"14th.–Began class with dressers and assistant for the study of Materia Medica and Chemistry. Two sepoys attended the reception for the sick to-day; they were importunate in imploring me to help them to get away, for out of their nominal wage of six chilkies a month, they never receive more than three. Saw a lovely fire-fly this evening, a rare thing here.
"18th.–Number of patients very large to-day. Several operations. Lambardar of Islamabad present, from whom I removed a cancerous tumour in the neck two years ago; no appearance of return of cancer. Taught my assistants and studied Kashmiri as usual. I am told that Nasir Shah has prohibited the people from attending the Medical Mission Dispensary. If a woman go, she is to be divorced from her husband; if a man go, he is to be divorced from his wife. He is the leading Mussulman judge of the city, and is spreading reports that the Doctor Sahib makes his medicines of swine's flesh and blood. Before a marriage is celebrated the officiating priest reads a proclamation that if either man or woman go to the Doctor Sahib, there will be a divorce!
"19th.–A poor sepoy came to the dispensary some days ago complaining of severe pain; on examination, it was found that he is suffering from a large abdominal aneurism. He told me he had been ordered off to Gilghil. I wrote a short certificate stating that he was utterly unfit for such a journey. He came to-day and told me he had shown his certificate to his Colonel, and that he had fined him a year's pay, ordering him to set out for Gilghil tomorrow; 3,000 sepoys have already gone.
"News from home not good; my mother is ill. Have written to ask the Committee to sanction my return home next cold season. If this is right, I ask God to grant it; if not for His glory, I sincerely trust that my request may fall to the ground.
"28th.–A large gathering of sick to-day. I feel nervous, and irritable, and restless. O God, give me strength and grace, let Thy blessing rest upon me in my work, or rather in Thy work, which Thou hast been pleased to entrust to my care.
"29th.–W. M., merchant, called on me to-day, to ask when the great Sahib was coming to Kashmir to dispense justice. He told me that there is no tariff of taxes, but that each official may charge what pleases him at the time, and according to the influence and tact which the merchant may have. On the Murree and Abbottabad roads the merchant is compelled to unpack his goods at each stage, and the officer on duty has power to make him pay anything he pleases. This man takes shawls and cloth from Kashmir to Persia, selling them there for money and precious stones, especially turquoises. He replied in answer to my question, as to what would make Kashmir prosperous, that a code of good laws, or a change in the administrators of those laws would be necessary. He added that if the Maharajah would reign in person and afford opportunities for the poor to make their wrongs known to himself, the state of the country would be very different; the great Mogul Emperors took an active part in the business of the State, and ever lent a ready ear to the complaints of the poor. Where fidelity and principle are low, it is absolutely necessary that the ruler of a State should exercise keen scrutiny over his subordinates. In the evening I had an interesting conversation with Sher Ali Khan, on one remarkable feature of Christianity, i.e., that it takes cognizance of the thoughts and intents of the heart of man–that it deals primarily with them.
"30th.–Went with my assistants to the Nasim Bagh, where there is a grove of most beautiful Chinar trees, planted by one of the Mogul Emperors. We visited the prison on the Dal lake, and saw some men boring a four pounder–they can make an eight pounder, but no larger. Saw men bruising grain by means of a grinding stone driven by water. I was told that there were no prisoners in jail at present, that the Maharajah had caused the prisoners' quarters to be pulled down. I ascertained that there were between two and three hundred prisoners within the prison boundaries, but the officials were afraid of their making complaints of the treatment which they receive from their keepers; it is said to be very cruel. The lake is covered with water-lilies just now.
"Sabbath, 31st.–One hundred and sixty-two patients today. One man told me that his brother had beaten a cow so that blood had been drawn. He was cast into prison, and previous to the arrival of the English, had been removed he knew not where.
"Received letters from my brother, from Acklom, and from Dr. Farquhar. It is very remarkable that my most welcome letters usually come on Sundays, as if to tempt me to open them. Have felt happy to-day, and had much of the spirit of prayer. My text for to-day–'He is faithful that promised.'"
"Srinagar, 6th May, 1868.–My ever dear Mother, (After some advices and expressions of sorrow about her failing health, he writes): Those infirmities of age will not pass away–will rather increase. Happy thought it is that those very infirmities are but carriers to the shores of a better land, where there is full, perfect, and endless joy. It is this hope which gives resplendent glory to the sunset of the ransomed soul."