The ship remained there for six weeks, the
Admiral taking up his quarters at Government House. My sister Lady
Lansdowne had a mistaken weakness for midshipmen, whom she most
inappropriately termed "those dear little fellows." At that time
midshipmen went to sea at fifteen years of age, so they were much
younger than at present. As these boys were constantly at
Government House, four of us thought that we would lend the
midshipmen our ponies for an early morning ride. The boys all
started off at a gallop, and every one of them was bolted with as
soon as he reached the Maidan. As they had no riding-breeches,
their trousers soon rucked up, exhibiting ample expanses of bare
legs; they had no notion of riding, but managed to stick on
somehow by clinging to pommel and mane, banging here into a sedate
Judge of the High Court, with an apologetic "Sorry, sir, but this
swine of a pony won't steer;" barging there into a pompous Anglo-
Indian official, as they yelled to their ponies, "Easy now, dogs-
body, or you'll unship us both;" galloping as hard as their ponies
could lay legs to the ground, cannoning into half the white
inhabitants of Calcutta, but always with imperturbable good-
humour.
Pages:
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411