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Ajanta. - Describes their 'strenuous' time since leaving Bombay on 25 October, though they are 'none the worse for it': they went to Daulatabad then Ellora, where they saw a number of cave-temples; the situation was 'very impressive' though in general the sculpture was 'disappointing'; they also visited ruins of two ancient Moghul cities. In one, Roza [Rauzaa, now Khuldabad], they saw the 'plain and simple' tomb of Aurangzeb. Went by rail to Jalgaon on 28 October, then drove to Ajanta next day; they are staying in a small bungalow to which they had to bring their own provisions and bedding. The caves, four miles away, are in a 'most romantic gorge', and are 'far finer than those at Ellora and Elephanta'; the art would 'hold its own with the best Italian frescos'. They bathed in a 'wonderful' pool at the top of the gorge. Will start at midday on the drive back to Jalgaon, where they will catch the express train to Lahore; [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson will stay there with a friend, and Robert with his old schoolmate Stowe, who is in the Indian Civil Service. After a week there and in Peshawar, they will go on to Delhi, then on to Rajputana. They made friends on the ship with a young officer stationed at Peshawar [Kenneth Searight] who will take them for a drive up the Khyber Pass.

So far, they have kept well and borne the heat easily. Heard from Bessie as they were leaving Bombay, and was glad that she, Julian, and everyone else at Wallington were well; expects she will now have gone South. Hopes his father's 'expedition to Stratford was a success'. Caught up with the English newspapers at Bombay and has seen Indian newspapers since; seems that Turkey is 'faring badly' [in the First Balkan War]; is 'not sorry, and hope[s] if the allies will they will be allowed to make whatever settlement of European Turkey they think best without interference from outside'. Did not sympathise with the Italians in their 'Tripoli adventure' [Italo-Turkish War] but does with the Balkan States. They have seen no snakes, tigers, or elephants, but saw three gazelles a couple of evenings ago, and have seen the 'tracks of a pantha' in the Ajanta gorge. Have enjoyed themselves so far, but he will be glad to get 'back to civilisation' at Lahore. Their Madras servant seems 'good and conscientious'.

Addressed to Charles Trevelyan at 14 Great College Street, Westminster, London S.W. - The postcard shows the gun 'that comes in the beginning of Kips [sic: Kipling's "Kim"]. Has had a very mild case of German measles, which has prevented him going to Peshawar; Charles 'need not be afraid of infection'. Is staying with A. M. Stow, who was at Harrow with him. Will go to Delhi in about a week.

Upper Mall, Lahore (on headed paper for Punjab Club, Lahore; Punjab Club crossed out). - Was very glad to get Trevelyan's letter and hear there was a chance of seeing him here. They hope he will give them 'the honour' of hosting him when he is in Lahore. Knows it might not suit him to 'separate from [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson: unfortunately [Malcolm] Darling lives about three miles away, and they 'do not run to a motor'. But he and his wife will be very glad if Trevelyan can manage to stay with them for all or part of his time: 'Jos Sedley (as you were good enough to call me last time I met you [a reference to Thackeray's Vanity Fair]) will do all he can to show you whatever you think worthy of your notice in Lahore.

Asks Trevelyan jokingly if he is 'an agent of the Public Services Commission or of Mr Montagu [Under-Secretary of State for India]'; he will be welcome 'in any guise', and 'will be able to instruct us 'poor Indians in the up to day methods of the West'.

Trevelyan should send a wire from Bombay if he can stay with them and Stow will meet him on arrival, as their house is 'a new one and not known to all the cab drivers'.

On headed notepaper for the Harrow Philathletic Club, with 'The Grove, Harrow' added in Robert Trevelyan's hand:- Thanks his mother for her letter. Is returning her shawl, which he took 'out of the basket', and forgot to put back. Georgie 'probably cannot come up till the ten train', so does not think it 'worth while to go to breakfast'; they will write again if they find it possible. Robert will be in the Harrow stand at eleven, or any time his father means to come; does not know yet where it is, but will tell him before Friday.

Asks if she thinks his father would mind a friend coming to breakfast on Saturday, as Robert proposed; does not know if Stow could come, as he 'lives a long way off', so if not would ask Phelps, who lives nearer. Robert would 'love to go off early with him [Phelps] to Lords, as he is playing, so he would not stay long'. However, his parents must 'not mind saying' if they 'prefer being alone'. Will 'not want the birds or the butterflies': Phil [Price] and the baby will like them.

Upper Mall, Lahore. - Apologises for 'bothering' Trevelyan with a request: [John] Perronet Thompson, who arrived from camp to stay with them the day before Trevelyan left, had his name put up for the Athenaeum Club by Henry Jackson about fifteen years ago and it has 'now come up for ballot', so he wants to 'proceed to election'. Wonders whether Trevelyan might help.

Perronet Thompson was a 'major scholar of Trinity' and 'President of the Union'; he is 'greatly interested in archaeology of this country, and prepared the catalogue of the Loan [?] collection of armour, pictures etc which was exhibited in the Dehli [sic] Fort on the occasion of the King's Visit'. Knows the 'Athenaeum is a large order, especially for the "sundried bureaucrat", but takes it 'H. J. would not have put up a "rotter"!'. Thompson is a 'very old friend of theirs'; hopes Trevelyan will excuse him if this request is 'out of order'.

Is sending this to the Shiffolds as Trevelyan may be 'in Java or Siberia by this time'. Has recently had a visit from another 'teaching fellow... one [Percy Maude?] Roxby, from Oxford and Liverpool... of an economic term'. Was only going to spend two days with them and ended up staying a week or so, having 'got interested in Cooperative Banks, College and Farm [?] at Lyanpur, and Wathen's [?] selected politicians' of whom Stour regrets 'he thought but little'. He left them 'for Andrews with whom he was to breakfast'

Hopes Trevelyan found all well on his return. Stour hopes to be home in August, and to 'see something of' him.

City of Birmingham [ship: 'Port Said' written then crossed through]. - Will arrive in Bombay tomorrow morning, but have 'already seen a bit of India': some butterflies blown out to sea by the wind. They have had a good voyage since Messina, and have 'suffered very little from heat'. Is writing to Bessie at the Shiffolds, where she will be if the Bottomleys [Gordon and Emily] went there on the intended date, though she may be in the Netherlands by the time the letter arrives; heard from her at Port Said. He and his companions did not know then how serious 'the trouble in Turkey [the beginning of the First Balkan War] might be', only that Montenegro had declared war and Greece was likely to; will be interesting to see the newspapers in India. Hears the next mail to England will leave on Friday, so he will wait till they reach Bombay to finish this letter. Will be glad when the voyage ends, as he is 'heartily tired of most of [his] fellow-passengers', though some are interesting, like [Kenneth] Searight, a young officer they will see again at Peshawar.

Continues the letter on 24 October. They have been in Bombay two nights and leave tomorrow; the weather is 'good and not too hot'. [E.M.] Forster has gone to visit his Indian friend [Syed Ross] Masood in Alighur, and will meet them again at Lahore around 2 November. Is going to Ellora for a few days tomorrow, then to Ajanta, then on to Lahore; Robert will stay there with his Harrow friend Stow and [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson with another friend. They will spend a week or more there and at Peshawar. Hard to say much about what he has seen of India so far, the 'people are always interesting, and the town usually so, though the show buildings are ugly'. Finds 'the scenery round the harbour' as 'fine as Naples', in a different way, and the light 'more beautiful than anything... in Europe, especially in the evening'. Only sees English people in 'Cook's [travel agency]... and the Army & Navy Stores', but 'plenty of Eurasians, and Parsees in odd-shaped black top-hats' who 'own most of Bombay' and are said to be 'generous and public-spirited'. They passed their 'burial-towers today' and saw the vultures in the trees nearby. Went to Elephanta Island this afternoon, which was well worth seeing.

Lahore. - Sent a post card last week before catching the train to Peshawar 'in a hurry' since the doctor had said he had German measles and could not travel, before changing his mind at the last moment; only had 'a slight feverishness one evening and a light rash that soon went'. He has otherwise been very well, as has [Goldsworthy Lowes] Dickinson. Glad to hear that all is well with his parents at Wallington; Bessie has written 'cheerfully', the Bottomleys [Gordon and Emily] had not yet arrived. Has been having a very interesting time here and at Peshawar; the Kaiber [sic: Khyber] Pass was worth the journey to see; they watched a 'caravan of several thousand Afghans with hundreds of camels and donkeys and buffaloes' for hours; they were 'fine looking men, though very dirty'. Has found India an 'ugly country' so far, except for Bombay harbour, particularly the Punjab; the hills are 'often impressive, but not beautiful, as in Italy'. The people however are 'always interesting' and there is much to see. Dined last night with 'some Mohammedans, a famous lawyer, and a famous poet called Ikdal [perhaps Muhammad Iqbal?], and several others' who were 'very pleasant and cultivated'; the poet was 'quite a wit'. The lawyer 'held forth on the wickedness of the Hindoos, and one might think it was an Orangeman abusing the Catholics', though Robert expects the Hindus are as intolerant as the Muslims, and the lawyer was 'no doubt carried away somewhat by his eloquence' and probably not as 'bigotted' as he seemed; the poet and some of the others seemed more moderate than the lawyer, who was 'quite the [Edward] Carson type, though a nice man.'

They are going tonight to Delhi, and will stay there and at Agra a fortnight, before touring in Rajputana; they hope to be at Benares before Christmas. Has been staying with his 'old Harrow friend [Alexander] Stow, who has been 'very hospitable', but expects they will now be in hotels for some time. Glad Julian is 'so well', and that the ceremony at Stratford [marking Sir George Trevelyan's appointment as High Steward of the borough?] was so successful; will write to his father by this mail if possible. Hears the British government has been defeated, and hopes they will not 'have to go out'. Very glad to get his "Manchester Guardians" every week. The Muslims here are 'much upset about Turkey', but he does not think it will cause much ill-feeling against the British.