Although the fierce nature of the struggle that Delhi had gone through in 1857 was apparent everywhere, the inhabitants seemed now to have forgotten all about it.  The city was as densely populated as it had ever been; the Chandni Chauk was gay as formerly with draperies of bright-coloured stuffs; jewellers and shawl-merchants carried on their trades as briskly as ever, and were just as eager in their endeavours to tempt the Sahib log to spend their money as if trade had never been interrupted; so quickly do Orientals recover from the effects of a devastating war.

We left Delhi on the 3rd January, 1860, marching via Karnal.  When at this place my wife went to see Lady Canning, as she often did if we remained at all late in camp.  On this particular occasion she found her busy with the English mail, which had just arrived, so she said she would not stay then, but would come next day instead.  Lady Canning, however, would not let my wife go until she had read her part of a letter from Lady Waterford, which she thought would amuse her.  It was in answer to one from Lady Canning, in which she had described the camp, and given her sister a list of all the people in it.  Lady Waterford wrote:  ’Your Quartermaster-General must be the son of General Roberts, who lives near Waterford; he came home on leave last year.  I must tell you an amusing little anecdote about his father.  One night, when the General was dining at Curraghmore, he found himself sitting next the Primate of Ireland, with whom he entered into conversation.  After some time they discovered they had known each other in the days of their youth, but had never met since a certain morning on which they went out to fight a duel on account of some squabble at a mess; happily the quarrel was stopped without any harm being done, each feeling equally relieved at being prevented from trying to murder the other, as they had been persuaded they were in honour bound to do.  The two old gentlemen made very merry over their reminiscences.’

For some time I had been indulging a hope that I might be sent to China with my old General, Hope Grant, who had been nominated to the command of the expedition which, in co-operation with the French, was being prepared to wipe out the disgrace of the repulse experienced early in the year, by the combined French and English naval squadrons in their attack on the Taku forts.  My hope, however, was doomed to disappointment.  Lord Clyde decided to send Lumsden and Allgood as A.Q.M.G.’s with the force, and I was feeling very low in consequence.  A day or two afterwards we dined with the Cannings, and Lord Clyde took my wife in to dinner.  His first remark to her was:  ’I think I have earned your gratitude, if I have not managed to satisfy everyone by these China appointments.’  On my wife asking for what she was expected to be grateful, he said:  ’Why, for not sending your husband with the expedition, of course.  I suppose you would rather not be