to connexion with the railway system of
India.

In the autumn, just before we left Simla, our friends bestowed upon my
wife a farewell gift in the shape of a very beautiful diamond bracelet
and a sum of money for her fund for 'Homes in the Hills, and Officers'
Hospitals,' made doubly acceptable by the kind words with which Lord
Lansdowne, on behalf of the donors, presented it. Shortly afterwards
we bade a regretful adieu to our happy home of so many years, and made
our way to the Punjab for a final visit.

We spent a few days at Peshawar, and then went to Rawal Pindi to
be present at a Camp of Exercise, and see how the works under
construction for the protection of the arsenal were progressing.
These works had been put in hand in 1890, when, according to my
recommendation, it had been decided not to fortify Multan. No place in
the Punjab appeared to my mind to possess the same military value as
Rawal Pindi, its strategical importance with regard to the right
flank of the frontier line being hardly inferior to that of Quetta in
relation to the left flank; but of late the advisability of completing
the works had been questioned by my colleagues in Council, greatly
to my concern, for I felt that it would be unwise to leave the
elaboration of the defences of such a position until war should be
imminent.[10]

In January, 1893, a series of farewell entertainments were organized
for me at Lahore by the people of the Punjab, as touching as they
were highly appreciated, and intensely gratifying. Amongst the crowds
assembled in the Town Hall to bid me good-bye, I was greatly pleased
to see, besides the Maharaja of Kashmir, Chiefs and men from beyond
our frontier, from Kuram, from the confines of Baluchistan, even from
the wilds of Waziristan; for their presence on this occasion I felt to
be, not only a proof of their kindly feeling towards me personally,
and of their approval of the measures for their safety and welfare
that I had always advocated, but a very distinct sign of the much
to be desired change that was taking place in the sentiments of the
border tribes towards us as a nation.

Four addresses were presented to me, from the Sikh*, Hindu*, Mahomedan*,
and European* communities of the Punjab, respectively, which I will
venture to give in the Appendix, as I feel sure that the spirit of
loyalty which pervades them will be a revelation to many, and a source
of satisfaction to all who are interested in the country to wh