Recollections of my life / by Sir Joseph Fayrer.

  • Joseph Fayrer
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Recollections of my life / by Sir Joseph Fayrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    The donkey was easily victor: he seized the hyaena by the ear, pinned him to the ground, and held him there, where he was quite helpless until released by the attendants and led off the ground. Ram-fighting was also a very favourite amusement, and the force with which these creatures butt each other with their heads is wonderful. On September 8, 1854, ^ had been appointed an honorary Assistant Resident, and thus had political combined with my other duties. This, although it did not increase my pay, was supposed to add prestige to my office as Residency surgeon. I was held to be qualified for this appointment, having passed the college in Hindustani. I liked the work and took an interest in it. Weston had at this time left Lucknow in virtue of some military regulation which re- quired his presence with his regiment for a season, and Lieutenant Stewart Beatson had been appointed to succeed him. A large share of the work fell to me, and the corre- spondence between the British Government and the king passed through my hands. No transference of stock or Government paper could be made without my sanction, and many other matters arising out of the political relations between the two Governments were referred to me. Another of my duties was to receive and make out a precis of the reports of the akbar naweez, or news-writers, of what took place at court and throughout the province of Oudh, and strange reports thus reached me of the king and his doings. His various proceedings in the harem and court; the presents he gave, the honours he conferred, and the pro- motions he made; the oppression of the amils, the resistance of the zemindars and talukdars, their fights and the con- sequences, made a story that no one could have imagined. Doubtless some things were exaggerated, but probably others were far short of the truth. The following will give an idea of one of the daily reports: His majesty was this morning carried in his tonjon to the Mahal, and there he and So-and-so [ladies] were entertained with the fights of two pairs of new rams, which fought with great energy.
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