Wanderings of a pilgrim in search of the picturesque, Volume 2 (of 2) : During four-and-twenty years in the east

In Short

Fanny Parkes Parlby’s chronicle records more than two decades of travel and residence in nineteenth-century India. Moving beyond the conventional boundaries of British colonial society, Parlby anchors her account in personal friendships with Indian nobility, intimate visits to women’s quarters, river voyages along the Ganges, and excursions through the Himalayan foothills. Her narrative blends daily diary entries with descriptions of local flora, fauna, religious practices, court ceremonies, and domestic customs. Driven by a desire to record the visual and social world around her, Parlby observes both British governance and Indian traditions with sharp eyes and open curiosity. The book remains a vital historical document because it offers a rare, immersive, and highly detailed firsthand perspective on nineteenth-century Indian life, domestic spaces, and regional cultures, captured by an Englishwoman who engaged deeply with the world she inhabited.

The Story

The narrative begins amidst the bustling diplomatic and domestic spaces of northern India, where Parlby visits the Mahratta camp and establishes a close relationship with the ex-Queen of Gwalior, Her Highness the Bāiza Bā’ī, and her young grand-daughter, the Gaja Rājā Sāhib. Parlby gains entry into the privacy of the zenāna, where she observes the daily attire, equestrian skills, and royal traditions of the Mahratta women. Her journeys frequently take her onto the waters of the Ganges aboard pinnaces and local boats, navigating treacherous currents, shifting sandbanks, and falling riverbanks. As she travels between stations like Fathīghar, Allahabad, and Kanauj, she records local histories, ruined mosques, and ancient monuments, alongside the practical details of rivercraft and crew management.

During her time in the plains, Parlby witnesses the social complexities and political undercurrents of British India. She notes local reactions to high-profile legal trials, such as the execution of Nawab Sumshoodeen following the murder of Mr. Frazer, while observing the contrasting views held by native populations regarding British justice. She documents the administrative actions of the East India Company, including Lord William Bentinck’s decision to abolish the vaccine department, which leads to widespread small-pox outbreaks, and the imposition of quarantines during plague scares. Throughout these accounts, Parlby pays close attention to native traditions, recorded lore, and religious ceremonies, taking care to describe the attributes of deities like Brahma and Vishnu, the lore of sacred sites, and the customs surrounding river burials and funeral pyres.

Seeking refuge from the stifling heat and epidemic fevers of the plains, Parlby ventures northward into the Himalaya mountains. Arriving in Meerut and moving upward toward Mussoorī and Landowr, she adapts quickly to mountain life. She rides native mountain ponies along narrow rock pathways overlooking precipitous drop-offs, witnesses mountain storms and earthquakes, and describes the architecture of slate-roofed bungalows built into steep ridges. While in the hills, she takes in the breathtaking views of the distant Snowy Ranges and observes the lives of the local hill people, documenting their marriageways, trade practices, and religious sacrifices to mountain spirits, alongside local tales about peaks like Bandarponch.

The later stages of the journey see Parlby returning to the plains and taking passage on ocean-going vessels. Her travels bring her through Bengal, Calcutta, and eventually to foreign ports of call, including the Cape of Good Hope and the isolated island of St. Helena. On board ships like the Madagascar and the Carnatic, she experiences intense ocean gales, pitching seas, and striking sunsets, occasionally donning her picturesque Pahārī mountain attire to walk the decks during storms. Whether exploring the markets of Cape Town, observing Kafir warriors, or examining the ancient temple complex of Jaganāth at Pooree, her curiosity remains undiminished. The narrative concludes with her detailed notes on regional currency, taxidermy techniques, and comprehensive indexes, completing a sweeping record of a life spent in exploration across the East.

How It Unfolds

Entering the Mahratta camp Parlby visits the camp of Her Highness the Bāiza Bā’ī at Fathīghar, where she observes Mahratta dress, court etiquette, and the skilled horsemanship of the Gaja Rājā. She enters the private world of the zenāna, exchanging gifts of pān and atr while noting the daily routine of the royal women.

Navigating the Ganges Sailing along the river in a traditional pinnace, Parlby contends with shifting sandbanks, falling riverbanks, and strong currents near Kanauj and Janghīra. She visits isolated rocks, ruined mosques, and ancient tombs along the water, documenting both the scenery and local burial practices.

Experiencing heat and contagion Returning to her home at Allahabad, Parlby reports on the deadly outbreaks of small-pox and fever following government cutbacks to public health programs. She observes native reactions to British judicial decisions and records domestic scenes alongside the local lore of Hindū deities.

Ascending to the Himalaya Leaving the dusty plains, Parlby marches toward Meerut and climbs into the mountain hills of Mussoorī and Landowr. She describes riding narrow cliffside tracks above deep ravines, enduring mountain earthquakes, and admiring the vast views of the Snowy Ranges.

Life in the mountain stations Settling into a hill bungalow, Parlby details the daily routine of British officials and locals in the mountains, observing everything from slate-roofing methods to leopard attacks on domestic animals. She records local legends regarding high Himalayan peaks and documents the customs of the mountaineers.

Voyaging across the open sea Parlby embarks on long ocean voyages, enduring heavy gales, shifting winds, and wild seas aboard East Indiamen. She occupies her time watching oceanic sunsets, studying marine life, and braving storms on deck while wearing her native mountain costume.

Touching at distant shores The journey takes Parlby to Cape Town and St. Helena, where she explores steep volcanic pathways, visits local markets, and inspects public gardens. She concludes her account with observations on the coastal temples of Bengal, practical guides to regional currency, and methods for preserving specimen birds.

The People

• Fanny Parkes Parlby: The observant author and traveler who seeks out new sights, cultures, and landscapes across India. She desires to experience and record the beauty, customs, and daily life of the places she visits, often pushing past the conventional boundaries imposed on European women. She faces intense heat, dangerous river currents, ocean gales, and mountain precipices, ultimately emerging as an adaptable, deeply informed chronicler of Eastern life.
• Her Highness the Bāiza Bā’ī: The ex-Queen of Gwalior, living in exile with her court. She seeks to maintain her royal dignity, protect her family, and preserve her cultural traditions despite her political displacement. Faced with rebellion, loss, and the constant threat of epidemic illness striking her heirs, she maintains a warm, lasting friendship with Parlby and welcomes her into her private circle.
• The Gaja Rājā Sāhib: The young grand-daughter of the Bāiza Bā’ī and her primary source of comfort. She desires freedom of movement and joy within the bounds of court life, excelling at horsemanship and enjoying swings within the zenāna. When struck by severe epidemic fever, her illness causes great alarm in the camp, highlighting the fragile nature of life in the region.
• Nawāb Hakīm Menhdī: A prominent native nobleman and former minister whose luxurious residence, shawl manufactory, and zenāna Parlby visits. He seeks to maintain his influence and traditional lifestyle during a period of shifting political power, but his declining health leads to his eventual passing.
• The Dāndīs and Mānjhīs: The riverboat captains and crew members who navigate the Ganges. They want to navigate the treacherous, shifting river safely while adhering to their traditional beliefs, practical routines, and omens. They frequently contend with dangerous falling banks, shallow waters, and the demands of European travelers.

In Its Own Voice

“I was glad to get away, and anchor further on, the smell on such occasions being objectionable; it is a horrible custom, this burning the corpse; the poor must always do it by halves, it takes so much wood to consume the body to ashes.”

Parlby remarks upon the practical difficulties and unpleasant lingering odors associated with riverbank cremations along the Ganges.

“A pathway three feet in width at its utmost breadth, is a handsome road in the Hills; a perpendicular rock on one side, and a precipice, perhaps three or four hundred feet deep, may be on the other.”

Describing the precarious mountain trails around Mussoorī, Parlby details the physical reality of traveling through the Himalayan foothills.

“While the storm was blowing I thought of all the idols in the hold,—of Ganesh, and Ram, and Krishnjee, and felt a little alarm lest the ‘Madagascar’ in a fit of iconoclastic fury, should destroy all my curiosities.”

As heavy seas toss her ship during an ocean gale, Parlby reflects on the vast collection of artifacts and religious figures she has gathered during her travels.

What It's Really About

Behind its straightforward diary structure, the book examines the complexities of cross-cultural encounter and observation in nineteenth-century colonial India. Parlby is interested in looking past official British administrative narratives to document the actual, lived experience of both high-ranking Indian royals and ordinary working people. She interrogates the boundaries placed upon women—both European ladies restricted by social etiquette and Indian women living within the seclusion of the zenāna—demonstrating how mutual curiosity and sympathy can bridge vast cultural divides.

The text also wrestles with the physical realities of empire and travel: the constant presence of disease, the precariousness of river and mountain transport, and the sheer scale of the Indian landscape. Parlby contrasts the ancient depth of Indian religious, architectural, and social traditions with the often fleeting, utilitarian interventions of the East India Company. By recording detailed descriptions of Hindū mythology, Mahratta court life, mountain customs, and native flora alongside her critiques of flawed colonial policies, Parlby presents a world where local knowledge and historic traditions remain vibrant and resilient in the face of colonial rule.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to narrative travel writing, nineteenth-century history, or non-fiction personal journals will find a rich, highly detailed voice in Parlby’s work. Unlike many colonial-era travelogues that view foreign landscapes through a purely administrative or dismissive lens, Parlby approaches her surroundings with vivid curiosity, energetic artistic interest, and an appetite for local detail. Her writing feels immediacy-driven and remarkably direct, capturing everything from the physical perils of mountain pony rides to the subtle social dynamics of royal zenānas.

The book does present specific challenges for modern readers. Its vast length and deliberate, day-by-day diary format mean that dramatic encounters are interspersed with routine travel logistics, weather notes, and long copied extracts regarding local geography or religious lore. Furthermore, the text inevitably reflects the period attitudes, social biases, and colonial terminology of a nineteenth-century British writer, even as Parlby repeatedly displays greater warmth and open-mindedness toward native customs than many of her contemporaries.

What remains compelling is the sheer breadth of her canvas and the vitality of her prose. Parlby’s eye for visual detail—whether describing a stormy night on the Jumna, the intricate jewelry of a Mahratta princess, or a quiet ruined mosque above the Ganges—creates a remarkably durable portrait of an era. It offers an irreplaceable, unvarnished window into the complex, beautiful, and turbulent world of nineteenth-century India.