Five

This (Friday) morning, we went up the rock to the old fort, which is a very large place, very strong, and in good preservation.
At 10 o’clock, according to arrangement, we went to photo the Jehsildar, and found him in his garden surrounded by a crowd of Kashmiri officers in full uniform, wazirs, clerks and assistants.
A table had been placed under a tree with a red cloth upon it, a large lodging-house sort of cloth, an American clock and 2 vases of flowers.

In front, a carpet was spread on the ground with two lines of chairs facing each other on either side - choir wise.
This arrangement wasn’t quite suitable for a photograph of the party, so I had the chairs moved and placed in a row, with the table in front. Then the Jehsildar put on a gorgeous coat, and he and Neve sat on two chairs behind the table, the officers sitting in a row on one side, and the crowd of others standing, sitting and squatting in a row at right angles to them..
With Neve’s help, I got them into line with the other lot, and took a photo of as many as I conveniently could.
The Jehsildar immediately ordered 15 copies. He then asked us to breakfast, which meal proved to be the same as the dinner on Wednesday, only there were 16 little bowls of curries besides condiments - nasty looking stuff. We drank water.
After breakfast, he presented us with several dishes of dried apricots and plates of bread, and rolls of posh mina cloth. So we were pretty well set up.
Nerve had previously given him his old white pony.
From there I went on to the Rajah’s house to take a family group there, as requested. A babu came with me to interpret, and we got them into good order with very little trouble.
Since then I have been writing this letter.
From early morning, our abode has been besieged by the sick, and Neve has been at it steadily. Today he had had 40 patients. When he gives a man his medication and instructions, all the people gathered round shout out the instructions after him, and explain them more at length to the patient.
We start tomorrow across the Indus and the sandy plain beyond to Shigar, where Neve is going to work for several days - to help the Swedish missionary there.



Dak Bungalow
Shigar
Baltistan.
Monday, August 26, 1895

Dear Fanny,
Thanks very much to Cecil, Blanche, and yourself (note by Stephen T-B: Grandad’s brothers and sister)for your several contributions to the budget which arrived here today,having taken only 7 days to reach here from Srinegar, 250 miles by the Dras Road.(Scardu is a most advanced place, having a telegraph office and parcels and V.P. post).
On Saturday morning up (at the Dak Bangalow, Scardu) at 4 am, and found Neve already half dressed by the light of a candle. We were making a very early start as it would be a very hot march here.
We were having our Choti Hazir when the Jehsildar came in, with a blanket over his head, to see the last of us.
We got everything packed by the time it was light, and started the last of the 13 coolies off by 5.45 when we, our cook and the Wazir of Shigar, who was escorting us, mounted our respective ponies and followed.
We went along the willow avenue about 1½ miles, which then descended a sandstone cliff to the river plains level, then some way along a poplar avenue to the next village, and a little further along turned off to the left across the sands to where our ship was waiting to take us across the Indus.
There we had to wait for the coolies to arrive, and while we waited, the sun which had for some time lighted up the mountains to the North West, rose over the mountains behind us.
The atmospheric effects are lovely at Scardu, the colouring of the mountains at sunset, and pink and yellow reflections from the river being exquisite.
The boat we crossed in was a great heavy sort of punt, but very wide for the length. We were a good boatload altogether, ourselves, servants, and 13 coolies with their loads, the Wazir and his attendants and the boatmen, making 34 men, besides 4 ponies and a foal.
The boat, worked by large rowing paddles, was moved out into the stream and caught in the rapid current on the further side, was carried down towards Scardu at a great rate.
As one oar touched the shore, two men jumped out with a big rope fastened to the boat, and pulled the boat up, which was swung round sideways to the shore. The river here was about 200 yards wide.
When we landed at 6.50, we mounted our ponies and rode along the river to a point where a rocky ridge came down to the river side. Here the track is carried along the slope at the foot of the cliffs.
About a mile further along, the river made a bend to the right, and from there we kept straight on across about 2 miles of undulating sand into which the ponies’ hooves dank 2 or 3 inches at every step.
By this time the sun was well up, and we began to get well baked..
At 5 miles the road divided, one road keeping straight east, on to where the river emerges from the mountains, while the other way led up a steep rocky gorge, to pass over a mountain spur into the Shigar Valley.
After climbing - and for the ponies it was little less than climbing - about 500 feet, we reached the flat summit of the ridge, and then zig-zagged down a steep slope into the Shigar Valley.
This joins the Scardu Plain a few miles to the west.. A strip ½ a mile wide on one side of the river consisted of sandy meadows where cattle and goats were feeding, while the road up the valley bottom was a flat sandy plain, through which the Shigar River runs in many winding channels.
On the far side, a very rocky mountain rising 900 feet precipitously from the plain formed a corner from which the valley bends from the north.
A mile or so up the valley to our right we could see cultivated land beginning, which appeared to extend, as a connected a strip a mile or so wide, along the foot of the mountain as far as the eye could reach. In the other direction, it continued 30 or 40 miles, where the end is blocked by a high snow mountain, being flanked on either side by spur after spur of precipitous bare brown slopes, some ending in snowy peaks 10,000 feet above the river level.
A welcome avenue of poplars now led us along to where the Shigar “oasis” begins, with its square, white, flat-roofed houses scattered about well-irrigated fields, and shaded by innumerable apricot, mulberry and apple trees.
A little distance on, the local band met us, consisting of 3 flageolets, 4 drums and 2 great brass trumpets. (According to Neve, they were met by the Raja and a few notables on horseback, and a band “consisting of a drum, two clarionets and a huge trumpet.”) They struck up, and marched in front of us.
Shortly after, the Rajah of Shigar’s brother and the Thanadar (head official) came to welcome the Doctor Sahib, and then fell in with their ponies behind us.
So we proceeded, the band in front, then a smartly-dressed Sepoy, followed by Neve and me, and behind us the 2 persons aforesaid, riding with their retainers, while as we went along, children came out and ran along the fields on either side of the path, which here was shaded by willows, here and there festooned with vines, and crossed by many little irrigation channels.
A small colt, which kept cantering backwards and forwards along the line of march, rather disturbed the dignity of the procession.
At half past ten we reached the polo ground where Gustaveson, the Swedish missionary, met us and took us to the Dak Bangalow, or rest house, where he lives at the further corner of the ground.

Six

He presented a rather odd appearance. A gentleman without a shade of colour or even sunburn on his face, with long red beard and moustache, blue serge trousers, black tail coat, and no collar, and an odd-shaped brown topi on his head.
The bungalow is rather an ancient structure, with 4 large rooms side by side, no glass in the windows, and thick with dust.
We first entered a wide passage containing a large mud oven. On the left was a large room which Gustaveson uses as a kitchen, beyond another in which he lives.
We took possession of the two others on the other side of the passage.
We had no sooner arrived than the Thanadar called, bringing a plate of melons, one of apples and two of blackcurrants.
Directly after, the Rajah’s brother came with 6 large dishes of very light-coloured apricots - which are about the most refreshing fruit I have ever tasted - a dish of plums, one of melons and two of large white grapes. With all this fruit, and what we had brought from Scardu, we were well set up.
There being only one chair, it was placed at the disposal of the Rajah’s brother, while we 3 sahibs and the Thanadar, who seems a very decent sort, sat in a row on the bed, and a crowd of 10 or 12 attendants stood around.
Fortunately the visit didn’t last long, as Neve and I were in much need of our breakfast and had headaches from our 4 hours’ ride in the hot sun.
After breakfast and a rest, at 2.30 we went out to call on the Rajah, being conducted by our friend the wazir.
The house is a very picturesque place, of 2 stories, and with a good deal of carving on the beams and window frames under a large chenar (plane tree) in the garden.
By the side of an artificial water course 2 camp chairs were placed, with pieces of white calico on their backs. In front of them a little table with a white cloth, and carpets laid down in front.
On these chairs we sat, while the Rajah and his brother sat on a charpoy (bedstead) at one side, and some 50 attendants sat around in a square.
Two servants held umbrellas over our heads, and as usual, plates of fruit were presented, and then a plate of sweets, tea and cakes were served, which we solemnly partook off, and then departed.
At 4.30 a polo match was arranged for our amusement, and while we were at tiffin, the Rajah and people marched down to the ground, headed by the band.
An English officer appeared, Burnett by name, (“Birney of the Hussars” according to Neve) who was camped near by, and he and Neve and I were accommodated with chairs in the “grand stand”, while everyone else at on the floor.
Some hundreds of natives came to watch the game, and lined the low walls along the asides and ends of the ground.
Most of the boys wear a little bouquet of flowers in their hair, and some of the players had flowers in their turbans.
As at Scardu, we were entertained first by two three grotesque dances, and then 2 games were played.
Burnett played in the 2nd game.
In the evening we dined with him at his camp. He is shooting in the Nullahs about here.

On Sunday morning I had a stroll around before breakfast before the sun came over the hills.
The people were busy harvesting, the women reaping, children gleaning, and the men, and the men carrying the sheaves to the threshing floors, where it is stacked.
After breakfast, we had a short service, and by this time a good many people were hanging about waiting to see the doctor, so they were all collected into our kitchen next door, 50 or 60 of them, and were all seated round on the floor. Neve then sat down and gave them a little address in Hindustani, which was translated into Balti by Gustaveson’s servant, a very smart lad who declaimed with great spirit. Gustaveson then preached to them and sang a hymn, after which Neve began examining the patients, giving each man a written prescription. When all had been seen, the pills and medicine bottles were put out on a table in the window of this room, where Neve sat and gave out the medicines through the window as fast as the people presented their chits. Gustaveson stood by and poured out the mixture of Epson Salts and Senna, which was the favourite concoction, and his boy held a saucer of lotion, where with he rubbed the legs, arms and backs of those who required to be rubbed.
The 60 patients were thus speedily disposed of, and then Neve started the more important job of operations.
The whole business last till 6 o’clock, including half an hour for tiffin.
I took a photo of the crowd outside the bungalow, but most of them had their backs turned, being interested in an operation which Neve was at that moment performing.