It takes a little practice to
master bills of fare written in "Kitmutar English," and for
"Irishishtew" and "Anchoto" to be resolved into Irish-stew and
Anchovy-toast. Once when a Viceroy was on tour there was a roast
gosling for dinner. This duly appeared on the bill-of-fare as
"Roasted goose's pup." In justice, however, we must own that we
would make far greater blunders in trying to write a menu in Urdu.
The Kumaon district is beautiful, not unlike an enlarged Scotland,
with deep ravines scooped out by clear, rushing rivers, their
precipitous sides clothed with dense growths of deodaras. In the
early morning the view of the long range of the snowy pinnacles of
the Himalayas was splendid. I learnt a great deal from wise old
Colonel Erskine with his intimate knowledge of the workings of the
native mind, and of the psychology of the Oriental.
There is something very touching in the fidelity of Indian native
servants to their employers. Lady Lansdowne returned to India
eighteen years after leaving it, for the marriage of her son (who
was killed in the first three months of the war) to Lord Minto's
daughter, and I accompanied her.
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