(Ranald Macdonell's "Letters of Reminiscence".)

On our arrival at Cawnpore I experienced for the first  time the Indian hospitality which is so proverbial.   Mr. Wemyss C.S. was then Collector of that district, and he most kindly invited us all, - 140 in number - to dinner, and welcomed us with great cordiality.   His son, long afterwards Colonel of the 9th Bengal Cavalry, had arrived a few days before, by palanquin dak, from Calcutta, and was one of the cadets.

Of the latter, I remember now but few names: Montgomery, R.A.and Percy, M.I.:  Thomson and White, B.I. came out in the same ship with  me.   And in the budgerow my companions were Cumberland and Gifford of the infantry.

Cumberland and I, having bought at Cawnpore tents and ponies, and made the other preparations necessary for the journey, marched together to Meerut, which station we reached on  the first or second of March, just twelve months after leaving England.

On my arrival Lieut. Woore asked me to his house, and I chummed with him for some months.   I had not been more than a day or two there when Captain Wingfield, the adjutant, took me round to call on all the officers of the regiment.   Colonel Stewart was then commanding, and the officers under him were:  Waugh, Pope, Mason, White, Blair, Free, Dougan, Woore, Beatson, Hickey, Masters, Buist, Hales, and Baker the doctor".