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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
l
111
MEMOIR OF SIR HENRY YULE 1859-61
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took the, at that time, most unusual step of coming home on
three months' leave, which as the voyage then occupied a
month each way, left him only one month at home. He was
accompanied by his elder brother George, who had not been out
of India for thirty years. The visit home of the two brothers
was as bright and pleasant as it was brief, but does not call for
further notice.
In 1860, Yule's health having again suffered, he took short
leave to Java. His journal of this . tour is very interesting, but
space does not admit of quotation here. He embodied some of
the results of his observations in a lecture he delivered on his
return to Calcutta.
During these latter years of his service in India, Yule owed
much happiness to the appreciative friendship of Lord Canning
and the ready sympathy of Lady Canning. If he shared their tours
in an official capacity, the intercourse was much more than official.
The noble character of Lady Canning won from Yule such whole-
hearted chivalrous devotion as, probably, he felt for no other friend
save, perhaps in after days, Sir Bartle Frere. And when her
health failed, it was to Yule's special care that Lord Canning
entrusted his wife during a tour in the Hills. Lady Canning
was known to be very homesick, and one day as the party came
in sight of some ilexes (the evergreen oak), Yule sought to
cheer her by calling out pleasantly ; " Look, Lady Canning !
There are oaks ! " " No, no, Yule, not oaks," cried Sir C. B.
" They are (solemnly) IBEXES." " No, not Ibexes, Sir C., you
mean SILEXES," cried Capt. , the A.D.C. ; Lady Canning
and Yule the while almost choking with laughter.
On another and later occasion, when the Governor-General's
camp was peculiarly dull and stagnant, every one yawning and
grumbling, Yule effected a temporary diversion by pretending to
tap the telegraph wires, and circulating through camp, what pur-
ported to be, the usual telegraphic abstract of news brought
to Bombay by the latest English mail. The news was of the
most astounding character, with just enough air of probability, in
minor details, to pass muster with a dull reader. The effect was
all he could wish or rather more and there was a general
flutter in the camp. Of course the Governor-General and one or
two others were in the secret, and mightily relished the diversion.
But this pleasant and cheering intercourse was drawing to its
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