[ Edwardian shooting journal by British Army officer in Balistan, India (now Pakistan). ] Autograph 'Shooting Journal' by Lt Walter Edwin Beazley of the 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force), containing accounts and lists of kit, clothes, crockery, stores.

Author: 
Lt-Col. Walter Edwin Beazley (1886-1969), MC [ 54th Sikhs, Frontier Force ]
Publication details: 
Balistan, India (now Pakistan). Dating from between 5 April and 2 May 1908.
£400.00
SKU: 18007

A recipient of the Military Cross, Beazley was educated at Rugby and Sandhurst. His career is described as follows in Who Was Who: '2nd Lieut Indian Army, 1905; joined 54th Sikhs (Frontier Force), 1906; served Zakka Khel Expedition, 1908 (medal with clasp); Captain, 1914; Commandant Indian Signal Service Depot, 1914-15; East African Expeditionary Force, Commandant Divisional Signal Company and Brigade Major, 1915-18 (despatches twice, MC, Bt Major); Brigade Major, India, 1919-21; Afghan War, 1919; operations on NW Frontier, India, 1920 (two clasps); Staff Officer to Military Adviser-in-Chief, Indian States Forces, 1928-31; Lt-Col 1931; Member of the Indian Delegation to Disarmament Conference, 1932-33; retired 1934'. 24pp., 4to. In notebook with cloth spine and marbled endpapers. Internally in fair condition, on aged paper, in heavily worn binding. Inscriptions on endpaper: 'W. E. Beazley. | 54th Sikhs F. F.' and 'Shooting Journal.' The first twelve pages carry the accounts and various lists (kit, clothes, crockery, stores), described below. These are followed by the nine pages of the journal, the total of twenty-one pages dating from 1908. The next two pages are written in 1951, and carry 'selected extracts' from the preceding journal, beneath the draft of a letter offering them for publication. According to Beazley the journal describes 'a journey to Baltistan in 1908. This journey was undertaken to shoot markhor or ibex. It was aborted as on arrival at Skardu I was immediately recalled for the Mohmand show. Incidentally exactly the same thing occurred in 1914 & again in 1939 but that time only from a moor in Scotland. Your readers may be relieved to hear that I have no intention of similarly provoking a War in 1951.' As the entry indicates, the interest of the diary is in the detailed information it provides about the practical arrangements of hunting in the Raj. Having travelled from Rawalpindi to Srinagar (where he stays at Nedou's Hotel), Beazley has (on 9 April) 'an annoying day get all things ready [...] Saw Wigram today & got a permit for Astor, [...] Sent off a letter by coolie to Tehsildar of Gandsibal with parhama to have 22 coolies to meet me at Kangar for crossing the Zojida. [...] Hasna my shikari seems an oily beast.' The entry for the following day (10 April) is not untypical, with Beazley writing that he 'Slept in a doonga last night & started down the river at 6 am. reached Sambal about 10, owing to height of water couldn't get under the canal bridge there & had to tranship my things to another boat, paid 3/8 for doonga from Sirinagar (probably too much). Walked to Manas Bal a distance of 3 miles, it is a very pretty place on a lake & lovely views from hill just above. Had to camp there as permanent coolies with grass shoes hadn't turned up. Met a fellow in the 14th Sikhs (initials H. C W) who had dinner with me. He advised me to in future get stores from Prestonjees & get an agreement in writing from him to take back on return all surplus or bad stores. Fire all day but rained most of the night.' The rest of the journey is described in detail, until he writes, on 27 April, while 'near Ghulabpur': 'Spent a day resting. Received dak which contained telegram recalling me as regt. mobilised, sent in coolie to Skandoo with a telegram asking for particulars. My shikani went out saw a lot of ibex: he says that there are 2 or 3 heads over 45" in this nullah. I meant to go out in the evening, but a strong wind blowing up the nullah prevented me.' The following day, after seeing 'some ibex, 2 with good heads, but couldn't get near them' in the morning, he starts his return, the last entry (2 May) reading 'Marched 4 miles short of '. The itemised accounts preceding the journal are in double column, and cover two whole pages, with the money for the first page totalling 541 rupees 14 annas. Entries include: '20 Coolies from Koond to Dras @ 3/2 winter rate' [62 rupees 8 annas], 'Coolie going on pony to fetch gun stores' [1 rupee], 'Bungalow at Kangar | [Bungalow at Koond | Bungalow at Balkal | Firewood at Balkal | Bungalow at Meclacloi | Bungalow at Mitayar', 'Advance to Shikani of one month's pay @ 30 1 months Rasad for self 15. 1 mos. Rasad for 4. coolies 12. Grass Shoes 6' [53 rupees], 'Khud stick, 2 skinning Knives Axe' [4 rupees], 'Cashmere Hospital' [5 rupees], '4 Kiltas @ Rs 2/-' [8 rupees], 'Game Licence' [60 rupees], 'Paid to Guffar Yoo Darzis' [18 rupees 6 annas], 'Paid to Ramzana leather merchant' [60 rupees], 'Tumtums' [1 rupees], 'Dak bungalows on road' [11 rupees 6 annas], 'Seat in p tonga (Pindi to Sirinagar) [41 rupees 8 annas] | 2 Ekhas for do. [48 rupees]'. The 'List of Stores' includes '4 boxes Pear's soup', '4 tins quaker oats', '2 botls. bovril', '2 tins Keating powder' and '1 botl. Worcester sauce', '3 boxes Maggi soup'. 'Clothes' include '1 pr. bedford cord leggings | 2 prs. Cashmir Chaplis', '1 pr. gilgit boots', '2 Prs Serge Knickerbockers', '1 pr. shooting boots'. 'Crockery' includes '2 dekchies' and '1 Sirram Kettle'. A note by Beazley complains that the stores 'were bought through Cockburns & were very expensive, much cheaper to buy direct from shops in Sirinagar or bring up with you.' The final page of text carries a short note from around 1964, with Beazley stating that he has 'attained the age of 80', and is 'presently engaged' in destroying his papers, 'out of consideration for my executors and children'.