  asking  too  searching  questions 
about  their  would-be  assistants,  and  their  funds  they 
keep  under  their  own  supervision. 

Miss  M had  by  now  sponged  to  such  an  extent 

upon  her  friends,  that  she  began  to  look  round  for 
"  pastures  new,"  and  more  secluded,  on  the  surface 
of  the  globe,  on  which  the  fierce  light  of  publicity,  and 
geographical  knowledge,  might  not  be  directed  so 
unflinchingly.  She  pitched  upon  the  wilds  and  forests 
of  North-eastern  Siberia,  as  being  sufficiently  off  the 
beaten  track  for  her  purpose,  and  apparently  this  was 
so  at  that  date  (1890),  so  she  suddenly  announced  that 
she  had  received  intelligence  of  a  marvellous  herb,  for 
the  cure  of  leprosy,  somewhere  in  Siberia,  and  also  that 
there  were  lepers  in  large  numbers,  utterly  neglected, 
in  another  part  of  that  vast  territory.  She  resolved 
to  employ  the  highest  influences  she  could,  to  get  the 
Empress  of  Russia  interested  in  her  project,  and  give 
her  authority  to  carry  out  her  search. 

It  was  when  I  heard  that  she  had  succeeded  in 
ingratiating  herself  with  several  ladies  of  good  position, 
known  to  me  by  name,  had  actually  been  granted 
interviews  by  two  or  three  of  our  Royal  Family,  and  had 
had  her  name  put  down  on  the  Lord  Chamberlain's 
list,  for  presentation  at  Court,  that  I  felt  it  my  duty 
to  take  some  steps  to  warn  those  in  authority  to  make 
inquiries  about  her  antecedents.  I  was  the  more 
moved  to  do  this  on  hearing  a  story  of  her  unscrupu- 
lousness  and  mendacity,  which,  in  spite  of  its  heartless- 
ness,  is  not  without  a  certain  element  of  humour  ! 

It  seems  that  amongst  those  to  whom  she  was 
consigned  as  a  martyr  suffering  from  unjust  accusations. 


332         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

were  two  maiden  ladies  whose  sister  had  implored  them 
to  receive  her,  and  show  her  all  kindness  in  their  power. 
Though  by  no  means  in  affluence,  they  took  her  into 
their  house,  and  in  spite  of  her  being  a  most  exacting 
guest,  put  up  with  all  her  whims,  supplied  her  with 
money  and  clothes,  until,  at  last,  she  became  tired  of 
living  in  such  a  simple  and  quiet  way,  and  left  them  for 
more  wealthy  acquaintances,  not  without  hints  at  their 
"  penurious  ways."  Not  a  word  did  they  hear  from 
her  till  they  received  an  imploring  letter,  begging  for 
immediate  assistance,  as  she  was  in  dire  straits,  ill  and 
friendless,  and  no  money  for  fire  or  clothes  !  Putting 
their  slender  resources  together,  they  spared  her  some 
garments,  and  a  five-pound  note,  and  despatched  this 
by  return  of  post,  only  to  read,  on  opening  the  daily 
paper  next  morning,  her  name  amongst  the  presen- 
tations at  Court  the  day  before  ! 

Meanwhile,  Miss  M in  1890,  did  go  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, armed  with  introductions  from  royalties  here, 
was  received  by  the  Empress  Marie,  who  gave  her  a 
letter  commending  her  to  all  Russian  local  authorities. 
By  her  own  account*  she  returned  thence  to  London, 
and  was  presented  to  Miss  Nightingale,  started  once 
more  via  Paris  (where  she  interviewed  M.  Pasteur  and 
went  over  the  S.  Louis  Hospital),  Egypt  (audience  of 
H.H.  the  Khedive),  Jaffa,  Jerusalem  (introductions  to 
Bishop  Blyth,  who  took  her  over  the  Leper  Hospital  of 
the  Moravian  Brothers),  Constantinople,  Scutari,  Tiflis, 
and  so  to  Moscow,  where  she  arrived  in  November, 
doing  the  whole  distance  from  London,  with  stoppages, 
in  two  months  !  From  that  point,  according  to  her 
story,  she  departed  on  her  mission  to  the  wilds  of 
Eastern  Siberia  ;  but  in  the  book  which  she  published 

*  "  Life  of  K M "  published  in  London,  1895. 


LATER  YEARS   IN  KENT  333 

on  her  return  to  civilised  regions,*  and  which  professes 
to  give  details  of  this  journey,  there  is  a  beautiful 
vagueness  as  to  dates,  distances  and  localities,  which 
makes  it  quite  impossible  to  determine  where  she 
really  got  to,  though  evidence  afterwards  proved  that 
Viliusk,  a  town  of  600  inhabitants,  between  250  and 
300  miles  from  Yakutsk,  the  capital  of  the  Province, 
was  the  utmost  limit  of  her  wanderings  ;  but  I  believe 
she  made  it  out  to  be  an  expedition  of  3,000  versts 
(2,000  miles),  and  that  it  required  a  cavalcade  of  thirty 
horses,  and  food  for  three  months  ! 

Certain  nebulous,  and  laudatory  reports  of  her 
"  mission,"  began  to  appear  in  English  and  Russian 
newspapers,  and  I  had  given  hints,  and  warnings  for 
caution,  in  many  directions,  hoping  that  they  would 
reach  influential  quarters  ;  but  when,  in  the  October 
of  1892,  the  lady  in  question — after  being  feted, 
acclaimed,  and  almost  canonised  in  Russia — returned 
to  England,  started  on  another  tour  of  lectures  and 
collections,  was  given  audiences  by  six  of  our  royalties, 
inscribed  on  the  roll  of  the  British  Nurses  Association 
(even,  so  she  averred,  made  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society!),  and  sent  for  to  Balmoral,  my 
conscience  would  allow  me  to  keep  silence  no  longer, 
and  on  the  3Oth  October,  I  wrote  to  the  President  of 
my  Nursing  Association,  who  I  knew  was  on  a  visit  at 
White  Lodge,  Richmond,  telling  her  what  I  had  heard 

about  Miss  M from  those  who  had  known  her  in 

New  Zealand  (her  "  crusade  "  in  that  direction  was 
now  never  alluded  to),  and  begged  her  to  plead  for  an 
inquiry  into  her  antecedents  before  proceeding  further  ! 
I  was  indignant  that  the  carelessness,  and  want  of 
discretion,  of  those  about  her,  should  allow  my  beloved 

*  "  On  sleigh  and  horseback  to  Outcast  Siberia." 


334        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

Sovereign  to  lend  her  countenance  to  one  already 
proved  an  imposter  in  another  field. 

Unfortunately,  the  lady  I  had  made  my  representa- 
tions through,  and  who  placed  my  notes  in  the  quarter 
I  requested,  did  so  without  mentioning  my  name, 
believing  that  to  be  the  wisest  course,  and  unaware 
that  an  intimation  of  the  kind  would  carry  more 
weight,  if  known  to  emanate  from  one,  in  whom,  I  think 
I  may  say  without  undue  assertion,  Her  Majesty  had 
already  reposed  much  confidence,  believed  to  be  cautious 
in  her  statements,  and  inspired  solely  by  her  loyalty 
and  sense  of  justice.  I  only  wish  that  my  represen- 
tations had  been  acted  on  at  once,  before  further 

evidences  of  K M 's  unworthiness  reached  me 

during  the  following  year,  from  all  directions.  I  could 
not  feel  as  comfortable  and  satisfied  as  the  lady  who 
had  acted  as  my  intermediary  did,  for  she  said,  "  that 
it  was  no  use  troubling  further.  If  it  is  a  failure  we  can 
have  no  blame  ;  we  have  done  all  that  is  necessary." 

Therefore,  further  unimpeachable  testimony  having 
come  to  me,  I  dared  to  stir  her  once  more,  and  induced 
her  to  forward  documents  and  letters  in  support  of 
what  I  had  already  said,  and  she  herself  warned  ladies 
of  position  in  philanthropic  circles.  "  I  am  rather 
alarmed  at  all  I  have  done,"  she  wrote,  "  but  I  feel  I 
did  my  duty,  and  that  thanks  are  all  due  to  you,  not 

to  me.  ...  I  will  see  Lady  L ,  and  will  write  to 

you  the  moment  I  hear  from  H.R.H.  If  /  ever  do  !  .  .  .  . 
As  you  know,  all  your  letters  to  me  are  in  the  possession 

of  H.R.H.  Princess ,  and  as  she  thinks  Miss  M— 

is  persecuted,  I  dare  not  ask  for  them  back !     I  told 

Lady  L .  .  .  she  is  very  cautious  and  diplomatic, 

and  far  from  satisfied  with  the  letters  she  has  received 
.  .  .  Please  tell  her  details.  ...  I  feel  pretty  sure  that 


LATER  YEARS   IN  KENT  335 

slowly  and  carefully  Miss  M is  being  watched,  and 

her  overthrow  not  far  off.  ...  I  believe  the  extra- 
ordinary exaggerations  of  numbers  in  her  books  has 
awakened  suspicion  in  print,  which  seems  not  to  have 
been  noticed  in  talking."  It  would  really  appear  that 
this  was  the  case,  for  a  letter  was  sent  to  me  from  the 

Treasurer  of  K M 's  Leper  Fund  in  England, 

in  which  he  mentioned  that,  in  response  to  questions, 

Miss  M still  maintained  that  the  distances  given 

in  her  book  were  correct,  and  were  supplied  to  her  by 
"  the  Bishop  Maletie  of  Yakutsk  " — also  "  that  the  ride 
certainly  took  her  two  months  !  "  For  a  lady  who  only 
took  the  same  length  of  time  to  perambulate  Europe 
and  the  Mediterranean  coasts,  this  was  remarkable  ; 
but  this  London  Committee  of  hers  were  out  to  swallow 
anything,  for  this  same  gentleman  announced  that  the 

charges  against  Miss  M 's  character  in  New  Zealand, 

received  from  many  quarters,  were  proved  untrue, 
and  he  had  most  satisfactory  reports  from  St.  Peters- 
burg about  her,  and  was  expecting  fuller  details  when  the 
lady  who  accompanied  her  to  Siberia  returned  to 

London,  the  following  week,  Miss  M herself  having 

sailed  for  America  I 

Almost  immediately  upon  this,  I  was  startled  by  a 
visit  from  a  complete  stranger,  from  St.  Petersburg, 
who  came  armed  with  the  very  highest  credentials, 
and  injunctions  to  ascertain  the  truth.  He  had  been  one 
of  her  warmest  supporters,  and  had  acted  as  Secretary 
of  the  very  influential  Committee  formed  there  to 
further  her  work,  and  gather  in  the  enormous  funds 
being  collected  in  Russia  for  the  purpose.  The  whole 
movement  was  under  the  protection,  and  direction, 
of  the  renowned  Minister,  M.  Pobedonotseff,  Procu- 
rator of  the  Holy  Synod,  and  the  Committee  con- 


336        LADY  LOGIN'S  RECOLLECTIONS 

sisted  of  some  of  the  foremost  names  in  the  Russian 
Empire. 

To  them  also  had  come  reports  and  rumours  against 
the  lady's  character,  which  filled  them  with  indignation, 
but  which,  to  clear  her,  they  proceeded  to  investigate, 
and  drew  up  a  report,  completely  exculpating  her, 
and  asseverating  their  confidence  in  her  blameless 
integrity.  Of  this  report,  not  yet  signed,  a  copy  fell 
into  her  hands,  and  she  lost  no  time  in  getting  signatures 
from  persons  of  distinction,  only  three  of  whom,  how- 
ever, were  members  of  the  said  Committee.  Then  she 
left  Russia  for  Berlin.  Hardly  had  she  done  so  when 
most  damning  proofs,  substantiating  charges  against 
her  character  far  worse  than  had  gone  before,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Committee.  So  bad  were  they,  that 
her  friends  warned  her  not  to  return  to  Russia  ! 

She  came  to  England,  found  some  hint  of  this  had 
preceded  her,  and  started  for  America  on  April  1st, 
1893,  believing  that  at  the  World's  Fair,  at  Chicago, 
she  would  find  the  very  environment  suitable  for  her 
propaganda — Russia  not  having  proved  satisfactory, 
from  a  pecuniary  point  of  view,  all  charitable  collec- 
tions being  paid  into  a  Treasury  controlled  by  M. 
Pobedonotseff  1 

But  it  was  here  actually  that  Nemesis  overtook  her  ! 
Instead  of  proving  more  gullible  than  European  society, 
American  philanthropists  had  made  investigations  into 
her  antecedents,  on  their  own  account,  and  had  no  hesi- 
tation, moreover,  in  making  them  public  !  So  outspoken 
was  the  Press  in  remarking  on  her  effrontery  and  shame- 
lessness,  that  wherever  her  steps  may  have  wandered 
since,  she  certainly  has  not  ventured  again  into  the 
States.  The  result  does  infinite  credit  to  the  perspicacity 
of  the  American  people. 


LATER  YEARS   IN   KENT  337 

Of  course,  I  once  more  sent  warning,  the  moment  all 
this  became  known  to  me.  My  intermediary  sent 
copies  of  the  information  I  had  got  to  the  necessary 
persons,  and  measures  were  at  length  taken  to  modify 
the  scandal  of  such  a  denouement. 

My  correspondence  with  St.  Petersburg  continued 
fast  and  furious  throughout  1895,  and,  apart  from  its 
subject,  was  exceedingly  lively  and  entertaining,  for 
my  new  acquaintance  was  an  accomplished  letter  writer, 
most  original,  and  full  of  epigram  and  wit.  He  paid 
several  flying  visits  to  this  country,  when  I  met  him  in 
London,  and  it  gave  one  a  curious  insight  into  the  con- 
ditions of  life,  at  that  time,  in  St.  Petersburg  that,  even 
in  his  case,  precautions  had  to  be  taken  to  insure  our 
letters  passing  direct  into  one  another's  hands  ! 

Amongst  other  little  items  of  information  he  commu- 
nicated to  me,  in  conversation,  was,  that  letters  had  come 
into  his  possession,  written  by  Miss  M to  a  confi- 
dante or  accomplice,  in  which  she  retailed,  with  glee, 
the  amounts  pouring  into  her  coffers,  for  her  supposed 
"  charity,"  and  sketched  the  delightful  trip,  and  "  spree 
on  the  Rhine  "  they  were  going  to  have  on  the  proceeds  ! 
The  Russian  contributions,  alas  !  she  had  no  chance  of 
pocketing  !  He  told  also,  how  she  had  managed  to  hood- 
wink her  Russian  Committee,  and  the  Vice-President 
of  the  Imperial  Geographical  Society  of  Russia,  by  her 
descriptions  of  her  journeys  in  N.E.  Siberia.  A  lady 
was  sent  with  her  to  Siberia,  as  a  companion,  by  her 
London  Committee.  She  succeeded,  however,  in  giving 
her  the  slip,  and  left  her  stranded  without  money  at 
Tomsk,  half-way  to  her  destination  !  There  was  thus 
no  one  to  contradict  her  assertions.  She  then  secured 
a  Russian  courier,  to  accompany  her,  whom  she  bribed 
to  corroborate  all  her  story— in  tact,  it  was  concocted 


338         LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

between  them  !  They  disappeared  into  the  forests  for 
a  few  days,  and  on  returning  to  civilised  parts,  had  it 
all  ready  ! 

Miss   M tried  in    every  way   to   contradict   the 

accusations  brought  against  her,  defying  them  to  pro- 
duce their  proofs  ;  and  when,  on  August  i6th,  1894,  the 
Rev.  Alexander  Francis,  Pastor  of  the  British-American 
Church  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  Secretary  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Investigation,  was  obliged  to  make  public, 
by  a  letter  to  the  Times,  that  the  Committee  required 
her,  according  to  her  own  engagement  if  the  decision 
went  against  her,  to  surrender  all  decorations,  and  letters 
of  commendation,  bestowed  on  her  under  false  pretences 
by  Imperial  and  Royal  personages,  she  retorted  by 
publishing  the  unsigned  report  before  referred  to,  and 
instituted  a  lawsuit  for  defamation  of  character  against 
both  Mr.  Francis,  and  the  Editor  of  the  Times ! 

On  one  plea,  and  another,  she  kept  this  lingering  on, 
without  bringing  it  into  court ;  and  finally  said  she  was 
without  money  to  pay  a  lawyer  to  defend  her,  when  it 
was  merely  a  matter  of  replying  "  Yes,"  or  "  No," 
to  half  a  dozen  questions,  which  anyone  could  have  done 
on  a  half-sheet  of  notepaper — questions  affecting  her 
own  character,  which  no  one,  with  a  spark  of  shame  in 
their  composition,  would  have  left  for  half  an  hour 
without  an  indignant  denial.  This  fact  was  brought  out 
in  an  article  in  Truth  on  January  9th,  1896 — yet  it  was 
only  in  June  of  that  same  year  that  the  case  was  finally 
dismissed,  and  expenses  awarded  Mr.  Francis — "  Don't 
you  wish  that  I  may  get  them  ?  "  was  his  comment  1— 
and  Truth  gave  her  a  final  article,  entitled  "  Exit 

MissM !" 

Thus  for  a  space  of  seven  years,  this  ingenious  and 
unscrupulous  adventuress,  with  no  special  advantages 


LATER  YEARS  IN  KENT  339 

of  face  or  form,  only  an  ingratiating  personality, 
managed  to  mystify,  perturb,  and  turn  to  her  own 
advantage,  the  best  society  in  four  quarters  of  the  globe  ! 
Not  only  so,  but  actually  she  was  the  cause  of  estrange- 
ment between  ladies  of  exalted  rank,  who  reproached 
each  other  for  having  sent  her  with  letters  of  high  com- 
mendation. As  one  of  them  exclaimed  indignantly  : 

"  She  begged  me  to  treat  Miss  M as  a  sister,  and  I 

did  !  " 

I  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  I  had  done  my 
part  in  the  unmasking  of  her  ;  but  as  my  St.  Peters- 
burg friend  wrote  :  "  there  does  not  seem  to  be  much 
courtesy  extended  to  those  who  are  trying  to  shield  their 
Queen  from  an  impostor  ;  but  that  is  a  detail  which 
concerns  only  those  who  are  discourteous.  I  am  sure 
that  your  services  will  be  very  fully  acknowledged 
before  long,  but  that  is  not  what  you  care  about. 
Fats  ce  que  tu  dois,  advienne  que  pourra" 

Thus  ended  the  last  service  I  was  privileged  to 
attempt  for  the  Sovereign  I  had  been  closely  associated 
with  for  over  forty  years  !  One  year  only  her  junior 
in  age,  it  has  pleased  God  that  I  should  survive  her 
passing  from  amongst  us.  But  although  I  have  lived 
to  see  him,  whom  I  first  knew  as  a  slender,  fair-haired 
boy  of  thirteen,  hailed,  a  grandfather  of  sixty,  as  King, 
and  Padishah,  over  the  world-wide  Empire  that  she 
ruled  so  well,  hailed  moreover  as  the  wisest  monarch 
of  his  generation,  and  one  of  the  greatest  that  have 
filled  the  English  throne  ;  yet  something  has  gone  from 
my  life  that  can  never  be  replaced  !  I  cannot  face  a 
future  that  has  been  shorn  of  that  central  figure  in  the 
picture.  From  the  moment  that  I  knew  my  Mistress 
gone  hence,  I  felt  the  time  would  not  be  long  before 
there  came  "  the  one  clear  call "  for  me  ! 


340        LADY  LOGIN'S   RECOLLECTIONS 

POSTSCRIPT. 

On  the  22nd  of  January,  1901,  Queen  Victoria 
passed  away  at  Osborne.  A  letter  from  her  Private 
Secretary,  Sir  Fleetwood  Edwards,  written  from  that 
residence  at  the  commencement  of  her  fatal  illness,  was 
the  last  communication  that  passed  between  her  and  her 
faithful  subject. 

Three  years  later,  in  the  early  morning  of  April  lyth, 
1904,  my  mother  died  at  Cedars,  Aylesford,  Kent, 
in  her  eighty-fourth  year,  and  was  laid  in  Felixstowe 
churchyard,  beside  the  husband  she  had  been  parted 
from  forty  years  before.  Three  of  her  children  had 
gone  before  her,  and  three  survived  her,  whereof  two 
are  now  also  gone. 

To  the  end  she  retained  her  clear  intellect,  and  her 
faculties  undiminished,  save  for  a  slight  deafness  ; 
and  without  undue  presumption,  her  daughter  may 
perhaps  claim  that  her  memory  remains  green  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  knew  and  loved  her  ? 


FINIS. 


INDEX 


"A"  "  for  the  'osses  !  "  121,  122 

Abbot,  General  Sir  F.,  46,  165 

Adams,  Colonel  Robert,  80 

Albert,  H.R.H.  Prince  (Prince  Con- 
sort), 116—119,  '")  I23)  i*5)  164, 
218,  253,  267 

Alexander  III.,  297 

Alexander,  General  Sir  James  (K.C.B.), 
97,  226 

Alexander,  Mrs.  (see  Mrs.  Drummond) 

Alexandra,    H.M.    Queen,    121,    297, 

325 
Alfred,     H.R.H.     Prince,    of     Saxe- 

Coburg-Gotha,  116,  119 
AH  Bux  and  the  "  Fair   Fatimah," 

49—51 
Anson,     H.M.S.,     visits     of     Kaiser 

Wilhelm  to,  164 — 167 
Ash-Wednesday    ceremonies    at    the 

Sixtine  Chapel,  201 
Asquith,  Mrs.,  279 


BAIRD,  Vice-Admiral,  298,  300 
Bantry,  Earl  and  Countess  of,  277 
Bartlett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  284,  285 
Beatrice,  H.R.H.  Princess,  287 
Beebeepore  Palace,  38 
Beecher-Stowe,  Mrs.,  199 — 200 
Benson,  Dr.  Edward  (Archbishop  of 

Canterbury),  273,  274 
Bentinck,  Lady  William   "  to  Joseph 

Wolff,"  83 
Bernard,  Dr.,  70 — 71 
Bernard,  Mrs.,  69 — 71 
Bhajun  Lai,  95,  136 
"  Bhuggut    Ram "     (Major    D'Arcy 

Todd),  50 

Bhugwan  Doss  (major  domo\  55 
Biddulph,  Sir  Thomas,  289,  295,  296 
Blackamoor,  the,  197 
Blake,  Canon  J.  S.,  293 
Bismarck,  Prince  (and  Delagoa  Rail- 
way), 127 


Blyth,  Bishop,  of  Jerusalem,  332 
Boileau,  Colonel  Frank,  265 
Breadalbane,     ist    Marquess     and 

Marchioness,  26 — 30,  128 
Brews ter,  Sir  David,  196 
Bright,  Mr.  John,  137,  138,  195,  198, 

205,  235)  236)  266,  3°6)  3*5)  327 
Bruce,  General,  169 
Bruce,  Mr.  113 
Bugnano,  Marchese  di,  204 
Burdett-Coutts,  Baroness,  27,  28 
Burne,  Colonel  Sir  Owen,  248,  257 


CAMPBELL,      Annie      (daughter      of 

General  Charles),  196 
Campbell,  Charles  (laird  of  Kinloch, 

1760),  married  niece  of  Bishop  of 

Oporto,  4 
Campbell,  Maj. -General  Charles,  31, 

38,48,  146,281,319 
Campbell,     Maj. -General          Charles 

William  (Borland),  281 
Campbell,    Major    Colin,   12,   13,    14, 

283 
Campbell,     Lt.-Colonel     C.     G.     L. 

(Borland),  318,  319 
Campbell,  Euphrosia  Maria  Ferreira 

(Mrs.  White),  8,  10,  246,  247 
Campbell,  Gregorio,  16,  283 
Campbell,    Captain    J.    (7th    Madras 

Cav.),  94 
Campbell,   John   (or  Juan),  laird   of 

Kinloch,  5 — 17 
Campbell,  Colonel  John,    190,   279 — 

282 
Campbell,  Jose  (laird  of  Kinloch,  1784), 

320 
Campbell,  Margaret  (Mrs.  Meiklejohn), 

9,  18,25,31,33,34,36 
Campbell,  Miss  Nellena,  15 
Campbell,  Patricia,  37 
Campbell,  Maj.-General  R.  B.  P.  P. 

(C.B.),  281  note 


342 


INDEX 


Campbell,  Victoria  Gouramma  (Mrs. 

Yardley),  285—288 
Cambridge,  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of, 

121,  130,  131 

Cambridge,  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of,  311 
Canning,  Lord,  143,  144,  186,  188 
Cape  Town,  33—35 
Cardinal  Archbishop  of  Westminster 

and  Pope  Leo  XIII.,  327 
Cardwell,  Lord,  306 
Cartridges,  greased,  141,  142 
Castor  and  Pollux,  two  Herati  ponies, 

52 

Cautley,  Sir  Proby,  65 
Chantreuse,  u,  12 
Charikar  with  Eldred  Pottinger,  52 
Christian,  H.R.H.  Princess,  243 
Christian  IX.  and  Queen    Louise,  of 

Denmark,  297 

Christian  X.  and  Prince  Axel,  298 
Christina  of  Spain,  Queen,  201,  202  ; 

British  Legion  for,  12 — 14 
"  Christmas  Day,"  17         > 
Clarence,  H.R.H.  Duke  of,  298 
Clarendon,  Lord,  128 
Clark,     Admiral     Sir     Bouverie     F. 

(K.C.B.),  296 

Cobbold,  Mr.  John  Chevalier,  312,  313 
Colvin,  Mr.,  65 
Conolly,  Lieut.,  66 
Coorg,  Rajah  of,  98,  99  note,  109,  148 

— 150,  158,  160,  186,  187 
Coorg,  Rajah  of,  family  of,  187 — 189 
Coorg,  Princess  Victoria  Gouramma  of, 

148,  151—163,  168—173,  176—194, 

217,  279,  283,  295 
Couper,  Sir  George,  no,  131 
Cross,  Viscount,  248,  269 
Cullum,  Lady,  317 
Currie,  Sir  Frederick  (Bart.),  85,  226, 

263 
Cusins,  Mr.  W.  G.,  117 


DALHOUSIE,  Marquess  of,  73,  75,  79 — 
82,  87,  94—100,  103,  105,  108—113, 
250,  257,  263,  268 

Dasent,  Mr.  G.  W.  (Editor  of  Times), 
128,  139 

Davidson,  Colonel,  46 

Dawkins,  Mr.  Clinton,  248 

Delane,  Mr.  (Editor  of  Times),  128, 

139 

Derby,  Earl  of,  143 


Dick,  Mrs.  Hope,  31,  36,  38 

Dips,  tallow,  20,  21 

Drummond,  Mrs.  (afterwards  Mrs. 
Alexander),  150 — 153,  161 

Dufferin,  Lady,  and  her  son,  198 

Duleep  Singh,  H.H.  the  Maharajah, 
73,  74,  84—86,  88—91,  94—105, 
108 — 119,  122 — 133,  145 — 148,  168 
—183,  190,  195—199,  201—205, 
207—209,  214 — 224,  226,  229— 
234,  237—272 

Duleep  Singh's  coat  of  arms,  118; 
dress,  113 

Duleep  Singh,  Prince  Edward,  270 

Duleep  Singh,  Prince  Frederick,  260, 
270 

Duleep  Singh,  Prince  Victor,  260,  261, 
269 

Duleep  Singh,  Princesses,  259 

EDWARD  VII.,  H.M.  King,  116 — 119, 
145,  169,  297,  319,  325,  326  note 

Edwardes,  Sir  Herbert,  71,  74,  263 

Edwards,  Sir  Fleetwood,  340 

Elephant,  the  must,  53,  54 

Elephants,  59,  60 

Ellenborough,  Lord,  143 

Elliot,  Sir  Henry,  81,  82 

Elliott,  Rev.  Vaughan,  156 

Ely,  Marquis  and  Marchioness  of,  126, 
197,  198 

"  Ely  Cathedral,"  301 

Esher  Church,  Royal  closet  in,  130 

PAKIR  AZIZUDEEN,  77 

Felixstowe,  223,  226,  230,  231,  309 — 

3.!9 

Felixstowe,  Vicar  of,  302 — 309 
Ferrier,  General,  .46 
Fife,  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of,  298 
"  Fifteen  above  proof,"  321 
Fitzgerald,  Mr.  Edward,  315 
Francis,  Rev.  A.,  338 
Fraser,  Colonel  James,  1 50 
Frederick  III.  of  Germany,  323,  324, 

326 

Frederick  VII.  of  Denmark,  297 
Frederick  William  IV.  of  Prussia,  177, 

178,  203,  204 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  188,  222 
Funerals  and  honeymoons,  237 
Futtehghur,  fate  of  establishment  at^ 

135, *36 


INDEX 


343 


GANGES  water,  97 
Gaugers,  dodging  the,  24 
George  V.,  H.M.  King,  298 
Gharib-Khana  (hospital)  at  Lucknow, 

49>  57 
Gibbs,  Mr.,  the  Princes'  tutor,   117, 

119 
Gomm,  Field-Marshal  and  Lady,  133, 

134 

Gordon,  Duchess  of,  196 
Gordon-Duff,  Mrs.,  279 
Goreh,  Father  Nehemiah  (see  Pundit 

Nilakanth  Goreh) 
Guise,  Mr.  Walter,  97,  136 


HAAKON,    H.M.    King,    and.    Queen 

Maud  of  Norway,  298 
Halifax,  Lord  (Sir  Charles  Wood),  129, 

186,  188,  221 

Harland,  Sir  R.  and  Lady,  317 
Harcourt,  Colonel  and  Lady  Catherine, 

183,  184,  190 
Hardinge,  Lord  and  Lady,  128,  129, 

157 

Hartington,  Marquess  of,  259 
Hatherton,  Lord  and  Lady,  112,  129, 

130,  132,  133 
Havelock,  Sir  Henry,  66 
"  Henri  Cinq,"  Comte  de  Chambord, 

202 

Henry,  Mr.  Mitchell,  M.P.,  254 

Herat,  46,  49,  51 

Hewett,  Captain  Sir  William,  R.N., 

Highland  dress,  16 
Highland  farmer,  321 
Highland  superstitions,  25,  26 
Hinghan  Khan,  the  Herati,  51 — 55 
Hogg,  Colonel  (Lord  Magheramorne), 

240 

Hogg,  Sir  James  Weir  (see  Weir-Hogg) 
Hohlub,  Herr  Emil,  316 
Hooker,  Sir  Joseph,  316 
Hooker,  Sir  William,  316 
Horses,  stories  of,  52,  Co — 62 


IBRAHIM  PASHA,  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  113 
Indian  Army,  scheme  for  re-organiza- 
tion of,  140,  141 
Indian  Mutiny,  145 
Inglis,  Sir  Robert,  114,  115 
"  Js  he  keeping  quate  ?  "  146 


JACKSON,  Mr.,  the  sculptor,  231 
Jarvis,  Mrs.  (marriage  of),  3,  4 
Jay,  Rev.  W.  J.,  96,  226 
"  Jerusalem,  my  happy  home  !  "  35, 

36 

John  of  Gliicksburg,  Prince,  298 
Jose  and  Josephine,  15,  16 
Jung  Bahadour,  87,  88,  99  note,  109, 

1 88,  206 


K  AMR  AN,  Shah,  53  note 

K M ,  Miss,  328—339 

Kaye,  Sir  John,  64,  69,  70,  206 
Kent,  H.R.H.  the  Duchess,  no,  122, 

I31 

Kent,  Ja"ts  and  Juts,  128 
Kew,  Royal  pew,  130 
Kew  Church  House,  131 
Khedive  of  Egypt,  332 
Kimberley,  Earl  of,  248 
Kinnaird,  Baron,  307,  320 
Kinnaird,  Hon.  Arthur,  320 
Knatchbull,  Lady,  198 
Knesebeck,  Baron,  131 
Koh-i-noor,  73,  75—83,  123—126 
Koh-i-noor,  receipt  for,  81,  82 
Kvigel,  Baron,  168 


"  LADY    LOGIN  !     I    am    a    grand- 
mother !  "  163 
Lassalle,  Madame,  275,  276 
Lawrence,  Alec,  65,  67,  70,  71,  132, 

133 
Lawrence,  Lord,  62,  66 — 71,  73,  221, 

226,  227,  263,  266,  273 
Lawrence,  Lady,  69,  70,  227 
Lawrence,  Lady  (Honoria),  63 — 66 
Lawrence,  Colonel  George,  66,  73,  74 
Lawrence,  Sir  Henry,  46,  63 — 66,  69, 

72—74,  "I,  136,  251,  263 
Lawrence,  Mr.  P.  H.,  252 
Lawrence,  Captain  Richard,  69 
Leven  and  Melville,  Countess  of,  112, 

238—240,  243 
Leven  and  Melville,  nth  Earl  of  (Ron. 

R.  Leslie-Melville),   195,  204,  205, 

.2.37,  239,  2.69 

Liliuo-Kalani  of  Hawaii,  Queen,  324 
Lome,  Marquis  of,  289 
Login,  Edward  William  Spencer,  119, 
120,  169,  170,  239,  290—292,  325 
Login,  Sir  John,  death  of,  225 


344 


INDEX 


Login,  Dr.  James  Dryburgh,  64,  87, 

88,  206  note 
Login,    Lena,  64  note,  169,  227,  228, 

278 

Login,  Louise  Marion  D'Arcy,  46  note 
Login,  Mabel,  278 
Login,  Rear-Admiral  S.  H.  M.  (C.  V.O.), 

64,  104,  in,  119,  120,  164,  166,  167, 

211,  292 — 300 

Longley,  Dr.  (Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury), 114,  115,  157 

Louise,  H.R.H.  Princess  (Duchess  of 
Argyll),  287,  289 

Low,  Colonel,  45 

Low,  Mr.,  dancing-master,  12  note 

Ludwig  I.  of  Bavaria,  King,  201,  202 


MACAULAY,  Lord,  200,  201 
Macgregor,  Sir  Charles,  80,  148 
Mackenzie,  Colin,  66 
Macnaghton,  Sir  William,  66 
Maharanee    Bamba,    237—243,  258, 

276  ;  her  dress,  243 
Maharanee  Mai  Chunda  (Jinda  Koiir), 

85,  86,  206—215,  223,  230,  237 
Mahommed  Ali  Shah,  King  of  Oude, 

38,44 

Mahommed,  Prophet,  relics  of,  80 
Malleson,  Colonel,  127,  265 
Manning,  Cardinal,  198 
Mansel,  C.  G.,  81,  82,  85 
Maori  lepers,  330 
Marie  Feodorovna  (Dagmar),  Empress, 

297,  298,  331,  332 
Marlborough,  Duke  of,  217 
Marshman,  Mr.  John,  226 
Martin,  Mr.  Montgomery,  187 
Martyn's  testament,  Henry,  83 
Mary,  H.R.H.   Princess  (Duchess  of 

Teck),  120,  122,  311 
Maximilian,  Emperor,  204 
Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  Grand  Duke  of, 

121,  324 

Melvill,  Sir  James,  143,  216 
Menzies,   Castle,  127,  128,  132 — 134 
Misr  Beelee  Ram  (keeper  of  Koh-i- 
noor)  murdered,  79 
Misr  Makraj  (keeper  of  Koh-i-noor), 

75—80 

Mitford,  General,  46 
Moolraj  and  other  rebel  chiefs,  80 
Morton,  Earl  and  Countess  of,  129 
Mutton  Club,  the,  47,  48 


NADIR  SHAH  (exchange  of  turbans),  76 
Nana  Sahib  (envoy's  insult  to  D.  S.), 

108 — 1 10,  136,  138 
Napier,   Sir   Charles   (commander-in- 

chief),  65 
Nawab   Ameenoodowlah,  Wuzeer  of 

Oude,  41,  43,  44 
Nelson,  Bishop  of,  329 
Nightingale,  Miss,  332 
Norton,  Hon.  Mrs.  R.,  199 
Nott,  General  Sir  W.,  46 

OGILVY,  Colonel  Sir  Reginald,  320 
Oliphant,  Mr.  A.,  258,  259 
Oliphant,  Colonel,  219,  238,  249 
Orlich,  Baron  von,  204 
Ormerod,  Dr.  E.,  155 
Oscar  of  Sweden,  King,  300 
Oude,  Princesses  of,  39 — 41 
Outram,  Sir  James,  47,  66 

PAGET,  Lord  Alfred  and  Lady  Alfred, 
318,  319 

Paget,  General  Sir  Arthur,  318,  319 

Palmer,  Mr.,  311,  312 

Papal  Legate,  327 

Partridge,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  133,  259 

Pasteur,  Monsieur,  332 

Pelham,  Dr.  (Bishop  of  Norwich),  307 

Phipps,  Colonel  the  Hon.  Sir  C.,  126, 
135,  139— '44,  IS',  '57,  158,  161— 
163,  168,  176—186,  215,  217,  218, 
221,  227—229,  233,  234,  238,  246, 
253,  266,  267,  279 

Phipps,  Hon.  Mrs.  E.,  199 

Pobedonotseff,  Monsieur,  335,  336 

Pollock,  Field-Marshal  Sir  George,  46, 
66 

Ponsonby,  Sir  Henry,  246—248,  259 
—269,  289 

Pookraj  (topaz)  substituted  for  Koh- 
i-noor,  77 

Pottinger,  Colonel  Eldred,  46,  51,  52, 
66 

Precedence,  a  question  of,  114,  115 

Probyn,  Sir  Dighton,  121 

Pundit  Nilakanth  Goreh  (Father  N. 
Goreh  of  Cowley),  106—108,  207 

Purdah  patients,  40,  41 

"  QUEEN  of  England,  Queen  of 
Portugal!"  17 


INDEX 


345 


RAMSAY,  Lady  Edith  Christian,  112 

Ramsey,  Colonel,  206 

Ranee  Duknoo,  the,  89,  91 — 93,  101 

— 105,  no 

Richmond,  Colonel,  46 
Rimbault,  Dr.  Edward,  117 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  32 
Rochussen,  Monsieur,  100 
Rudolph  of  Austria,  Crown   Prince, 

324 

Russia,  late  Dowager  Empress  of,  197 
Rustum,  sword  of,  80 
Ryle,  Dr.  (Bishop  of  Liverpool),  307 


ST.  AI.BANS,  Duchess  of,  27,  28 

Seigneurial  dues,  21,  22 

Servants'  food,  19,  20 

Seymour,  Capt.  (afterwards  Admiral 

of  the  Fleet),  Sir  M.  Culme-,  290 
Shaftesbury,  Earl  of,  128,  139 
Shah  Soojah  of  Afghanistan,  76,  77, 

80 

Shantrews  (see  Chantreuse) 
Sheo  Deo  Singh,  Shahzadah,  85,  89, 

91 — 93,  101 — 105,  108 
Shere  Singh,  Maharajah,  78,  85,  91 
Sleeman,Colonel  Sir  William,  105, 106  ; 

(Kent  Juts  and  Jats),  128 
Soortoo,  214 

Spinning-women,  22 — 24 
Stanley,  Lord,  69,  100 
Stewart,  Major  W.  M.,  148 
Stratford  de  Redcliffe,  Viscount,  128 
Sultans  of  Johore  and  Zanzibar,  324 


TAIT,  Dr.  (Archbishop  of  Canterbury), 

128 

Tallow  "  dips,"  manufacture  of,  20,  21 
Tennant,  Sir  Charles  and  Lady,  279 
Thieves  and  dacoits,  58,  59 
Thomason,  Mr.  (Lieut.-Governor),  46 
"  Thuggee,"  106 
Times,  editors  of,  128,  139,  338 


Tocqueville,  M.  de,  65 
Todd,  Major  D'Arcy,  46,  66 
Tomline,  Colonel  George,  310 — 315 
Tosbkbana,  58,  73,  75 — 80 
Tracey,  Admiral  Sir  R.,  166 
Trevelyan,  Sir  Charles,  68,  69,  139 
Troup,  66 
Truth,  article  in,  338 


VAMB^RY,  Professor,  46 
Vans  Agnew,  Patrick,  46,  47 
Vernon,  Admiral,  picture  of,  317 
Victoria,  H.M.  Queen,  75,  83  (portraits 
of),  116— 118,  122 — 125,  143 — 145, 
150—164,  170 — 194,  217,  218,  228, 
229,     231,    233,    234 ;     autograph 
letter,   185  ;    Lady  Login's  private 
correspondence     with,     171 — 176  ; 
letter  of  condolence,  228 
Victoria,   H.R.H.    Princess    (Princess 
Royal    and    afterwards     Empress 
Frederick),  145,  165,  243,  323,  324 


WAJID  ALI,  King  of  Oude,  40,  44,  45 
Waldemar  of  Denmark,  Princess,  298 
Waldemar,  Prince,  of  Prussia,  65 
Warren,  Samuel,  315 
Weir-Hogg,  Sir  James,  157,  190,  284, 

285 

Wellington,  Duke  of,  funeral  of,  324 
Wemyss,  Earl  of  (Lord  Elcho),  292 
Wheeler,  Brigadier,  62 
White,  Mrs.,  8,  10,  246,  247 
Wilhelm  II.,  Kaiser,  162 — 167,  299 — 

301 

Wilson,  Dr.  (Bishop  of  Calcutta),  96 
Winchester,  Bishop  of,  128,  156,  158 
Winterhalter,  Mr.,  122,  123 
Wolf-children,  57,  58 
Wolves,  56,  57 

Wood,  Sir  Charles  (see  Lord  Halifax) 
Wuzeeroolniza,  the  little  Begum,  41 

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