"14th.–Removed an enormous fibrous tumour from the right breast of a poor woman. This and many other cases require close attention, and I am obliged to close the dispensary to-morrow, and next day must prepare to leave.
"16th.–Many recovered patients came to show themselves. When the Baboo in the service of his Highness the Maharajah, called with my parwana (passport), I spoke to him on the subject of Christianity. He is very blind spiritually, and what he sees of Christians so-called prejudices him effectually against Christianity. God can give him light. Received the usual parting present from his Highness. It consisted of two sheep, some sugar, tea, flower, salt, condiments, butter, and a few eggs.
"17th.–Temper much tried by the slowness of my servants, and delay in arrival of boats. God enable me to keep my temper."
Before starting with Dr. Elmslie on his journey to Amritsar, a few extracts from letters to friends written in Srinagar during this season, may serve to throw light on some of the points touched upon in his Journal, and may supply one or two items of additional information. To Mrs. Cleghorn on 9th July, 1867, he writes:–
"The present season in Kashmir has been a most eventful one to the medical mission. It appears that the local Government and the Mussulman Mullahs are now greatly afraid of us, especially as two of their priests have become Christians. The result of this fear and hatred has been great hostility and opposition to my work. From the very beginning of the season, sepoys were placed at the entrances of all the avenues leading from the city to the European quarters. These sentries confessed themselves, that their orders were to stop the sick from going to the Padre Doctor Sahib, as they style me. Some were allowed to pass on, giving the sepoys some money; others who were caught coming to me were roughly handled and beaten, some were fined, and others were imprisoned. The fact that the local Government of Kashmir were thus forcibly preventing the poor, helpless sick of the city of Srinagar, and of the valley generally, from frequenting the Medical Mission Dispensary, became known to the Supreme Government of India, and they sent a request to the Government of the Punjaub to investigate the matter. The British Resident, who is a Christian man, showed me the request, and asked me to state my experience and opinion. This I did, and my report was sent up to the Punjaub Government, who are convinced of the fact, and strongly urge the Supreme Government to adopt measures to put a stop to such cruel, bigoted, and tyrannical proceedings on the part of the Native Government of Kashmir.
"Just as the hostility and opposition of the local Government of Kashmir had reached a climax, cholera broke out amongst his Highness's troops. It appears that some sepoys who had got leave to go and wash in the Ganges at Hardwar, had returned to their regiment at Srinagar, and brought the seeds of cholera with them. At any rate, those sepoys had scarcely arrived, when that awful pestilence broke out and began to carry off many. Everything was done to prevent the spread of the disease, but it at last invaded the city; and the British Resident deemed it necessary, for the safety of the European visitors, to institute a Cordon Sanitaire round the European quarters. As my dispensary is situated there, I was compelled to put a stop to my work for a time. When it was intimated to the suffering sick, that they were not to return to the dispensary until they should receive intimation to do so, the scene can be more easily fancied than described. It would have melted a heart of stone. Since then, I have visited the city almost daily, and done what I could to alleviate the sufferings of the miserable inhabitants, many of whom are daily carried off with cholera. More than a fortnight ago, I sent a most polite letter, in Persian, to the Diwan, or native Viceroy, expressing my sorrow at the heavy calamity that had fallen on his people, and offering him my professional advice, and personal assistance, in this trying emergency. He promised to reply to my letter the day following its receipt, but, up to the present time, I have not heard from him. This is cruelty, bigotry, and tyranny with a vengeance. The poor people of the city are sadly neglected, even by those who ought to take some care of them."
Referring to the same subject in a letter of 13th July to Mrs. Col. Lake, he says:–"In spite of the sepoys, about two hundred and fifty sick have found their way to me. This number, however, is only about one-sixth of what ought to have attended, when compared with the numbers of last season." Adverting to the cholera, he says in the same letter:–"I am left alone here, with my dispensary still closed, as the Cordon has not yet been authoritatively removed. I am not idle, however, as I spend daily several hours in the city amongst the poor people, doing all I can to alleviate their sufferings. This morning I visited and treated twenty-eight cases of cholera; and while on my way home, I saw the bodies of three men being carried away for cremation and burial. It is awfully solemnizing work. This pestilence may be the Lord's messenger for the punishment of some, and for the after good of the valley. I have had a presentiment for some time that God is about to work a change in Kashmir."
To another friend he writes:–
"Srinagar, 15th July 1867.–My dear Burns Thomson,–Your very welcome and refreshing letter of January last is now before me. Let me answer its items one by one; and in doing so we shall have cause to rejoice and heartily to thank God for His unmerited goodness to us. Our little medical mission friend, the Journal, is always a welcome visitor with me; indeed it often comes in, just when I most need a word of comfort. I feel greatly stimulated and encouraged when I hear of what others are doing for our unspeakably precious Saviour and a perishing world. The labour you spend on the Journal is therefore well spent. It is a great and necessary work to be fishing for new labourers, but it is an equally great and necessary work that those who are already in the field do their work contentedly, patiently, joyfully, lovingly, and faithfully. Your little Journal helps me in some measure so to work. Ever welcome, therefore, to our little friend! Your graphic sketches about the Arabs delight me much. Continue them. When you have finished the Arabs, why not begin a series of such sketches of a general nature about your home work? What I mean by general is not sticking to one subject, but making suitable selections from your note-book. And such a note-book yours must be! With God's blessing such pictures are likely to do the medical mission cause good, and to gain for it new friends to fill the place of old ones. Verily the cause needs new recruits. Miller away, Coldstream away, Jackson away, Craigie away, and others. Ah! Thomson, when shall we who are graciously allowed to remain labour for Christ as we ought, with our money, our gifts, and all that God has been pleased to bestow upon us? When shall we convert the meum into the tuum, and look upon all that we possess as Christ's, and only His? You mention that you and dear Mrs. B. T. try to hold up my hands at family worship and at your prayer-meetings. Let me tell you, for your encouragement, I feel it–I know it. I was never so happy all my life as I am now. Not that I am without troubles and trials of a very heavy description; but in spite of them I rejoice–yea, in them I rejoice, for they drive me the oftener and the quicker to the sheltering, sympathizing breast of Jesus. But in the midst of much to discourage me–of which I shall speak by and bye–God is graciously pleased to give me great reason for gladness and gratitude. I rejoice that God has added two more Kashmiris to His Church. Yes, my dear Thomson, I suppose you are, like me, gladly astonished. What a large element of sheer unbelief there is in our faith! It is nevertheless true that on Thursday last, in this very house of mine, Abadu, clerk or moonshee, and Alunad Jan, shawl-maker, were both baptized by the Rev. Mr. ––, in presence of the medical mission servants. The men were subjected to a very searching examination as to the reason of the faith which they were professing, and their answers were very satisfactory. May the Lord keep these two men, and spare them to become preachers of His gospel to their perishing fellow-countrymen! They both possess very fair abilities, and it is my intention, God willing, to take them with me to the Punjaub for further instruction, should I, at the end of this season, be compelled to leave the valley."
"Srinagar, 2d Sept. 1867.–My dear M.,–I long to hear from you. How are you and Mrs. M. in this season of sudden death?...