Tues 30 [30 December 1902] Mr Landon came to breakfast
and he and I went out shopping turquoises - the Chandni Chauk a
blaze of colour - hovels it is, but supposed to {have} be the richest
street in the world. Met Spencer Lyttelton. Then to the Fort[?] where
we saw the Diwani Am, all enclosed and built on to for the ball and the
exquisite white and gold Diwan i Khas on which is the inscription
[Persian characters. Trans: If there is a paradise on earth it is this, it
is this, it is this]. It is made one with the lovely Rang Mahal and one
can't really see it. But one of its beauties seems to be the way the
columns are arranged so as to leave an open centre thus breaking
the monotony of the even lines. We meant to lunch with Col. Coxhead,
but got caught in the crowd and were not in till 1.30 or more. So we
gave it up. The Nizam has hired Ludlow Castle for £3000 He makes
a fearful fuss about his dignity and has a box railed off at the Polo,
stayed in his railway carriage 24 hours when he arrived, stopping all
the traffic (a pretty bill he will have to pay) and at the Durbar drove in at
the great entrance reserved for the procession and all round the
horseshoe. In the afternoon I went to the Polo, met Russells,
Moncrieffs, Gascoynes Major Lee etc and was much amused. Mrs
Moncrieff introduced me to Scindia, jaunty in a turban riding breeches
and a ...... coat. Took Sibyl to tea with the Yates in the Baluchistan
camp - as Mrs Gascoyne's guest. Very pleasant. We met a
Cookson cousin of hers in the Gordons who asked us to dine next
week. Arthur dined; we sat at the Samuels' table - deadly people.
Sibyl came into my tent after, and lastly Mr Schuster - without Mr
Pemberton for once.