SIKHIM AND BHUTAN
Another time, the medical officer with his wife also arrived hungry on the scene, also to find no one at home, and too shy to order tea to be made and brought to the drawing-room where the table was standing ready, sadly went back to their little hut, borrowing from the mess, about as badly off for provisions as themselves, a tin of herrings. The herrings came up for dinner, but were followed by a sweet omelet made by their cook in the same frying pan! This couple lived in a two-roomed hut built of wattle and dab, and most of the furniture was primitive to a degree—four sticks with a packing-case top made a table, and even their bed was the same, with newar or wide tape stretched across. In the rains they said the uprights sprouted and grew green leaves over their heads. Such a primitive state of affairs seems almost impossible nowadays when the Gangtak bazaar possesses its two or three shops for the sale of European provisions, beers and wines, and is looked upon as a shopping centre by the further outposts; but in those early days Gangtak was the furthest outpost itself and end of all things, and we had very happy, merry times and many little adventures and mishaps were the cause of much laughter and many jokes.
My first garden party would have seemed very quaint to European eyes. I had invited the Maharaja and Maharani, with the members of Council, and all the Kazis and headmen with their wives and families. A goodly crowd assembled about four hours before the appointed time and lined the road just outside the Residency grounds, sitting about on the grassy edges until they were told they might come in, determined not to be late. Most of them had never seen, much less tasted European sweets or cakes, and when tea-time came they simply cleaned the tables of everything, and what they could not eat they carried away in the front of their voluminous coats. They emptied the sugar basins, and even took the spoons and liqueur glasses, and it all took place so quietly while my wife and I were with the Maharaja and
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