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12 Jan 59 Julius Camp Akbupore Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Camp ‘Akbupore’ 12th Jan. 59

My dear Mother

I got a letter of yrs. a few days back (dated 21 Nov) containing one from my Father. I have been away ever since, on a trip to Fyzabad.

I was there once before but as I think I told you very little about it, I will give you a sketch of my proceedings this time.

It is about 42 miles from our present camp. I could only get leave from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday evening, so off we started, having previously sent on fresh horses 10 miles.

We halted for the night at the Camp of one Knowles, who was on the march with some Sikhs to the same place as we were making for. He entertained us hospitably for the night & after breakfast we proceeded again on our travels, horses as on the previous day waiting for us 10 miles on.

At Fyzabad we put up in the tents of some officers of Ours who happened to be about, & in the afternoon were mounted & taken over the City to see the lines. The chief attraction was the ‘Begum’s Tomb’* (a Begum is a Queen) whereby of course hung a tale, the pith of which was that an elderly lady, the wife of one of the Kings of Oude, feeling unwell, having a great deal of wealth to dispose of & not liking any of her friends or Relations sufficiently to leave it to them, at the same time being ambitious of fame in future years, besought her of the great Company & willed that if the said Company would build her a respectable Tomb – one that the natives of Fyzabad should look up to, they should have the money.

It need hardly be said that they closed on the offer, took the Rupees & in due course of time a splendid edifice has arisen. It is in the shape of a lofty dome, beautifully ornamented quite white.

We went up to the top of it & looked down on the city. It was a beautiful view. You can imagine a city dropped into a garden, but even that would give you but a faint idea, for you do not know an Eastern City with its minarets & towers, & you have no idea of the magnificence of the trees & foliage in this country.

The next day we went to see a particularly sacred Hindoo tower about 3 miles out of Fyzabad. There was a large Ghat (which word has many meanings – this time it signifies a large flight of stone steps down to the River) where the people perform their ablutions, where they make their Pilgrimages under the eyes of their particular God who is fixed in a small room looking down on them. The place is surrounded with monkeys which nice little creatures the natives hold sacred. It was of course a great resort for Faquirs (religious mendicants*) who sit & lie about with their hair down to the ground – horrid objects.

I must get on with my trip or you will all be tired of it (like my horses are at present).

I had to be back on Wednesday evening, so having two animals in waiting, one ten miles on, the other at twenty, & a Dog Cart to bring us both on the remaining twelve miles, we started at 12 o’clock & arrived here in plenty of time for Mess in the evening having had a very pleasant trip.

I took a servant & a ‘Bhangy Bearer’ (a man who carries things by means of a bamboo, in baskets, one at each end). I started them at 11 o’clock at night & they were in Camp here at 4 p.m. next evening. I tell you this to show you how natives can march. If they will do that to please a master, what will they not be able to do to save their own lives.

I heard from Arthur who tells me that he has got into 3rd Madras Europeans, which has pleased me very much. It is a capital Regt. & has done a good deal of service & is now knocking about Saugor, I believe, so he may yet be in time to see some fighting. A native Regt. is now considered (& justly too) very inferior to a Regt. of Englishmen. I think him extremely fortunate in finding a vacancy just when he wanted it.

I had a letter from Peter, who seems very happy. He has fallen in with a fellow Passenger of mine on my way out here.

We are looking out for Orders to move to some Station, as the Campaign in this part of India is over; the Rebels have scattered & returned to their first calling of peaceful agriculturalists.

The shave is that the Heads have taken refuge in a valley on the Borders of Nepaul & that we are waiting for Jung Bahadoor GCB to put them out of it & J.B. does not seem to like going too near them.

However there is no one worth mentioning (for strength) in arms against us now & the C in C has published an Order that officers are now permitted to leave, &c. as the Campaign is ended. So now we hope for a nice quiet Quarter at any rate for a year or two & then we may once more be anxious to hear the ‘din of war’.

It is beginning to get a little warmer & in 6 weeks we shall be right in the middle of the heat again. We look forward to it with horror, I assure you.

I hope you are all well. I was sorry to hear that my Father’s eye was still bad. I hope however all right now. Love to all.

from yr affect son

J D Laurie

* Begum’s Tomb – The tomb of Bahu Begum is considered to be one of the finest buildings of its kind in Oudh (now Awadh)

* mendicants – Beggars