November 29th, Thursday
DELHI
I cannot attempt to describe this wonderful city, its history unique in the histories of the world’s cities. One after another have been built and abandoned here so that for miles and miles around the present one there are the ruins of countless bygone ages, history forever repeating itself, and it did this not long since when it was decided that Delhi should be restored to its former position of Capital of India. A new city was once more built and we are to see that tomorrow. This morning we visited the (Red) Fort, at first glance rather similar to Akbar’s at Agra. Its acreage is immense and it is really a citadel containing palaces, mosques and all the accommodation needed for thousands of people. 
The most perfect gem is a raised recess called a Jharokha within the Diwan i am, the back of which is panelled with small square of black marble inlaid with coloured mosaic of birds and flowers. Tradition has it that it is the work of Austin of Bordeaux. One plaque is that of Orpheus playing to a lion, hare and leopard, and the figure is held to be that of Bordeaux himself! In the Mutiny six or seven of these plaques were removed by two officers and sent to England to I believe the South Kensington Museum and Lord Curzon, that great restorer, obtained leave to return them to their original place.
We passed through hall after hall, and though still lovely it has suffered much as has all else at the hands of successive conquerors, not least being the Marathas 1760 and during the Mutiny the whole fort was terribly mutilated. One is filled with melancholy when one realizes that nothing one sees is as it originally was, everything has been marauded one time or another but one finds comfort in the thought that at any rate the present time is free from vandalism and all these beautiful things are carefully and jealously preserved and cared for. After lunch I walked out to the Kashmir Gate (see in next panel) and on to St James’ Church built by James Skinner of Mutiny fame and after tea we both walked up on to the Ridge, that line upon which we took up our position in May 57 and which was the scene of so much tragedy.
Nov 30th
I have been so full of our journeyings that I omitted to mention that the King is ill. He is not yet out of the wood but the bulletins are much more hopeful. We have been in telegraphic communication with Lalseryah and hope to arrive there on Sunday. Elliot has gone down to Calcutta to bring Mother up tomorrow, and so the long looked for meeting nears fulfilment and I can hardly wait.
We took a car to the Kutb Minar (sic: Qulb Minar). Our way lay through the area of the Delhis of long ago, mile after mile of tombs, mosques, forts etc to reach our first stop, the Purana Kila Fort, then to the tomb of Humayun. This was the scene of a most dramatic incident in 1857 when Bahadur Shah, the last Moghul Emperor, shut himself up here and Major Hodson had one of the fretted lattice apertures sawn apart and there beside the tomb of the first hereditary monarch, the last of the famous line yielded up his sword. He was tried and transported to Rangoon but his sons and his nephew were conveyed to Delhi by Hodson. On approaching the city the mob became threatening and he forthwith had them executed. The grateful British Govt resolved that Hodson should stand his trial in England but mercifully he was mortally wounded and died at Lucknow.
From here we went to a most interesting place, the tomb of the Saint Nizam ud-din, a highly decorated and most revered spot. It stands in the heart of a tiny enclosed village of age old and quite Eastern appearance full of the very filthiest people, streets and bogey holes one can imagine and is surrounded by tombs of all ages and of great interest. Then on to the Kulb Minar, that world famed pillar of mystery said to date from 1200 but the origin of which is really obscure. The carvings upon it are as clear cut as though they had been done yesterday. Around it are many temple tombs, and also the famous iron pillar of Raja Dhava. We reluctantly left this wealth of interest and returned by way of New Delhi. On the way we passed two ultra modern armoured cars tearing along and I thought, what a contrast. New Delhi did not impress me, it is glaring and painfully new. Designed by Lutyens I suppose it is correct but it doesn’t appeal in anyway. Lord Birkenhead when inspecting it said “it will make a very fine ruin” and he’s about right. The Vice Regal Lodge is enormous and not completed yet.